AN315 — NORTH AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY, SPRING,1998

Dr. Sarah W. Neusius

Office: McElhaney G12E Phone: Ext 2133, E-mail: SAWN
Office Hours: MWF 1:30-2:30; TR 9-9:30 and 11:30-12:00 P.M.

This course is an introduction to the archaeological study of North America's past. In this course, North America will include only geographic areas north of Mexico. We will begin with a review of the nature of North American archaeology and a summary of what is known about the settlement of this continent. Then, following your text, we will outline the culture history for four broad geographic areas: the Great Plains, the Far North, the West and the Eastern Woodlands. We will conclude with a review of Historical Archaeology in North America. In addition, we will be discussing relationships between North American archaeologists and Native Americans, a topic of major importance in North American archaeology today. Our main focus will be on what archaeologists have learned about the our past, but we will also attempt to learn a little about the methodologies utilized, the theoretical debates driving research, the substantive issues which fascinate archaeologists and the relationships between archaeology and American society.

Your grade will be based on how many of the 500 possible points you earn as follows:

TESTS: 300 points (60%) can be earned on 3 tests. Two of these tests will be given during class periods and a final, non-comprehensive test will be given during the final exam period as shown on the attached schedule. Each test will have a combination of objective questions, definitions and essay questions.

MAKEUPS ON THESE TESTS GENERALLY WILL REQUIRE A WRITTEN MEDICAL EXCUSE OR DOCUMENTATION OF FAMILY EMERGENCY.

REACTION PAPERS:100 points can be earned on five reaction papers (worth 10 pts each) written in response to readings from Native Americans and Archaeologists: Stepping Stones to Common Ground. As described under Instructions for Reaction papers you have some choice as to due dates for these papers as there are seven possible papers.

BOOK REVIEW: Each student must also select, read and critique one major archaeological study during the semester. A 3-5 page review paper on this book Is required and is worth 50 points. ALL BOOKS MUST BE APPROVED BY DR. NEUSIUS. See schedule for important dates and Instructions for Book Reviews for more details.

CLASS AND HOMEWORK EXERCISES: 50 points (10%) will be earned simply by completing a number of class and homework exercises satisfactorily.

BONUS POINTS: During this course you will be placed in a cooperative work group. Sometimes you will be asked to work on your exercises in these groups. You also will be encouraged to discuss your reaction and review papers with other group members and to study for tests together. You can earn bonus points of 5 points if each group member receives an 80% or better on a test or 15 points altogether.

You are not required to attend a specific number of classes in order to pass this class. However, you and I both know that there are consequences for missing classes. Besides the fact that students who consistently miss class perform poorly, in this course you will not be able to make up any class exercises missed. These are part of our daily activities and will not be effective outside class. My advice is that you attend all or nearly all of the class meetings for this course and that you see me if poor health or other circumstances begin to affect your attendance.

As described in the IUP Student Handbook, The Source, pp. 58-62 certain standards of academic integrity and honesty are essential within our community. It is your responsibility to know what constitutes a violation of IUP’s standards on academic integrity. I will seek to resolve any incidents of academic dishonesty through an informal conference, but you should expect to earn no points for work involved in such incidents and your grade may be lowered as well.

You will need to purchase 2 books for this course:

Fagan, Brian M. 1995 Ancient North America:The Archaeology of a Continent (Second Edition)

Swidler, Nina, Kurt E. Dongoske, Roger Anyon and Alan S. Downer 1997 Native Americans and Archaeologists:Stepping Stones to Common Ground

A schedule of topics and assignments by class meeting follows. It may be necessary to make slight adjustments in this schedule. Any changes will be announced in class. ANA is used to designate Fagan’s text and NAA is used to designate Swidler et al.’s edited volume.

1/21 What's going to happen in this course?

1/23 What is North American archaeology?
READ ANA pp.9-28

1/26 A history of North American archaeology
READ ANA pp.29-48

1/28 Method and theory in Americanist archaeology
READ ANA pp. 49-64

1/30 Method and theory in Americanist archaeology II

2/2 How have we gotten along?
READ NAA pp. 8-34

2/4 When and how were the Americas settled?
READ ANA pp. 65-81

2/6 Clovis and megafauna extinctions
READ ANA pp. 81-86

2/9 PaleoIndian environments and adaptations
READ ANA pp. 87-100

2/11 Late PaleoIndians; East vs West
READ ANA pp. 101-118

2/13 Can we get beyond the reburial debate I?
READ NAA pp. 37-63
REACTION 2 DUE

2/16 Plains bison hunters
READ ANA pp. 119-144

2/18 The Plains Woodland and Plains Village traditions
READ ANA pp. 145-166

2/20 Can we get beyond the reburial debate II
READ NAA pp. 64-102
REACTION 3 DUE

2/25 Early Sub-arctic and Arctic cultures
READ ANA pp. 167-190
BOOKS FOR REVIEWS MUST BE APPROVED BY TODAY

