ANTH4001

"Experimental Archaeology" conjures images of Viking ship replicas setting sail and elaborate pulley systems rigged to raise megaliths. Such endeavors can yield precious insight into ancient technologies. But how can we carry out experimental archaeology in a college class? Thankfully, an infinite number of exciting archaeological experiments can easily be carried out in a well-equipped archaeological science lab. In this class, you will learn why experimental archaeology is one of the most important tools that archaeologists use to reconstruct the past. You will spend the first half of the semester reading about experimental archaeology. As the semester progresses, we will focus on pyrotechnology, which is the controlled use of fire to deliberately alter materials such as stone, clay, and metal. Pyrotechnology also includes the use of fire for cooking and heat and the resulting unintentional alteration of materials affected by these activities such as wood, bone, and sediments. During the second half of the course, you will design your own experiment. You will carry it out and analyze the results in our laboratory and present them to the class in a highly collaborative and supportive environment. Along the way you will learn the fundamental principles of good experimental design, cutting-edge methods of archaeological science, and all about pyrotechnology. ANTH 3001 or a similar introductory archaeology course is strongly recommended!