ANTHROPOLOGY 565
?Seminar in Archaeology: Archaeological Theory and History?
University of Massachusetts, Boston
Fall 2004
SCHEDULE
Tuesday, 5:30-8:00 pm McCormack Building, 1st Floor, Room 503 (M/1/503)
INSTRUCTOR
Professor: Stephen Silliman
Office Location: McCormack
Hall, 4th Floor, Room 439 (M/4/439)
Office Phone: 617-287-6854
Email Address: stephen.silliman@umb.edu
Course Website: http://www.faculty.umb.edu/stephen_silliman/Anth565.html
PURPOSE OF THE
COURSE
The course introduces students to the history of archaeology and the diverse theoretical forms that the discipline takes today. Beginning with an overview of the origins of archaeology, the course leads students through the three schools of archaeological thought known as culture historical, processual, and post-processual archaeology. Although post-processual archaeology is the latest phase, the face of contemporary archaeology is a diverse one that includes many approaches focused on social agency, critical theory, gender, narrative, evolution, ecology, and cognition. When considering each major era, we will pay particular attention to the epistemology ? the how we know what we know ? behind these approaches. At the same time, the course will focus on the theoretical debates that have structured the growth and focus of archaeology. Historical archaeology is a relatively new addition to archaeology?s history; we will discuss its various roles in the broader discipline, but the course will take a broader sweep of archaeological theory. However, you will be expected to think and talk about how these issues influence past and contemporary historical archaeology.
The course is divided into three parts: (1) historical overview, (2) issues and concepts, and (3) politics and practice. The historical overview begins with a brief introduction to archaeology?s rich and diverse history. After setting the historical stage with these general theoretical movements, we consider the key issues and approaches that have influenced, crossed-over, and risen anew in these three major paradigms. Readings include theoretical pieces and case studies. The third section introduces the politics of contemporary archaeological theory, practice, and representation.
Anthropology 565 is a graduate course, which means that it will be conducted in a seminar rather than a lecture format. To achieve this end, all students must be prepared to talk and analyze critically the readings and issues. The instructor will provide some opening remarks to set the context and raise the issues, but students are expected to participate fully in bringing each seminar to fruition.
REQUIRED READING
Robert W. Preucel and Ian Hodder, eds.
1996 Contemporary Archaeology in Theory: A Reader, reprinted 1999. Blackwell, London. (CAT)
Trigger, Bruce G.
1989 A History of Archaeological Thought. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Hodder, Ian, ed.
2001 Archaeological Theory Today. Blackwell Publishing, Malden and London. (ATT)
Additional assigned readings can be
found on eReserve in the Healey Library at http://docutek.lib.umb.edu/courseindex.asp.
Access them by selecting Anth 565 either in the
course drop-down list or under my name in the instructor drop-down list and
using the following password: (provided in class on printed syllabus). You can view, print, or download these
readings anywhere you have internet access.
RECOMMENDED READING
Johnson, Matthew
1998 Archaeological Theory: An Introduction. Blackwell Publishers.
10% Participation: You are expected to attend seminar regularly, read all assigned materials, and participate actively in class discussion. I reserve the right to assign written summaries of assigned readings if students are not informed and talkative.
15% Personification: You will be assigned a well-known archaeologist in Week 3 of the semester, and you will represent that individual?s theoretical perspective for the remainder of the term, beginning in Week 5, whenever appropriate. This persona will not replace your own perspectives in class, but you must present his/her views on topics that you (or I) find relevant. You will probably want to do outside reading on your archaeologist to round out your knowledge. This task will be like a sustained dialogue, not like an orals exam.
20% Bibliography: Each student will compile a
bibliography on any of the topics listed after Week 5 or any other topic chosen
in consultation with the instructor.
