ARCHY 105 A: The Human Past

Link to Lecture Slides page

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Archy 105 examines the history of the world and the bewildering diversity of cultural practices through the lens of archaeology.  Students will learn about the latest developments on the oldest human technologies; ponder the roles of hunting, fire and language in human evolution; examine the most enduring economic systems and ask why some societies invented agriculture and others did not. We will examine the start of urbanism, architectural marvels and artistic novelties and ask what they can tell us about politics, economics and the construction of cultural diversity, belonging and differentiation. In the process we will examine how archaeologists study the human past.

Students can expect a fast-paced class, a mix of lectures and activities, readings and discussions as well as occasional films to introduce topics from a range of perspectives and approaches. Readings will be drawn from a combination of popular and modestly technical sources. Weekly quizzes will help students keep up with the content and provided "low stakes" grading. A midterm and final exam will be used to help you synthesize your learning.

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Course Outcomes: For most students, this will be the first class in Archaeology you have taken.  As a result, by the end of the class, you can expect to be able to:

• Follow key debates and developments in human evolution and social/cultural change from the first tool using hominins to the archaeology of the contemporary past.
• Understand some of the key strengths and limits of archaeological data, methods and concepts for exploring and accounting for these changes.
• Question the assumptions and examine the biases of paleoanthropological and archaeological interpretations by both professional and avocational archaeologists, physical anthropologists and enthusiasts.

COVID SAFETY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR ARCHY 105

The University recommends wearing a high-quality mask inside UW facilities where they aren’t otherwise required.  THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THE QUARTER when we are likely to see a spike in COVID cases with everyone coming back to campus from all over! Should we me worried? NO! Should we take precautions? YES! Well fitting masks and common sense (?) work!

If you are sick with any transmittable illness, please stay home, even if you are fully vaccinated.

The covid-19 pandemic is not over, despite the reduction of risk made possible by vaccinations and boosters. Variants of the virus are more contagious than ever (even for vaccinated individuals) and they have been spreading rapidly, even if (indeed because) many vaccinated and boosted individuals experience only minor symptoms.

Your instructor is immuno-compromised and in all likelihood so are several students. We would very much appreciate your consideration to wear a mask in the classroom and lab sections... and test before coming to class if you have symptoms or may have been exposed. It often takes 3-5 days from exposure for symptoms to appear or for tests to show positivity.

Contact your Instructor/TA for instructions on how best to keep up with course material during any absence. Recorded lectures can be shared on a case-by-case basis.

If you are anxious about this return to in-person activities, check out Prof. Jane Simoni's tips on how to manage your psychological health as we return to more-or-less normal university life.

LECTURE MECHANICS.

Class time will be devoted to lecture, open discussion, small group discussion, activities and occasional movies or video clips.  We intend to provide plenty of opportunity for, and indeed to encourage, student interaction in the course.

Lecture slides will be provided after each lecture (as soon as possible) and can be used to study for quizzes and tests. Every class opens with an outline of topics to be covered in the session and questions you should be able to answer afterwards. At the start of each class, you will have opportunities to ask questions about previous lectures or other aspects of the course.

Discussion sections (so-called “Quiz” sections) will be used for extended discussions about reading and other class material, review, and occasional “lab” activities (e.g., learning to identify manufactured stone tools from rocks).

CANVAS 

Canvas is the online courseware platform used in this (and most UW) course(s) and will be the central location for all information, assignments, and performance updates for the course outside of the lecture time. Canvas provides a single location for you to find the course syllabus, assignments and quizzes, reading and review materials, etc.  This site will be updated regularly. Check your Canvas account often to see what is coming up.

**Pro Tip: Almost all course material will be organized chronologically on the Modules page for the course.  Go there for a link to reading/discussion assignments, online quizzes, any videos or recordings introduced in lecture (or, rarely, lecture recordings themselves), etc.

You can select Canvas settings to send course notifications to your email, SMS or Twitter accounts (see https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10593-4212710335).  If you are not already reading this syllabus on our canvas courseware site, you will find the Archy 105 Canvas Course at:

https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1609499

REQUIRED READING

There is no required textbook for this course. Instead we will provide all reading materials as online PDF files or html links in Canvas.  Usually these will be posted at the top of a Discussion prompt with cues for your Reading Reflections.  Assigned readings need to be completed on the dates for which they are listed, along with any associated Reading Reflection posts. Readings are/will be mostly short, popular, but authoritative, magazine articles, book chapters, and perhaps a few non-technical academic articles.

