23/S2 ANTH 2343 A - Arch of Early Soc.:North/Cent

This class is an introduction to the complicated and exciting culture history of North and Central America, and the archaeological evidence that helped build that culture history. We will look at the important sites, major research, and most influential archaeologists from these continents. At the same time, we will become familiar with Americanist archaeology, an approach to archaeology that developed out of the differences in this archaeological record compared with other continents. As part of this class, we will explore themes like cultural evolution, artifacts as technology, cultural exchange and interaction, and social structure, and we will explore how archaeological investigation can reveal these aspects of past cultures and societies.