ANTH 528 - Methods in Archaeological Science

Fall or Spring (4) Kahn. Note: There will be 1.5 hours of lecture/class discussion and 2.5 hours of lab/discussion per week.

This survey and lab course focuses on the application of scientific methods of analysis to archaeological materials, including stone, bone, coral, charcoal, plant remains, and other organic materials. The emphasis will be on the history of archaeological science within the discipline and current advances in physical science applications in archaeology. Topics to be covered include Dating Techniques (Relative and Absolute, with an emphasis on Chronometric techniques), Geomorphology, Soils Analysis, and Environmental Reconstruction; Compositional Analysis, Materials Analysis, and Technology; Microscopy and Provenance Studies. At least half of the course will involve hands on learning with archaeological materials and datasets in the lab.