Readings will generally be posted at least the week before they are due. Having taught the class only twice before, I am still trying out different core readings (and of course, will always substitute updated treatments to keep the information presented current). One consequence of not using a textbook is the need (and opportunity) to hand-pick resources to supplement and facilitate lectures and discussions. Its an ongoing process! Also, given the immense scope of the course topic and inevitable limits on what can be covered, I want to direct some of the course content towards particular student interests. (Be sure to complete the Student 'quiz' survey due Oct 4th).

*Recommended Texts* : The following textbooks/books provide a good overview of many of the core issues discussed in the class and students may wish to purchase or borrow them from a library.

• Graber, David & David Wengrow. (2021)  The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, New York.
  • This book hit stores just a year ago in November and has created quite a buzz in anthropological and public circles for its controversial rewriting of a whole slew of standard stories about human cultural evolution and human history. It is powerfully written and fairly convincingly argued. This book would be a fabulous companion to Archy 105, whether or not we agree with every claim they make! It also goes in much greater depth into the question of complex urban societies and empires than is possible in our 10 weeks of lectures, discussions and short readings.  And it is very inexpensive compared to any of the true 'textbooks' below.
• Scarre, Chris.  (2018)  The Human Past: World History & the Development of Human Societies (Fourth Edition). Thames & Hudson, London. (750 richly detailed pages... and expensive)
  • You will read a chapter or two from this textbook. If you like the author's approach, its a fairly good textbook as they go.

• Feder, Kenneth L. (2017) The Past in Perspective: An Introduction to Human Prehistory (Eighth Edition). Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. (600 pages... and a bit more affordable than Scarre)
• McCorriston, Joy & Julie FIeld (2019)  World Prehistory and the Anthropocene: An Introduction to Human History. Thames & Hudson, London.
  • This is a fairly new textbook that seeks to approach world archaeology in a new way... by focusing on how each major theme in human history (mostly the same topics as other authors but framed uniquely) is relevant to contemporary issues, especially how they relate to how humans came to effect the Earth's systems and its inhabitants so profoundly.
• Wood, Bernard (2019) Human Evolution: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
• Leakey, M., & Leakey, Samira. (2020). The sediments of time: My lifelong search for the past. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
  • If your are particularly fascinated by human evolution and the history of fossil hunting and hominin discoveries over the past 3/4 of a century, this easy reading book will be captivating.  Maeve Leakey is an expert paleoanthropologist and the wife of the late ... world renowned paleoanthropologist, environmentalist and politician, Richard Leakey (who died this past January, 2022).  Richard, in turn was the son of the legendary team Louis and Mary Leakey, who revolutionized the study of human evolution with their lifelong pursuit of fossils and artifacts in East Africa's Rift Valley (Primarily Kenya and Tanzania). Meave Leakey tells their story from a first-hand perspective, bringing readers up to the current state of knowledge about hominin evolution in Africa. 
• Lee, Sang-Hee & Yoon, Shin-Young. (2018). Close encounters with humankind : A paleoanthropologist investigates our evolving species. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
  • I (Ben) was a graduate student with Sang-Hee Lee at the University of Michigan and we TAed together for the the larger-than-life Milford Wolpoff. I had never taken a paleoanthropology class before, let alone taught it. I would have drowned without Sang-Hee's help.  Gossip aside, this book is a series of captivating vignettes, or compartmentalized stories, about human evolution designed to be browsed and read like a tasting menu. Many examples in the book will surprise you, and you will come away understanding yourself and your evolutionary history much differently than you have assumed.
• Reich, David (2019)  Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past. Vintage Books, New York.
  • Reich is a controversial author in particular for his perceived insensitivity to the ethical concerns of Indigenous communities. In truth, he is a dedicated, perhaps even brilliant scientist, trying to see "the big picture" with tools that are so new that the ethical standards surrounding them are still being figured out. That is not an endorsement of Reich's take on ethics, but this book is the most comprehensive and up-to-date account of the scientific revolution that is emerging through ancient DNA analyses that has challenged a number of long-held understandings of human evolution and history. We will discuss some of the revisions arising from ancient DNA analyses at points in the quarter.
    
