Undergraduate Courses
1030 Introduction to Archaeology and Bioarchaeology is a broad overview of Archaeology and Bioarchaeology introducing the concepts of human biological and cultural evolution and the methods and techniques by which these are investigated. The course is designed to provide the basis for further study in the disciplines.
2430 Principles of Bioarchaeology investigates the human animal as we exist now and as we developed through time. Students will discover how the study of fossil remains, living and extinct primates, and the applications of the principles of genetics, adaptation and variation of human evolution help to provide an understanding of how biology and culture have interacted to produce modern humans.
2450 Principles of Archaeological Science introduces the student to a broad range of scientific approaches used in archaeology. The course provides an overview of the historical development of archaeological science and a survey of the current techniques used to investigate materials recovered from archaeological contexts, including biomolecular methods, paleoethnobotany, zooarchaeology, geoarchaeology, dating techniques, remote sensing and conservation. Prerequisite: ARCH 1030
2480 Principles of Archaeology is an introduction to archaeological techniques, methodology and theory. Lectures cover the development of the discipline, techniques of survey and excavation, methods of analysis and the interpretation of prehistory. Prerequisite: ARCH 1030
2481 Ancient Civilizations of the Americas is a survey course introducing the archaeology and ethnohistory of various pre-contact civilizations of North, Central and South America. Archaeological Evidence will be used to explore the rise of civilizations in the Americas and particular civilizations will be examined and compared based on idealogy, economy and administration. Prerequisite: ARCH 1030
2491 Popular Archaeology is a course on how
human history is reconstructed from archaeological remains. Methods
and techniques of archaeology are illustrated through discussion of
archaeological research currently in progress, both in Newfoundland
and Labrador and elsewhere in the world.
Note: This course may not be used for credit
toward a major or minor in Archaeology.
2492 Forensic Anthropology is an examination of
procedures and techniques used by Biological anthropologists and
archaeologists to obtain data pertinent to investigations by law
enforcement and medical authorities; evidence concerning the
identification of human remains and the cause, time and manner of
death.
Note: This course may not be used for credit
toward a major or minor in Archaeology.
2493 Archaeology on Film explores the use of
archaeology as a popular backdrop to many films and documentaries.
Yet, the manner in which archaeology is represented in modern film
is hardly realistic, or is it? The portrayal of archaeology in
popular film will be discussed in order to determine what movies
convey to the public about archaeological method and theory as well
as the historical stories that archaeologists investigate.
Note: This course may not be used for credit
toward a major or minor in Archaeology.
2582 Principles of Historical Archaeology (same
as History 2582) will introduce students to historical archaeology,
with special reference to the North Atlantic, 1000 to 1900 AD. The
archaeology of specific sites will be examined in order to raise
issues about theory and method. Students will be introduced to
palacography; historic maps; documentary archaeology; the survey,
excavation and analysis of complex sites; material culture and
subsistence studies; cultural resource management and theoretical
approaches including historical anthropology, ethnohistory, world
systems and consumer studies. Prerequisite: ARCH 1030
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
2582, the former ARCH 3582, Anthropology 3582, or History 2582.
2590 Basic Research and Writing about the Archaeological Past is aimed at introductory level students who are curious about how archaeologists uncover evidence about the past. It is also designed to help students to become better researchers and writers. Readings will explore a variety of short classics in archaeology, from debates about when and where humans first evolved to recent research on the historical archaeology of Newfoundland. This course qualifies as a research writing course.
3001 Art, Architecture and Medieval Life (same
as Medieval Studies 3001, History 3020, Folklore 3001) is an
examination of the development of medieval art and architecture and
of the ways in which they mirror various aspects of life in the
Middle Ages. This course will include a discussion of art and
architecture in the countryside, in the town, in the castle, in the
cathedral and in the cloister. Prerequisite: It is recommended but
not obligatory, that students should have successfully completed
one of the following courses: ARCH 2480, ARCH 2582, Folklore 1000
or 2000, History 2320 Medieval Studies 2001, History 2330/Medieval
Studies 2002, or Medieval Studies 2000.