This bibliography must meet five criteria: (1) contain at least 20 entries pertinent to the
topic, formatted in a standard bibliographic style, and not repetitive with
course material; (2) include at least 9 unique authors; (3) focus primarily on
current (1993-present) publications; (4) have ~250-word annotations, or
critical summaries, for 10 selected entries; and (5) open with a 3-5 page
introduction that summarizes the critical issues discussed in the 20
articles. Due 12/7
10% Discussion: Each student will lead seminar discussion once with one other student, with available weeks depending on class enrollment. A sign-up sheet for all course topics will be available on the second day of class. To lead seminar discussion, you are expected to provide brief article/chapter summaries, but only as a way to generate class discussion and hit high points. Everyone will learn more if you distill what they have already read and then offer commentary, criticize, let them ask questions, etc. Reading a basic 10-minute summary of an article that does nothing insightful doesn?t tend to be productive or awakening.
45% Short Papers: You will be given three issues and asked to write short (3 pages, excluding references) response papers to them. Each is worth 15% of your grade.
Paper #1: Assigned 10/5, Due 10/12
Paper #2: Assigned 11/2, Due 11/9
Paper #3: Assigned 12/14, Due 12/21
**Note that the order of
readings is likely to be the order they will be covered in seminar discussion.
Week 1, 9/7 Introduction
Week 2, 9/14 Archaeology in the 19th Century:
Evolutionism, ?Race,? ?Progress?
Optional
Johnson,
Chapter 1
Week 3, 9/21 Culture-Historical Archaeology: Migration,
Diffusion, Cultural Geography
Steward, ?The Direct Historical
Approach? (1942, eReserve)
Lyman,
O?Brien, and Dunnell, ?After the Revolution? (1997, eReserve)
Flannery, ?Culture History
v. Culture Process . . .? (1967, eReserve)
Binford, ?Willow Smoke and Dogs?
Tails . . .? (CAT, Chapter 1)
Binford,
?Archaeological Systematics . . .? (1965, eReserve)
Optional
Johnson,
Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5
Gilman, ?Explaining the
Upper Palaeolithic Revolution? (CAT, Chapter 8)
Week 5, 10/5 Post-Processual Archaeology: Meaning,
Symbolism, Gender, Politics, Agency
Trigger,
Chapter 9
Conkey, ?Structural Analysis of
Paleolithic Art? (1989, eReserve)
Preucel and Hodder,
?Communicating Present Pasts? (CAT,
pp. 3-20)
Shanks and Tilley, ?Social Archaeology? (1987, eReserve)
Thomas, ?The Polarities of
Post-Processual Archaeology? (2000, eReserve)
Hodder, ?Introduction: A Review of
Contemporary . . .? (ATT, Chapter 1)
Optional
Johnson,
Chapter 7
Leone, ?Symbolic, Structural, and Critical
Archaeology? (1985, eReserve)
Week 6, 10/12 Political
Economy and History
Preucel and Hodder,
?Process, Structure and History? (CAT,
pp. 205-219)
Preucel and Hodder,
?The Production of Value? (CAT, pp.
99-113)
Renfrew, ?Peer Polity Interaction . . .? (CAT, Chapter 4)
Earle, ?Specialization and the Production of Wealth
. . .? (CAT, Chapter 6)
Duke, ?Braudel and North
American Archaeology . . .? (CAT,
Chapter 9)
Optional
Johnson, Chapter 9
Kohl, ?The Ancient Economy .
. .? (CAT, Chapter 5)
Response Paper #1 Due
Week 7, 10/19 Ecology, Environment, Evolution
Preucel and Hodder,
?Nature and Culture? (CAT, pp. 23-38)
Dunnell, ?Aspects of the
Application of Evolutionary Theory? (1989, eReserve)
Mithen, ?Ecological
Interpretations of Palaeolithic Art? (CAT, Chapter 3)
Hastorf and Johannessen,
?Understanding Changing . . .? (CAT,
Chapter 2)
Broughton
and O?Connell, ?On Evolutionary Ecology . . .? (1999, eReserve)
Week 8, 10/26 Symbols,
Meaning, Ideology
Preucel and Hodder,
?Material Symbols? (CAT, pp. 299-314)
Flannery and Marcus, ?Cognitive Archaeology? (CAT, Chapter 13)
Robb, ?The Archaeology of
Symbols? (1998, eReserve)
Renfrew, ?Symbol Before Concept . . .? (ATT,
Chapter 5)
Leone, Potter, and Shackel,
?Toward a Critical Archaeology? (1987, eReserve)
Optional
Johnson,
Chapter 6
Week 9, 11/2 Gender, Sexuality, and Bodies
Preucel and Hodder,
?Understanding Sex and Gender? (CAT,
pp. 415-430)
Wylie, ?The Interplay of Evidential Constraints . .