    
  • To better understand the ethical controversy better see:  
    Tallbear, Kim (2013)  Native American DNA: Tribal Belonging and the False Promise of Genetic Science. University of Minnesota Press.
    
    
• Barker, Graeme.  (2006)   The Agricultural Revolution in Prehistory: Why did Foragers become Farmers? (1st Edition). Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K.
  • It would be interesting to compare this book with the Graeber and Wengrow (2021) book listed above.
• Newitz, Annalee.  (2021)  Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age.  Norton, New York.
  • I quite like the approach Newitz (a journalist, not an archaeologist) takes in this modest and easily readable book on four case studies of cities (Çatalhöyük, Turkey; Pompeii, Italy; Angkor, Cambodia; and Cahokia, U.S. in Illinois). If you want a lay-perspective on what archaeologists have learned about urban-life from the Neolithic ca. 10,000 years ago to within the last millennium, this would be worth checking out.
• Smith, Monica (2020)  Cities: The First 6,000 Years. Penguin Books.
  
  • Monica is another grad school friend who also happens to be one of the pre-eminent authorities on the comparative archaeology of cities. This book is her take on what it means to be urban and an urbanite based on her interpretation and synthesis of the archaeology (and contemporary) study of cities. (Available in audio-book, narrated by Monica herself).

Are there other books you loved and think are relevant to the broad subject matter of the class.  Email me (Ben) at fitzhugh@uw.edu, or come tell me in office hours or after class one day!

READING REFLECTIONS

Reading Reflections are responses you are required to post after completing assigned readings.  You will find prompts on each assignment to help you focus on what we think is particularly important or to encourage you to think beyond the reading to broader issues of course relevance.  These reflections will often prepare you for discussions in an upcoming 'quiz' section or lecture class, and they will always be useful review for exams. Reflections will be graded C/NC. To receive credit your entry need not be long, but it should be thoughtful, individual, and demonstrate honest engagement with the assigned reading. Unengaging or superficial posts will be marked NC!

We will often have in-class/ in-section reading discussions or exercises that build from readings.

WEEKLY QUIZZES

Expect 8 online quizzes throughout the quarter. These will cover material since the last quiz or exam up to and including the date that the quiz opens.  Quizzes will cover material from lectures and in-class activities, any scheduled films, and assigned readings.  After Quiz #1 (open Wednesday 9/28 and due Sunday, 10/2), Quizzes will open on 7 (out of our 11) Friday afternoons and close the following Tuesday evenings.  These graded quizzes exist for two -- and only two -- reasons: 1. To encourage you to regularly review and get feedback as needed on course concepts and evidence, and 2. To provide plenty of low stakes grading opportunities so you can evaluate your performance and make adjustments well ahead of exam time. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped from the final grade. **Starting with Quiz 2, Quizzes must be submitted by the deadline to receive credit unless there is a legitimate emergency.**

EXAMS

We will have one Midterm and a Final Exam.  Exams will include a combination of short questions (true/false, multiple choice, matching, identifications, short answer and short essay). Students may construct study guides for each exam by compiling 1) the "Questions of the Day" posted at the start of each lecture, 2) the reading reflection prompts, 3) movie study guides, and 4) weekly quizzes.

Both exams will be written out on Examination Booklets ("Bluebooks" or "Greenbooks" available from UBookstore outlets, many campus convenience stores,  and at least in the past... in vending machines in Suzallo Library and elsewhere). Don't wait until the morning of the test to get a booklet! And don't forget several sharp/working pencils/pens.

• Midterm: Wednesday Nov 2, In Class, DEN 303 
• Final: Wednesday, December 14, 8:30-10:20am in DEN 303

GRADING

Canvas presents grades on a 100% scale. Grades will be converted to GPA grades according to a standard formula (below). 