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
3001, the former ARCH 3589, Anthropology 3589, Medieval Studies
3001, History 3020, Folklore 3001
3020 What is Human? discusses how humans have long considered themselves unique. Through readings, discussions and presentations this seminar will explore exactly how distinctive humans are in their biological, behavioural, and intellectual traits and whether there is, in fact, something which sets us apart from all other creatures. Prerequisite: ARCH 2430
3040 The Human Skeleton reflects genetic, environmental and cultural influence. This course, emphasizing identification of individual bones in the skeleton, techniques for obtaining size and shape differences in individual bones and the entire skeleton, estimation of group numbers and death rates, and diagnosis of disease and other abnormal conditions, provides a means of assessing all of these influences on past human populations. Prerequisite: ARCH 2430
3290 Newfoundland and Labrador Prehistory is a seminar and reading course on the culture history of Newfoundland and Labrador from about 9,000 years ago until the time of European settlement. Particular attention will be paid to the interactions among the several ethnic and cultural groups upon whose history this course focuses. Prerequisite: ARCH 1030
3291 Maritime Provinces Prehistory is cultural developments in the area which today includes the Maritime Provinces and northern Maine, from the entry of humans into the region until the time of European contact. Emphasis is placed on cultural adaptations to a changing regional environment and the evidence for intercultural contact. Prerequisite: ARCH 1030
3500 Prehistory of Africa, Asia and Europe I examines the early stages of cultural evolution in the Old World. Topics include: earliest human origins in Africa; the dispersal of humans throughout the Old World: the appearance of modern-type humans during the last ice age. Prerequisite: ARCH 1030
3505 Prehistory of Africa, Asia and Europe II is a survey of the more recent stages of human cultural evolution in the Old World. Topics include: complex behaviour of modern-type hunter-gatherers of the last ice age; the domestication of plants and animals in early farming communities. Prerequisite: ARCH 3500
3510 Prehistory of the New World is a survey of cultural development in the Americas from the entry of humans until the time of European contact. Topics include: the earliest human migrations and the dispersal of human groups throughout the New World; the development of complex hunting-gathering societies; the origins of agriculture and sedentism. Prerequisite: ARCH 1030
3515 Prehistory of Mesoamerica (same as History
3515) discusses the Spanish explorers arriving in Mesoamerica i.e.
Mexico and Guatemala of today, and how they discovered rich and
complex civilizations that had developed independently of European
or Asian influence. This course traces the development of
Mesoamerican civilizations from their known origins to the point at
which growth was terminated by Spanish intervention. Prerequisite:
ARCH 1030
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
and History 3515.
3520 The Early Ethnohistory of North
America’s Native People (same as
History 3520) examines the North American Native response to early
European contact and initial settlement. Particular attention will
be paid to cultural change resulting from the adoption of European
goods, participation in the fur trade, the introduction of European
disease, and the adaptation to a permanent European presence.
Prerequisite: ARCH 2480 or ARCH 2582
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
3520 and History 3520.
3525 The Later Ethnohistory of North
America’s Native People (same as
History 3525) examines Indian and Inuit cultural history of the
18th and 19th centuries, including the fur trade, resistance and
accommodation to European expansion, the emergence of
revitalization movements, demographic changes, and population
shifts. Special emphasis will be placed on the ethnohistory of the
Native peoples of what is now Canada and northern United States.
Prerequisite: ARCH 2480 or ARCH 2582
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
3525 and History 3525.
3561 Ethnoarchaeology is a subfield of archaeology that uses recent ethnographic information to interpret and explain the material remains of past human behaviour. This course compares the goals and methods of ethnoarchaeologists with those of ethnographers and archaeologists. Case studies are used to illustrate the different approaches and concerns of ethnoarchaeologists working in different regions of the world. Prerequisite: ARCH 2480, or permission of instructor.
3580 Bronze Age Archaeology of the Eastern
Mediterranean (same as Classics 3580) examines the
archaeological evidence that underlies the current reconstruction
of the Bronze Age in the eastern Mediterranean. The Bronze Age of
the Aegean and the island of Cyprus is essentially prehistoric and
inaccessible except through the methods of archaeology; physical
dating techniques, geoarchaeology, residue studies,
palaeoethnobotany, zooarchaeology, forensic anthropology,
underwater archaeology and cultural resource management. Pieced
together these give us a compelling picture of the cultural
history, lifeways and the dynamics of cultural change during this
important period. Emphasis is placed on the role of Cyprus as a
physical and cultural link between peoples of the Aegean and the
Near East. Prerequisite: ARCH 1030 or permission of instructor.
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
3580 and Classics 3580.
