|
Within
the anthropology program at VCU, there is a substantial focus on
archaeology. Anthropological
archaeology (as distinguished from classical archaeology and more traditional
history-based archaeologies) concerns itself, like its mother discipline, with
culture. It stands out within
anthropology by its foci on material objects and on peoples no longer alive to
serve as informants. Thanks in large
part to federal and state legislation enacted in the 1970s and 1980s,
archaeology in the United States has seen strong growth in recent decades, a
trend which continues today in the forms of contract and applied archaeologies.
Contract
archaeology exists largely to meet the demands of private, state, and federal
agencies involved in construction and land management. Contract archaeologists develop and
implement archaeological impact statements, outlining the effects of
development activities on material resources within a development zone. Applied archaeologies include forensic work,
consultation on issues of material identification and conservation, and
historical research. Students focusing
their studies in archaeology find jobs in other sectors as well: jobs which
focus on historic objects (antique appraisals and sales, museums), the social
analysis of objects (sales, journalism, advertising), and the relationships
between people and their material world (architecture, engineering, community
planning, environmental studies).
Archaeology
at VCU is centered around the Rice Center, a 340-acre property owned by VCU and
located about twenty miles east of Richmond.
The site has been occupied for the better part of 10,000 years. Cultural groups at the site have included
mobile hunter-gatherers, settled late prehistoric groups who engaged in
rudimentary agriculture and extensive trade, European colonists, enslaved
African Americans, invading Union troops, and twentieth-century teenage
campers. Each of these has represented
distinct cultural traditions, and left behind correspondingly distinctive
material goods and marks on the landscape.
Consequently, the methods and models used to research and interpret
these disparate groups are varied and flexible, providing students an excellent
opportunity to learn about a wide range of cultural traditions and
archaeological approaches, while having the opportunity to focus their own
research on a topic or time period of particular interest.
At
VCU, archaeology courses expose students to the methods and theories of
archaeology as commonly practiced. In
all archaeology courses, students are expected to participate actively in
research activities. Archaeology
courses include:
- ANTH 105
Introduction to Archaeology, which introduces the methods and theories of
archaeology as practiced across the globe. Particular attention is paid to the ways in which material
and technology are reflective of and influential in culture, as well as to
the ways in which objects can be used to understand past societies.
- ANTH 302
Archaeological Theory, which discusses in detail the basic theoretical
perspectives and tools of archaeology, including analysis and
interpretation of archaeological materials. Students review the intellectual history of archaeology by
reading important scholarly works and discuss the application of
theoretical approaches to archaeological data sets and sites. (A Writing Intensive Course)
- ANTH 303
Archaeological Field Methods, in which students learn and practice the
basic methods of archaeology, including planning, excavation, artifact
analysis, documentary research, mapping, dating of sites and artifacts,
and interpretation and presentation of findings. (A Writing Intensive Course)
- ANTH 394
Historical Archaeology, which focuses on archaeology in the United States,
Europe, and Africa as it informs scholars about the spread of European
cultures across the globe beginning in the 15th century. Special emphasis is placed on the study
of documents and artifacts as they relate to the emergence and present
state of the modern world.
- ANTH 556
Cultural and Historical Landscapes, a graduate-level course in which
students study historical and contemporary landscapes as the products of
and the producers of human culture.
Focus is on the ways in which humans shape and respond to their
ecosystems. Particular attention
is paid to the archaeological recovery and analysis of historical
landscapes.
In addition to these regularly taught
courses, other relevant courses, including human and animal bone analysis,
Biblical archaeology, and Mayan archaeology are occasionally offered. Students may also earn credits and gain
valuable experience by participation in field and laboratory practica. Students anticipating a possible career in
archaeology are strongly encouraged to participate in a credit-bearing
archaeological field school, a summer course in which students spend four to
six weeks excavating full-time under the supervision of a team of professional
archaeologists. Students are also
encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to intern at local institutions,
including the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Shirley Plantation,
and contract archaeology firms.
|
