Departmental Courses - Page 1
ANTH 1103
- Fundamentals of Archaeology
Discussion of archeological evidence for cultural
evolution, as well as archeological methods and theories.
Either ANTH 1103 or AHUM 1910 is required of all anthropology
majors 4 qtr. hrs.
ANTH 1710 Laboratory Methods in Archaeology
Analysis of archaeological materials (ceramics, stone
tools, bone, and other artifacts) in a laboratory setting,
in order to make inferences about human behavior. Artifacts
come from the DU museum of Anthropology’s collections
of American Southwest and Plains Indians. Also computer map
making, statistics, and site gridding. 4 qtr. hrs.
ANTH 1790/3790 - Field Methods in Archaeology
This course introduces students to basic methods
of archaeological survey, excavation, artifact collection
strategies, and field interpretation. It is primarily taught
in a classroom setting, but some fieldwork is involved, including
excavation of a bison bone scatter in south Denver. Students
will learn to create field maps and cross-sectional drawings
of archaeological phenomena. 4 qtr. hrs.
ANTH 2000 - Pioneers of Anthropology
Explores the development of anthropology as a field
of study, including important thinkers, ideas, and relationships
between the discipline and its wider intellectual and societal
context. Required of all anthropology majors. 4 qtr. hrs.
Prerequisite: SOCS 1010.
ANTH 2006 - Lost Tribes and Sunken Continents
Examines a range of archaeologically related mysteries
about the human past; explores some alternative approaches
to the unknown, and their utility for understanding the past.
4 qtr. hrs.
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ANTH 2010/4010 - Social Organization
Basic concepts and approaches used in anthropology
for the ethnographic study of social systems; consideration
given to both tribal and modern, complex societies. Topics
include kinship, ethnicity, and social stratification. 4 qtr.
hrs. Prerequisite: SOCS 1010 or instructor’s permission.
ANTH 2020 - Artifacts, Texts, Meaning
How is it that anthropologists
can look at an object and state with confidence what it once
was a part of, how it was used, where it came from, how old
it is, and even, perhaps, what it meant to the people who
made it? What is an anthropological approach to documentation,
an important accompaniment to the objects held in museums?
In this course participants will learn about the ways anthropologists
have approached researching material items and texts (both
written and oral), ranging from time-tested techniques to
cutting-edge approaches. Each student in the class will complete
an original research project on an item held in the DU Museum
of Anthropology (DUMA) collections. The class will involve
hands-on work with artifacts, lecture, and discussion.
ANTH 2030/4030
- Folklore: Form and Content
Folklore genre and their analysis, including oral narrative
(legend, folktale), folk beliefs, jokes, dance, drama, festivals.
Historical and methodological discussion of folklore as a
field of inquiry. Folklore as a living phenomenon, including
modern urban legends, with examples primarily from Europe
and North America. Required fieldwork includes the collection
of folklore. 4 qtr. hrs.
ANTH 2031 - Myths, Legends, and Prophecies of N. American
Indians
Themes and content of mythic process, ideologies of world
destruction and renewal, or origin and destiny; reflection
of North American Indian culture and society in selected myths;
emphasis on trickster stories, culture-hero myths, and mythically
based prophecies. 4 qtr. hrs.
ANTH 2050/4050 - East Asian Archaeology
The archaeology of China, Korea, Japan and eastern Siberia
from the earliest beginnings of humanity through the formation
of complex societies is explored. Topics include the earliest
hominids, stone tool traditions, the transition to agriculture,
the development of metallurgy, and the formation of the state.
The development of unique Asian cultures will be studied with
attention to continuity and changes. 4 qtr. hrs. Prerequisite:
ANTH 1103, AHUM 1910, or instructor’s permission.
ANTH 2090/4090 - European Archaeology
The development of cultures in Europe from the Lower Paleolithic
through the Iron Age as seen through archaeological excavation.
