Middletown Materials: Archaeological Analysis
ARCP 325
Fall 2016 not offered
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| This course may be repeated for credit. |
| Crosslisting:
AFAM 316, ANTH 326 |
| Certificates: Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory |
| Course Cluster: Service-Learning |
Buried beneath you as you walk the streets of Middletown is the residue of former residents. Mostly consisting of fragments of ceramics, glass, and other objects, these hold the potential to unlock the day-to-day history of their past owners and users. In this class students will take part in excavation and analysis of a 19th-century free African American community, tied to the AME Zion Church. Known as the Beman Triangle, this site today sits on the Wesleyan campus. We will explore the history of the site through artifacts and will investigate the ties between the Beman Triangle and Wesleyan University. This project is a community archaeology project; students will work with community members on the project as equal partners and will explore ways in which archaeological heritage can be shared with local residents. This will include touring visitors around site and weekend excavations. Students will learn the basics of archaeological fieldwork through hands-on training.
The first two weeks of class will be spent in introducing the site. The next four weeks will be spent undertaking excavation, including three Saturday excavation days. We will then spend the remainder of the semester cataloging and interpreting this material, while also learning more about similar archaeological sites. The class may include a trip to the UMass Boston Fiske Center for Archaeological Research. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS ARCP |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (AMST) |
Major Readings:
Battle-Baptiste, BLACK FEMINIST ARCHAEOLOGY
Pearson and Shanks, THEATRE/ARCHAEOLOGY
Gormly and Klein, FRAMEMAKERS: CHOREOGRAPHY AS AN AESTHETICS OF CHANGE
We will also study a selection of articles, project reports and books including those by Agbe-Davies, Delle, Fennel, Franklin, LaRoche, McDavid, Mullins, Paynter, and Warner
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Examinations and Assignments:
Short papers, journal, participation in fieldwork, and final research project |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Students will have to participate in fieldwork outdoors (rain dependent), including participation in weekend excavation days. No previous experience of archaeology is required. For further details of the project: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVviYVHS2C8 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
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