"Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture."
An overview of the history, goals, and methods of archaeology, including the types of archaeological evidence and how archaeologists interpret that evidence.
Definition and Objectives of Archaeology: Understanding what archaeology is and its overall goals.
Historical Development of Archaeology: The origin of archaeology, development over time and changes in the practice and theory of archaeology.
Approaches to Archaeology: Different methods and techniques used in archaeology i.e. survey, excavation, physical anthropology.
Archaeological Ethics: The ethical considerations involved in archaeological practice.
Chronology and Dating: Understanding various dating methods in archaeology to determine age of artifacts, and overall time periods.
Archaeology and Cultural Resource Management: The role of archaeology in managing cultural resources and heritage, including excavation and preservation techniques.
Key Theorists and Theories: Gaining knowledge of the noteworthy theorists in archaeology and the main theories of the discipline they introduced.
Environmental Archaeology: How to reconstruct past ecosystems through archaeological processes such as pollen analysis and dendrochronology.
Technology and Archaeology: How technology is influencing archaeology and aiding in the identification, analysis and interpretation of archaeological data.
Archaeology and Gender: Understanding how gender roles have influenced the interpretation and practice of archaeology.
Archaeology and Migration: Exploring how archaeological finds give an insight into past migration patterns and progress of civilizations.
Human and Animal Evolution: Understanding human evolutionary history through fossil evidence of primates and other hominids.
Archaeology and the Public: Analyzing how the public plays a role in research and exhibitions, and how archaeology informs public policy.
Culture and Identity: Examine individual cultural identities and the way they are reinforced or changed throughout history through archaeological discovery.
Regional Archaeology: Understanding the varying interpretation methodologies used in different regions around the world.
Introduction to Archaeology: This is the most basic course, providing an overview of the various branches of Archaeology, techniques, and methods.
Field Methods in Archaeology: This course covers the practical aspects of how to conduct an archaeological field study, including site surveys and excavations.
Archaeological Ethics: This course focuses on the ethical considerations that archaeologists must take into account while conducting their research.
Archaeology of the Americas: A course that focuses specifically on the prehistory and history of the Americas.
Archaeology of Europe: A course that focuses specifically on the prehistory and history of Europe.
Biblical Archaeology: A course that explores the archaeological evidence related to the events and places described in the Bible.
Historical Archaeology: This course focuses on the relationship between archaeology and history, particularly the ways in which artifacts can be used to reconstruct the past.
Anthropological Archaeology: A course that explores the relationship between archaeology and anthropology, particularly the ways in which archaeological evidence can be used to understand human cultures and societies.
Underwater Archaeology: A course that explores the challenges and techniques of conducting archaeological research underwater.
Zooarchaeology: A course that focuses on the study of animal remains found at archaeological sites, particularly how they can be used to understand human-animal relationships.
Forensic Anthropology: This course focuses on the application of anthropological techniques to the identification of human remains in criminal investigations.
Archaeology and Climate Change: A course that explores the ways in which climate change has impacted human societies in the past and present.
Digital Archaeology: A course that explores how new technologies such as 3D scanning and digital mapping are changing the field of archaeology.
Public Archaeology: A course that explores the ways in which archaeology can be used to engage with and educate the wider public.
Archaeology and Museums: A course that explores the relationship between archaeology and museums, particularly the ways in which artifacts can be displayed and interpreted for visitors.
"The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes."
"It is usually considered an independent academic discipline, but may also be classified as part of anthropology (in North America – the four-field approach), history, or geography."
"Archaeologists study human prehistory and history, from the development of the first stone tools at Lomekwi in East Africa 3.3 million years ago up until recent decades."
"Archaeology is distinct from paleontology, which is the study of fossil remains."
"Archaeology is particularly important for learning about prehistoric societies, for which, by definition, there are no written records."
"Prehistory includes over 99% of the human past, from the Paleolithic until the advent of literacy in societies around the world."
"Archaeology has various goals, which range from understanding culture history to reconstructing past lifeways to documenting and explaining changes in human societies through time."
"Derived from the Greek, the term archaeology literally means 'the study of ancient history.'"
"The discipline involves surveying, excavation, and eventually analysis of data collected, to learn more about the past."
"Archaeology developed out of antiquarianism in Europe during the 19th century and has since become a discipline practiced around the world."
"Archaeology has been used by nation-states to create particular visions of the past."
"Various specific sub-disciplines of archaeology have developed, including maritime archaeology, feminist archaeology, and archaeoastronomy."
"Nonetheless, today, archaeologists face many problems, such as dealing with pseudoarchaeology, the looting of artifacts, a lack of public interest, and opposition to the excavation of human remains."