.? (CAT, Chapter 16)
Hastorf, ?Gender, Space, and Food
in Prehistory? (CAT, Chapter 17)
Engelstad, ?Feminist Theory and
Post-Processual . . .? (1991, eReserve)
Meskell, ?Archaeologies of
Identity? (ATT, Chapter 8)
Joyce, ?A Precolumbian
Gaze: Male Sexuality . . .? (2000, eReserve)
Optional
Johnson,
Chapter 8
Response Paper #2 Assigned
Thomas, ?The Hermeneutics
of Megalithic Space? (1993, eReserve)
Lightfoot, Martinez, Schiff, ?Daily Practice and
Material . . .? (1998, eReserve)
Pauketat, ?Practice and History in Archaeology . .
.? (2001, eReserve)
Barrett, ?The Living, the Dead, and the Ancestors? (CAT, Chapter 15)
Thomas, ?Archaeologies of Place and Landscape? (ATT, Chapter 7)
Optional
Donley-Reid, ?A Structuring
Structure . . .? (1990, eReserve)
Response Paper #2 Due
Johnson, ?Conceptions of Agency . . .? (1989, eReserve)
Clark and Blake, ?The Power of Prestige . . .? (CAT, Chapter 10)
Gero, ?Troubled Travels in
Agency? (2000, eReserve)
Silliman, ?Agency, Practical
Politics . . .? (2001, eReserve)
Barrett, ?Agency, the
Duality of Structure . . .? (ATT, Chapter
6)
Week 12, 11/23 Material Culture, Consumption, and
Behavior
Orser, ?Beneath the Material Surface of Things . .
.? (CAT, Chapter 7)
Yentsch, ?The Symbolic Division of
Pottery . . .? (CAT, Chapter 12)
Mullins, ?Race and the Genteel Consumer . . .?
(1999, eReserve)
Yentsch and Beaudry, ?American
Material Culture . . .? (ATT, Chapter
9)
LaMotta and Schiffer,
?Behavioral Archaeology . . . (ATT,
Chapter 2)
Optional
Shanks, ?Style and the Design of a Perfume Jar? (CAT, Chapter 14)
Preucel and Hodder,
?Representations and Antirepresentations? (CAT, pp. 519-530)
Spector, ?What this Awl Means. . .?
(CAT, Chapter 18)
Arnold, ?The Past as
Propaganda . . .? (CAT, Chapter 21)
Gero and Root, ?Public
Presentations and Private Concerns. . .? (CAT,
Chapter 20)
Moser, ?Archaeological Representation . . .? (ATT, Chapter 11)
Optional
Joyce, ?Dorothy Hughes Popenoe . . .? (CAT,
Chapter 19)
Week 14, 12/7 Politics,
Indigenous People, and Alternative Archaeologies
Preucel and Hodder,
?Constructing Identities? (CAT, pp.
601-614)
Trigger, ?Alternative Archaeologies . . .? (CAT, Chapter 23)
Tilley, ?Archaeology as Socio-Political Action in
the Present? (1989, eReserve)
Gosden, ?Postcolonial Archaeology
. . .? (ATT, Chapt.
10)
Anawak, ?Inuit Perceptions of the
Past? (CAT, Chapter 25)
Optional
Condori, ?History and Prehistory in
Bolivia . . .? (CAT, Chapter 24)
Vizenor, ?Bone Courts . . .? (CAT, Chapter 26)