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CS92PROD
Middletown Materials: Archaeological Analysis


ARCP 325
Fall 2013
Section: 01  
This course may be repeated for credit.
Crosslisting: AFAM 316, AMST 262, 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 nineteenth-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.

This class will be co-taught by an archaeologist and a choreographer. The choreographer is Morgan Thorson (http://mancc.org/artists/morgan-thorson/). We are interested in the effects of fieldwork on the body, and in sensitivity to embodiment of place. Through movement we will also explore the site in relation to location building. The first half of the semester will include movement work in addition to regular seminar discussion. Readings will include material that cross-cuts performance and archaeology.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS ARCP
Course Format: SeminarGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Requirement for: (AMST)
Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available

Last Updated on OCT-05-2024
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