Introduction to Archaeology Anth13 Dr. Marco Meniketti

Agenda  About the course The syllabus, policies  The text and supplemental readings  About the Professor  The assignments

 My faculty web page ( Check for announcements, assignments and pdf format readings under Updates for Anth 13

Introduction What is Archaeology and why it is important in the modern world.

SJSU students conducting fieldwork in the West Indies

Archaeology as field of science  Branch of Anthropology  Related to history  Roots in classical studies and antiquarianism

Who is an archaeologist? The popular image.

Victorian period

Myths of our period.

The “truth”

Primary areas of activity/employment  Academic  Government  CRM and Contract

Areas of study  Prehistoric  Historic (text-aided) Regional designations  Classical and Egyptology  Physical Anthropology  Forensics  Biblical Considerable overlap within the specialties Example: nautical archeology

SJSU students working in the Caribbean.

Brief history of the field  Antiquarian interests  Age of Enlightenment  Thomas Jefferson  Treasure hunting  Relic collecting  Museum competition

Origins of scientific archaeology  Europeans try to explain the people of the “New World”  Napoleon invades Egypt Discovery of Rosetta stone  Europeans compete for ancient objects  Heinrich Schliemann excavates at Troy  Evans excavates at Knossos

 Specific training College degree  Areas of specialization Cross-over  Specific ethical practices Professional organizations  Laws governing practice Federal and State

New findings  In maritime archaeology  In Egypt  In Mexico

Assignment: Identify each person, term, or practice listed below. Who, what, when? Any connections?  Herodotus  Rosetta Stone  Heinrich Schliemann  V. Gordon Childe  Sir Arthur Evans  Thomas Jefferson  Cyrus Thomas  Three Age System (as relates to technological development)  Deductive vs inductive reasoning  The difference between hypothesis and theory