Archaeological Science

Full course description

This introduction to archaeology is designed for science students. Archaeology is the study of human past through the analysis of material remains. Because the material record of the past is invariably incomplete, archaeologists embrace a variety of methods, techniques, tools, and theories from any and all natural sciences, social sciences, or humanities disciplines. Armed with this diverse toolkit, archaeologists and their collaborators attempt to answer research questions related to past human technologies, diet, health, disease, genetic diversity, identity, social organization, settlement, environment, economy, trade, interaction, migration/movement, religion, etc. In this course, we will explore how science and archaeology can together be used to learn more about these topics and the methods used by scientist-archaeologists (e.g., archaeobotany, archaeozoology, geoarchaeology, archaeometry, archaeochemistry, environmental archaeology, archaeoastronomy) working in the discipline.

The course will begin by establishing the essential background to archaeological methods, research, and interpretation. We will then examine how each branch science has contributed to archaeological research. For this, we will rely on real archaeological case studies and research questions from around the world. Some flexibility will also be offered such that the students’ interests can be tailored to the case studies, research questions, and scientific methods that are considered. By the end of the course, students will not only learn more about archaeology, but also the interdisciplinary potential of their science education.