2/27 Later Maritime cultures of the Arctic
READ ANA pp.191-212

3/2 Are science and traditional knowledge opposed?
READ NAA pp. 105-148
REACTION 4 DUE

3/4 The Archaic along the West Coast
READ ANA pp. 213-230

3/6 Northwest Coast chiefdoms
READ ANA pp.231-242

3/16 The California coast
READ ANA pp. 242-256

3/18 Great Basin adaptations
READ ANA pp.257-284

3/20 Southwestern conceptual frameworks
READ ANA pp. 285-302

3/23 Agriculture in the Southwest:The Dolores case
READ ANA pp. 303-320

3/25 FILM: "The Chaco Legacy"

3/27 NO CLASS –SAA MEETINGS

3/30 Sociocultural complexity in the Southwest
READ ANA pp. 321-346

4/1I What can archaeology do for Native Americans?
READ NAA pp. 151-177
REACTION 5 DUE

4/6 The Early and Middle Archaic
READ ANA pp. 347-374

4/8 The Koster site case

4/10 What happened in the Late Archaic
READ ANA pp. 375-396

4/13 The Early Woodland
READ ANA pp. 397-410

4/15 Middle Woodland moundbuilders
READ ANA pp. 411-426

4/17 The Mississippians
READ ANA pp. 427-452

4/20 The Late Prehistoric in the Northeast:The Ripley case
READ ANA pp. 453-470

4/22 How do we consult with each other I?
READ NAA pp. 181-206
REACTION 6 DUE

4/24 NO CLASS – PAC/SPA

4/27 Contact period archaeology
READ ANA pp. 471-494
BOOK REVIEWS ARE DUE

4/29 Other historical archaeology:The Smicksburg case
READ ANA pp. 494-502

5/1 How do we consult with each other II?
READ NAA pp. 207-234
REACTION 7 DUE

5/4 Is it a new age?
READ NAA pp. 237-252
REACTION 8 DUE

5/6 8:00-10:00 A.M. TEST THREE

The relationship between Native Americans and archaeologists is of great importance in contemporary North American archaeology. Until quite recently this relationship was characterized by acrimonious debate over the issues of reburial and repatriation. However, since the enactment of NAGPRA, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, the relationship has been changing. The edited volume we are reading this semester explores these changes and by reading it, we will have a chance to explore them as well.

We will read this book in eight separate blocks of articles and each time you will have the option of writing a 1-2 page paper in response to your reading. YOU MUST COMPLETE 5 REACTION PAPERS DURING THE SEMESTER. You may submit one extra paper if you are not happy with the grades earned on the first five. These papers are your chance to tell me what you think about the arguments made by the authors of the articles you have read. I am not looking for a synopsis of the arguments, but instead a response to the arguments made. Because you will usually have read more than one article, writing a response will require you to synthesize the issues and points of view. The best papers will provide evidence of having made a linkage between different articles and then having responded rather than responding first to article 1 and then article 2. The schedule of topics and assignments above gives you some idea of what we will discuss in class and it may be useful for you to begin your writing with a free write response to the question given there. Be sure you allow yourself enough time to read thoroughly, to think about what you’ve been reading or even to discuss it a little with someone else in your work group.

I will grade these reactions as either High Pass (10 pts), Low Pass (7 pts) or Fail (0 pts). The topics and due dates for these papers are shown on the schedule above. A late penalty of 5 points per class meeting will be applied so that a paper more than one class late will not receive any points. I ALSO DO NOT ACCEPT PAPERS WITH MORE THAN 5 SPELLING, GRAMMAR, CAPITALIZATION OR PUNCTUATION ERRORS PER PAGE. Such papers may be resubmitted for half credit as long as they are resubmitted within two classes of my returning them.

Each of you must select an archaeological book to read, critique and review this semester. This book must be about a topic in North American archaeology. I would prefer that you read a regional synthesis or an account of a particular excavation or study, but I will give you some room to choose what looks interesting to you. Do not choose a glossy coffee-table book and try not to choose something which predates the 1960s. You can find many appropriate books in the IUP library. Finding out what we have in our collections may be enjoyable in and of itself.

Once you have selected a book, you must bring it to me for approval. Generally this can be accomplished immediately after class when I have office hours, but you may also stop during other office hours. YOU MUST HAVE AN APPROVED BOOK BY 2/25. Find one early and avoid the rush!

Following approval of your selection, you should read the book. I suggest that you have it completed by early April. Be sure to think about how it is connected to what we have learned about in our text and in class. Then write a 3-5 page critique of your book which includes the following:

1.The full title, authors name, publisher, date and other citation information given in American Antiquity format as a heading(5 pts)

2.A synopsis of what the book is about including who did the archaeology and what they did (20 pts)

3.A statement of what is important about the findings described. How have they contributed to North American archaeology? (10 pts)

4.An evaluation of how well written the book is and (5 pts)

5.A statement about what you think of the book. Would you recommend it to another undergraduate interested in North American archaeology. (5 pts)

The last 5 points for this assignment will be given for the quality of your expression.