Archaeology Major
Major Description
Archaeology is the study of past societies through the analysis of their material remains. Archaeology courses are fundamentally interdisciplinary and involve hands-on study of archaeological objects using a variety of scientific techniques and interpretive frameworks that draw from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Our faculty and students engage the past in ways that can address contemporary questions, such as what drives culture change, how do humans shape their environments, what creates resilient societies, what is the role of archaeology in construction of modern identities, and how can we preserve archaeological sites and museum collections for future generations? The multidisciplinary nature of archaeology ensures that students develop the ability to document, research, and interpret both humanistic and scientific data at a high level of detail. Because Archaeology is also community-oriented, connecting people to their pasts, our majors learn to translate academic research into human stories that can be widely shared. This makes them strong writers, communicators, and educators. The skills they develop prepare them for many career tracks, but they are often drawn to law, public policy, education, environmental research, historic preservation, museum collections management, and cultural resource management.
The Major in Archaeology trains students to analyze and reconstruct past societies and their environments through their material remains. Archaeology students work critically, creatively, and cross-culturally. In the classroom, students learn about ancient societies from around the world and key methods of archaeological analysis. Students are then encouraged to participate in archaeological fieldwork opportunities that provide experiences in excavation techniques and landscape survey. Our students are also encouraged to pursue object-based research opportunities through museum internships or by working with Wesleyan’s Archaeology & Anthropology Collections to develop skills in museum collections management.
Majors may follow either the Archaeological Cultures & Communities Track in which they specialize in a geographic region or community archaeology, or the Archaeological Science Track in which they specialize in a particular analytical method, such as experimental archaeology, materials analysis, zooarchaeology, or GIS/spatial analysis. All majors must take a world archaeology survey course (ARCP204 Intro to Archaeology, or sometimes ARCP203 Ancient DNA and Archaeology can be substituted) and the required research methods seminar (ARCP310 Archaeological Theory in Action) to ensure breadth of knowledge and development of skills in research design. The 0.5 credit ARCP310 course must be taken twice, usually in the fall of the Junior and Senior year.
Admission to the Major
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Major Requirements
ARCHAEOLOGY MAJOR REQUIREMENTS, 10 credits total (11 credits if the student writes an honors thesis)
Archaeology Cultures & Communities Track
Required Courses:
ARCP 204 Introduction to Archaeology (or ARCP 203 Ancient DNA and Archaeology with approval of the chair)
ARCP310 Research Methods (students take this course twice, recommended in Junior and Senior Fall semester.)
Six additional ARCP courses:
- At least 3 of the 6 courses must focus on topics in cultural heritage and/or the archaeology of a region (or regions) that will provide background for the student’s capstone research project. See list of Archaeological Cultures & Communities Track courses below.
- With approval of their advisor, students may count one language course from another department that would benefit their fieldwork or capstone research as an ARCP elective credit (intermediate or advanced level, grade B or higher).
- With approval of their advisor, students may count one field school or collections internship as an ARCP elective credit.
One approved material culture course in a related discipline. Potential external courses might include object-based research courses, art historical courses, or courses that involve archival research.
Capstone or thesis
Archaeological Science Track
Required Courses:
ARCP 204 Introduction to Archaeology (or ARCP 203 Ancient DNA and Archaeology with approval of the chair)
ARCP310 Research Methods (students take this course twice, recommended in Junior and Senior Fall semester.)
Six additional ARCP courses:
- At least 3 of the 6 courses must focus on archaeological science and laboratory methods that will provide background for the student’s capstone research project. See list of Archaeological Sciences Track courses below.
- With approval of their advisor, students may count one GIS, statistics, or natural science course from another department that would benefit their capstone research as an ARCP elective credit (grade B or higher).
- With approval of their advisor, students may count one field school or collections internship as an ARCP elective credit.
One approved material culture course in a related discipline. Potential external courses might include object-based research courses, art historical courses, or courses that involve archival research.
Capstone or thesis
Courses for Non-Majors
Since there are no ARCP courses with prerequisites, all of our courses are suitable for non-majors.
Student Learning Goals
Archaeology is the discipline most directly concerned with the understanding and explanation of past societies through the study of their material remains. Archaeology majors are expected to master four of seven themes or topics:
- History and theory of the discipline
- The nature of archaeological evidence
- The construction of archaeological arguments
- Chronology
- The materiality of social, political, and economic organization
- The intersection of archaeological evidence with past and present identities
- Scientific approaches to archaeological analysis
Majors are also required to take at least one course in each of the departments that contribute to the archaeology program (anthropology, art history, classical civilization) in order to expose them to different disciplinary approaches to the study of material culture.
Study Abroad
Recommended Field School and Museum Collections Internships:
Students are encouraged to apply what they learn in the classroom to hands-on experiences in archaeological fieldwork or museum collections work. One approved summer field school or museum collections internship can count as one ARCP credit toward the major or minor. Students should consult with their advisor before selecting an approved field school or museum internship.
Additional Information
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Honors
See Capstone Experience below.
Capstone Experience
In their senior year, ARCP majors are required to undertake an original research project culminating in either a one-semester essay or two-semester thesis project (ARCP409 and ARCP410). These projects should be centered upon the analysis and interpretation of material remains, and may include work on objects in the Archaeology & Anthropology Collections, materials tied to field projects of a Wesleyan faculty member, or experimental approaches to archaeological data. Students should begin planning their research focus together with their faculty tutor during their junior year, and should plan to have fully defined their data set by the summer prior to their senior year. IRB approval is required for any projects involving surveys, interviews, or data collected from living people. Students pursuing honors both in archaeology and in a second major are required to take at least one of their two required thesis tutorials in the archaeology program (i.e., either ARCP409 or ARCP410).
Honors Evaluation
In order to be considered for Honors, each thesis will be evaluated by two ARCP readers, of whom one may be the tutor. In circumstances where a student is submitting the thesis for multiple majors, or is drawing on techniques or methods which require expertise from outside ARCP faculty, a third reader from outside the department shall be included in addition to the two from within ARCP. Readers will be determined by the tutor in consultation with the student by the beginning of spring semester of senior year. Readers shall write a short evaluation of the work, and offer an estimation of its merit in the form No Honors/Honors/High Honors. In cases where there is a disagreement between Readers about whether a work merits Honors, a third ARCP Reader will serve as a tie-breaker.