3583 Archaeological Field School Orientation is designed to familiarize students with field and laboratory techniques. Students will learn about research design and the methodologies involved in archaeological site survey and mapping. Students will be instructed in the identification of archaeological sites, completion of site inventory forms, the use of surveying instruments, and the creation of accurate site maps, using these instruments as well as the concepts associated with archaeological excavation, mapping, recording and photography. Finally, students will be given basic instruction in artifact identification, processing and cataloguing. This course is intended to be a precursor to Arch 3585 and 3586 (Archaeology Field School). Prerequisite: ARCH 2480
3584 Historical Anthropology (same as
Anthropology 3584 and History 3535) will explore selected issues in
historical anthropology, with special reference to the
Mediterranean and North Atlantic worlds. Students will read
specific case studies in order to explore the theoretical issues
raised by the attempt to understand historically-documented past
cultures. In order to give practical examples of methodology
classes will analyse primary source material. Students will be
introduced to the textual analysis of myth and legal records, to
the interpretation of images and to the analysis of patterns in
material culture. The course will consider specific current
interpretive issues, particularly the rise of individualism, the
consumer revolution and the cultural construction of gender.
Prerequisite: ARCH 2582 , or any 2000-level History course.
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
3584, Anthropology 3584 , History 3535 .
3585-3586 Archaeology Field School offers students practical introduction to archaeological fieldwork (3585) and laboratory techniques (3586). These courses provide instruction and experience in site mapping, sampling strategies, the recovery and conservation of archaeological materials (i.e., artifacts and ecofacts) and the cleaning, cataloguing and cultural interpretation of artifacts and features. The students will also receive an introduction to archaeological research concerning prehistoric and/or historic cultures of a selected region. Prerequisite: ARCH 3583
3587 Archaeological Conservation is an introduction to principles and techniques for the preservation of archaeological materials, with an emphasis on conservation in the field. Prerequisite: ARCH 2480 or ARCH 2450
3588 Arctic Archaeologyis an introduction to the archaeology of the Canadian Arctic, Greenland, and Alaska, from earliest settlement to historic interactions between Inuit and Europeans. Special emphasis is placed on the eastern Canadian Arctic, and the changing social and economic adjustments arctic peoples have made to a challenging environment. Prerequisite: ARCH 1030
3590 Hunter-Gatherer Studies (same as
Anthropology 3590 ) examines past and present hunting and gathering
societies from various areas of the world, both from an
ethnographic and an archaeological perspective. Prerequisite: ARCH
1030 or Anthropology 1031
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
3590 and Anthropology 3590 .
3591 Collections Management (same as Folklore
3591 ) will introduce students to the problems of collections
storage with respect to environment, materials and artifact access.
Students will become familiar with the materials encountered in
archaeological and ethnographic collections. The storage of
specific historic and prehistoric collections from Newfoundland and
Labrador will be examined with the purpose of providing practical
examples of methodology. Prerequisite: One of ARCH 2450, 2480 or
2582
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
3591 and Folklore 3591 .
3592 Norse Archaeology explores the influence
of the Vikings on the medieval world and the place of L'Anse aux
Meadows within this cultural milieu. Students will be introduced to
Viking-Age archaeological and literary texts to gain knowledge of
specific questions and problems concerning multicultural contact
within the Viking-Age world, specifically the North Atlantic
region. They will also gain an appreciation of the challenges
associated with using interdisciplinary evidence as well as
migration and multicultural issues in the past and present.
Prerequisite: ARCH 1030
Note:Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
3592 and former ARCH 3685.
3593 Archaeology of Childrenexamines emerging
archaeological and bioarchaeological research on children and
childhood. Topics include play, learning work, embodiment,
identity, death, narrative approaches to
children’s lives, and the paleoanthropology of
childhood. Prerequisite ARCH 2480
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
3593 and former ARCH 3684.
3650 Artifacts of Colonial North America provides students with practical experience in the analytical methods used to identify, date and interpret the different types of artifacts encountered on seventeenth- and eighteenth-century archaeological sites in Colonial North America. In depth discussions on manufacture, technology, form and function provide the necessary background for a better understanding of concepts relating to artifact identification, provenance, dating techniques, theoretical approaches and other current issues. Practical, hands-on exercises will help reinforce weekly topics and teach students the fundamentals required to interpret artifact assemblages from the historic period. Prerequisite: ARCH 2480, or ARCH 2582
3651 Archaeology of Colonial North
Americafocuses on the history and archaeology of North
American colonization and covers the period of European exploration
and settlement from approximately 1500 to 1700. A diverse range of
topics will be discussed including: contracts and interaction with
native peoples; early colonies and seasonal outposts; established
settlements; war, trade and economics; the material record; the
built landscape; daily life in colonial society and maritime
archaeology. Prerequisite: ARCH 1030
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
3651, the former ARCH 3862, or Anthropology 3682.
