Course: Archaeology 483 - Analyses of Stone Artifacts
Instructor: Dr.
Angela E. Close T.A.: Will
Brown
Office: 444 Denny Hall 411 Denny Hall
E-mail: aeclose@u.washington.edu
brownw@u.washington.edu
Tel: 543-2078
Office hours: by appointment Tiesdays,
10:-- am - noon
or by appointment
Web-page: http://courses.washington.edu/archyaec/archy483/483index.htm
Quarter : Autumn 2012
Schedule: MWF 1:30-3:20; Room: 115 Denny Hall
Prerequisites:
Permission of instructor
Required Text: Inizan, M.-L., M. Reduron-Ballinger,
H. Roche & J. Tixier. 1999. Technology
and Terminology of Knapped Stone. Meudon: CREP.
Recommended Text: Close, A. E. 2006. Finding
the People who Flaked the Stone at English Camp (
Other readings are
listed separately.
Objectives:
The objectives of the course are two-fold: a) to introduce the student
to the methods and techniques currently used, or being developed, by
archaeologists for the analysis of assemblages of flaked stone artifacts; and
b) to prepare the student to deal with actual archaeological material.
The fundamental concepts of practical lithic analysis will be
reviewed in detail, but it is assumed that the student will already have a
passing acquaintance with the most basic of these.
Description.
Most of the course will consist of lectures and labs, in which the
approaches to lithic analysis used in both the Old and New Worlds will be
considered. These will include the types
of information which can or might be derived from lithics
- technological, functional, social, ideological - and
some of the constraints which operated upon the formation of archaeological
assemblages and which now operate upon their analysis. Lectures will be interspersed with extensive
application of some of the analytical methods under discussion to individual
artifacts and to assemblages of artifacts.
Requirements
Five of the analytical-exercises will count towards the
final grade (25%).
There will be three short essays (<3 pages, double-spaced) on
topics set by the Instructor, who will try to schedule each over a 5-day period
(Wednesday-Monday) (25%).
Two exams will cover the material presented in class and in
the supplementary readings. Each exam
will account for 25% of the grade. Each exam will consist of written and
practical parts. The time-limits for the practical parts will be very generous.
Active participation in class is a source of extra credit if it is
informed, thoughtful, useful and all those other good
things.