ANTH 594: Archaeology of Climate Change

ANTH 594-001: Archaeology of Climate Change
(Spring 2023)

01:30 PM to 02:45 PM TR

Horizon Hall 2008

Section Information for Spring 2023

This course will focus on the contributions that archaeology can make to the study of climate change, past and present. Topics include: How do archaeologists reconstruct past environments and track climate change across time, and how can we evaluate the nature of human responses to those changes? Why is climate change so frequently evoked as causal mechanism for human biological and behavioral change? How can archaeological data on past climate change (and human responses) contribute to dialogue about the changes in climate we are experiencing today? How is climate change impacting the preservation of cultural heritage? As a seminar, the course will focus heavily on discussion; however, it will include lectures and student presentations. You will be expected to seek out and grapple with professional literature (primarily from academic journals/books), and, as such, prior experience in archaeology and/or with scientific literature is critical.  

Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Explores the contributions that archaeology can make to the study of climate change, past and present. Emphasizes the methods and theories used by archaeologists to reconstruct past environments and to evaluate the nature of human responses to climate change. Explores cases in which climate change has been evoked as a causal mechanism for human biological and behavioral change (spanning from the origins of the human lineage to the collapse of civilizations), while also addressing the ways in which archaeological data can contribute to dialogue about the changes in climate we are experiencing today and how climate change is impacting the preservation of cultural heritage. May not be repeated for credit.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Junior Plus, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Seminar
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.

The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.