3680-3689 Studies in Archaeology and Prehistory will include the consideration of current developments in methods, techniques and theory as applied to selected areas of the world. Prerequisite: ARCH 2480, or equivalent
3710 Museums and Historic Sites(same as
Folklore 3700 ) is an introduction to museums and historic sites,
their work, and their role in societies past and present. Various
types of museums and historic sites will be discussed using local,
national and international examples, looking at their collections
and exhibitions policies. Practical issues will also be discussed;
these include museum exhibit display techniques, public
programming, virtual museums, and the museum profession.
Prerequisite: ARCH 2480 or ARCH 2582
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
3710 and Folklore 3700 .
3750 Archaeology of Warfare is a broad overview of archaeological research conducted at sites associated with human conflict spanning from ancient Greece to World War II. Weekly lectures will provide students with a solid background on the various means by which archaeologists study and excavate sites relating to war, conflict and subjugation. A broad range of topics will be covered including remote sensing and field survey techniques, the changing technology and tactics of war, battlefield sites, POW camps, sunken naval vessels, aviation sites, fortifications and frontier outposts. Prerequisite: ARCH 2480 or ARCH 2582
3800 Fieldwork in Vernacular Architecture: Drawings and
Photography (same as Folklore 3800 ) will provide the
technical background required for documenting vernacular
architecture, with an emphasis on drawings, photography, and
computer simulations. A group fieldwork project will involve using
both the computer and mechanical methods of recording, and usually
focus on the documentation of St. John’s
buildings.
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
3800 and Folklore 3800 .
3850 Material Culture (same as Folklore 3850 )
is an examination of various interpretive theories of objects as
cultural products. Problems of defining the artifact will be
discussed, as well as the strengths and limitations of using
objects in historical and ethnographic research. Questions
discussed include form, design, decoration, diffusion, and the role
of the creator of the object. Besides, folkloristic work on
material culture, a variety of interdisciplinary approaches will be
considered. Emphasis will be on the material folk culture of
Newfoundland and its European antecedents.
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
3850 and Folklore 3850 .
3860 Vernacular Architecture (same as Folklore
3860 and History 3860) is a historical survey of vernacular
architectural forms in various regions of North America, with
attention to Newfoundland materials. Issues discussed include the
relationship of house form and culture, the concepts of
antecedents, diffusion, innovation and evolution of building forms
and technologies, and the siting of buildings in the landscape.
Dwelling houses, outbuildings, churches and industrial vernacular
architecture will be included.
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
3860, Folklore 3860 , and History 3860.
3900 Newfoundland Vernacular Furniture (same as
Folklore 3900 ) is an introduction to the furnishings of the
Newfoundland domestic interior, involving case studies from public
and private collections. The focus of the course will be on
furniture, looking at both urban and outport forms. The cultural
context of typical furnishings will be discussed, as well as
details of furniture form and construction. While furniture will be
emphasized, other objects of domestic material culture may be
included; glass, ceramics, metalware and textiles.
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
3900 and Folklore 3900 .
4015 Cultural Resource Management (same as
Folklore 4015 and Geography 4015 ) is a study of cultural resource
management: the definition and recognition of cultural resources,
the application of policy in managing cultural resources, and the
identification and consideration of contemporary issues in cultural
resource management. Three hours of lecture and three hours of
seminar per week. Prerequisite: ARCH 2480 or ARCH 2582
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
4015, Folklore 4015 , and Geography 4015 .
4041 Palaeopathology looks at disease, diet, genetics, accidents and maternal health factors as contributors to variations in the human skeleton. In this lecture and laboratory course these factors are diagnosed from bones, and aspects of the culture, health, economy and environment of the skeletal individuals are examined. Prerequisites: ARCH 2430 and ARCH 3040
4043 Biomolecular Archaeology is a rapidly developing, multidisciplinary subfield of archaeology concerned with unraveling aspects of human behaviour and adaptation from ancient biomolecules preserved in artifacts and biological remains. Through lectures, directed readings and seminars this course aims to review and critically assess the many facets of biomolecular archaeology, including how biological and (geo)chemical methods can be used to address questions of diet, migration and ancestry in the past. Prerequisite: ARCH 2430 or ARCH 2450
4050-4059 Special Projects in Bioarchaeology includes directed reading, seminars and lab analysis of various skeletal collections. Topics to be covered may include primate behaviour, forensic anthropology, stable and radiogenic isotape analysis and various aspects of human evolution. Prerequisite: ARCH 2430 or ARCH 2450
4150 Environmental Change and Quaternary
Geography (same as Geography 4150 ) examines methods of
reconstructing Quaternany environments, effects of Quaternany
environmental changes on landform, with special reference to North
America, development and characteristics of glacial and nonglacial
climates. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per
week. Prerequisite: Six credit hours in physical geography or in
archaeology at the 3000-level; or permission of the instructor.