4 qtr. hrs. Prerequisite: ANTH 1103, AHUM 1910, or instructor’s
permission.
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ANTH 2105 - Human Nature
Uses the question of “what is human nature?” to
explore the field of biological anthropology. We will take
a scientific, evolutionary approach to the question. Topics
include the development and distinctiveness of evolutionary
thought; humankind’s place in the animal world; human
biological evolution; the nature and sources of human biological
diversity; race and racism; “nature-nurture” debates
over the explanation of human social behavior; and the future
of human evolution. 4 qtr. hrs.
ANTH 2150/4150 - Archaeology of Peru
The archaeology from the earliest migrants to the coast of
South America to the rise of the Inca state will be covered.
The largest and most important sites and cultures, including
Moche, Tiwanaku, Nazca, Chimu, Wari and Inca will be explored,
with specific emphasis on the rise and fall of polities. The
varied environmental adaptations of different cultures will
be examined with respect to their long term viability and
adjustments to environmental change. 4 qtr. hrs.
ANTH 2200/4200 - Indians of North America
Survey of the Native American culture, society, economy, religion,
and history north of Mexico. 4 qtr. hrs.
ANTH 2250/4250 - North American Archaeology
Examines the history of native North Americans from their
arrival on the continent up to their initial contact with
Europeans. Illustrates the diversity and richness of Native
American lifeways, and provides a forum for examining broad
issues of human cultural evolution. Compares and contrasts
scientific and native American accounts of North America’s
cultural past. 4 qtr. hrs. Prerequisite: ANTH 1103 or AHUM
1910.
ANTH 2300/4300 - Cycles of Conquest:
Peoples of the Contemporary Southwest
The peoples and cultures of the American Southwest and northern
Mexico, with emphasis on the Indian and Hispanic populations
and their relations to Spaniards, Mexicans, Anglos, and each
other. 4 qtr. hrs.
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ANTH 2350/4350 - Ecology and Society in the Ancient Southwest
Examines the archaeology of pre-Columbian cultures of the
American Southwest, with specific focus on Ancestral Puebloan
("Anasazi") cultures of the Four Corners Area. Explores
the complex interactions between indigenous peoples and their
environment. The time span covered is from the earliest traces
of humans in the area around 12,000 years ago up to their
contact with Europeans in 1540. 4 qtr. hrs. Prerequisite:
ANTH 1103 or AHUM 1910.
ANTH 2370/4370 - Sex and Class in Latin America
Women's roles in Latin America and how they are evolving;
emphasis on survival strategies, productive and reproductive
roles, gender relations, and female political participation.
May be applied toward major in Latin American Studies. 4 qtr.
hrs. Prerequisite: junior or senior standing.
ANTH 2400/4400 - Social Change in Latin America
Modern Latin America as a part of the contemporary Third World,
focusing on the social anthropology of peasant and urban peoples
and how they are affected by economic development and dependency.
Emphasis on Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala and the Andean nations.
4 qtr. hrs.
ANTH 2410/4410 - Indians of Mexico and Central America
The Indian cultures of Mexico and Central America in historic
and modern times, from the ancient Aztecs to today's peasant
communities. Use of ethnohistorical and ethnographic accounts
to assess the position of the Indians in Mexican and Central
America society. Topics include the impact of the Spanish
conquest and the social, political and religious organization
of modern groups. 4 qtr. hrs. Prerequisite: SOCS 1010.
ANTH 2540/3540 - The Nature of Language
Language as a social, psychological and cultural phenomenon;
the relationship between culture and semantics; language as
a medium of cultural unification; the relationship between
dialects and social structure; how language is acquired; how
to study languages in cultural contexts. 4 qtr. hrs.
ANTH 2650/4650 - Archaeological Interpretation
Theories and analytical techniques used to assign meaning
to archaeological materials. 4 qtr. hrs. Prerequisite: ANTH
1103 or AHUM 1910.
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