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
4150 and Geography 4150 .
4151 Paleoethnobotanyis a combined directed readings/laboratory course on palaeoethnobotany. Palaeoethnobotany concerns the recovery and analysis of archaeological plant remains as a basis for understanding human and plant interactions in the archaeological record. This course focuses on recent palaeobotanical research in northeastern North America. Prerequisite: ARCH 2450 , ARCH 2480 , or the permission of the instructor.
4152 Zooarchaeology aims to introduce the
student to the wide range of information that can be gleaned about
past human groups from the animal remains they left behind after
butchery, meals, toolmaking and other activities. Students will
also gain practical experience in the identification and analysis
of faunal remains. Prerequisite: ARCH 2450 or ARCH 2480
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
4152, the former ARCH 4195, or Anthropology 4195.
4153 Lithic Analysis explores the range of
techniques used to study stone tools, including material and
provenance identification, morphology and functional analysis,
temporal and cultural typology, measurement, illustration,
experimental manufacture, use wear and breakage patterns,
refitting, debitage analysis and spatial distribution.
Prerequisite: ARCH 2450 or ARCH 2480
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
4153, the former ARCH 4196, or Anthropology 4196.
4160-4169 Special Projects in Archaeology are courses which may be offered from time to time as demand arises. They may involve readings, seminars and actual analysis of archaeological collections on, for example: The Neolithic of Western Asia; the Rise of Civilization in Western Asia Scandinavian Prehistory; Palaeoethnobotany; and Technology and Material Culture. Prerequisite: One of ARCH 2450 , 2480 , 2481 , 2582 or permission of the instructor.
4170 Settlement and Subsistence Studies in Archaeology is a seminar course on method and theory in reconstructing prehistoric economic systems. Topics covered include the use of on-site and off-site methods of reconstructing, predicting and understanding past economic systems. Prerequisite: ARCH 2480
4171 Iroquoian Archaeology is a lecture course
examining the culture developments of the Iroquoian peoples of
Northeastern Canada and the USA. Using both archaeological and
ethnohistoric materials, this course will outline and explain the
changing social, political and economic traditions of this culture
group from their origins through the early contact period.
Prerequisite: ARCH 2480
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
4171 and former ARCH 4190.
4172 Postcolonial Archaeology critically
explores the history and contemporary practice of archaeology in
light of the political claims of (formerly) subjugated groups.
Topics to be discussed include archaeological antecedents of a
postcolonial perspective (postprocessualism, critical archaeology),
political economy of archaeology, interests of indigenous and other
descendant groups, repatriation, national and transnational
archaeologies, and community archaeology. Prerequisite: ARCH 2480
or ARCH 2582
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
4172, the former ARCH 4192, or Anthropology 4192.
4173 Archaeology of the Body explores the
possibility of a more encompassing archaeology of embodied
experience, starting from archaeological work on gender and recent
reconceptualizations of the body in social, cultural and feminist
theory. Topics to be discussed include the notion of bodily
practice, biopolitics, sexuality, hybridity, violence, identity,
sensory experience, disability and aging. Prerequisite: ARCH
2480
Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of ARCH
4173, the former ARCH 4191, or Anthropology 4191.
4182 History of Archaeology is an intensive study of the emergence and maturation of archaeology as a discipline within the social sciences, particularly in Western Europe and North America, during the 19th and 20th centuries. Prerequisite: ARCH 2480
4190-4199 Selected Topics in Archaeology and Prehistoryis a seminar course focusing on recent theoretical and methodological developments in archaeological research. Prerequisite: One of ARCH 2450 , 2480 , or 2582
4411 Theory and Method in Archaeology and Prehistoryis a seminar course focusing on recent theoretical and methodological developments in archaeological research. Prerequisites: ARCH 2480 and ARCH 4182
4500 Special Topic in Historical Archaeology is a consideration of current developments in methods, techniques, and theory in Historical Archaeology. Prerequisite: ARCH 2582 , or permission of instructor.
4994 Past Material - Advanced Research and Writing is a directed reading course and is a prerequisite for the Honours Essay in Archaeology (ARCH 4995 ). Readings will be chosen to complement students’ specialization and to prepare them for the honours essay. Assignments will emphasize short essays and will provide students with the opportunity to improve their professional writing skills in the fields of archaeology, material culture and heritage. Prerequisite: ARCH 2480
4995 Honours Essay is required as part of the Honours program. Prerequisite: ARCH 4994
4996 Comprehensive Examinationis an alternate option to the Honours Essay.