• Tuesday Discussion Section: 35% of the course grade, made up of:
  • Reading Reflections: 20%
  • Participation/Active Engagement: 15%
• Weekly Quizzes (8 offered, drop lowest): 25% 
• Midterm Exam: 20%
• Final Exam: 20%

Late Policy: Quizzes must be submitted by the due date. Other assignments will be accepted late with 5% drop in grade per day. Get things done on-time!

Grade Scale Equivalents:

• Letter    4 pt        100pt average
• A           4            98-100
• A           3.9         96-97     
• A-         3.8         94-95     
• A-         3.7         92-93     
• A-         3.6         91
• A-         3.5         90
• B+         3.4         89
• B+         3.3         88
• B+         3.2         87
• B           3.1         86
• B           3            85
• B           2.9         84
• B-         2.8         83
• B-         2.7         82
• B-         2.6         81
• B-         2.5         80
• C+        2.4         79
• C+        2.3         78
• C+        2.2         77
• C          2.1         76
• C          2            75
• C          1.9         74
• C-         1.8         73
• C-         1.7         72
• C-         1.6         71
• C-         1.5         70
• D+        1.4         69
• D+        1.3         68
• D+        1.2         67
• D          1.1         66
• D          1            65
• D          0.9         64
• D-         0.8         62-63     
• D-         0.7         60-61 (Pass)              
• E           0            0- 59  (Fail/Unoff. WD)

A Caution about Canvas Grade Reporting: Canvas presents grades in two ways, depending on whether or not you have checked the box to "Calculate based only on graded assignments" on your Grades page for the course.  Incomplete/unsubmitted auto-graded components like on-line quizzes don't automatically convert to "0." We often don't convert such uncompleted components to "0" until the end of the quarter. While selecting the 'graded-only' option is useful for estimating your grade based on assignments submitted and graded, your grade may appear higher than it actually is if you have incomplete work. This is unfortunate when students make strategic choices later in the quarter based on inaccurate understanding of their true grades. Always uncheck that box when trying to see your grade in the context of all graded components of the class! That is most helpful late in the quarter when most assignments have come due and you can estimate what components remain ahead (like the final exam).

DISABILITY RESOURCES

We want to make sure that everyone has the resources to succeed in this course. If you have established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course.

If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are encouraged to contact DRS at 206-543-8924 or uwdrs@uw.edu or disability.uw.edu. DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions.  Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS.  It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.

CONDUCT AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

We trust that all students in this course will participate in the class with respect towards each other, visiting speakers, and the instructing team. The University of Washington is a place for learning through openness, consideration of diverse viewpoints and respectful dialog. Nothing about the past or its interpretation in the present is free of perspective, bias, or dispute. A successful course requires that we start from the presumption that we come to this class with diverse backgrounds, beliefs, biases, and privileges, and that we engage with the course material and each other with generosity and curiosity.

Conduct in the class that disrupts the learning environment of others or the instructor’s ability to teach is not acceptable. The University of Washington Student Conduct Code (WAC 478-121) defines prohibited academic and behavioral conduct and describes how the University holds students accountable as they pursue their academic goals. Allegations of misconduct by students may be referred to the appropriate campus office for investigation and resolution. More information can be found online at https://www.washington.edu/studentconduct/ and https://www.washington.edu/cssc/facultystaff/academic-misconduct/

The University takes academic integrity very seriously. Behaving with integrity is part of our responsibility to our shared learning community. If you are uncertain whether something is academic misconduct, ask Ben or Joss. We are always happy to discuss questions you might have. Acts of academic misconduct may include but are not limited to:

• Cheating (working collaboratively on quizzes/exams and discussion submissions, sharing answers and previewing quizzes/exams)
• Plagiarism (representing the work of others as your own without giving appropriate credit to the original author(s)- a specific form of cheating): Students commonly misunderstand this standard. Any use of source material from another creator without proper crediting is plagiarism. That can include any reuse of three or more distinctive words in sequence from an uncredited source. It is also plagiarism to change the a number of words into their synonyms, but otherwise reproduce the ideas and sequence as produced by the source author.  Use your own words to paraphrase another persons ideas ... and cite them. Or use quotation marks if repeating the exact words is important for conveying some meaning (as in the particular quote helps you make your point about the biases or a quoted author, etc). For more on what constitutes plagiarism, see the UW Sociology Dept's summary and links to more extensive definitions and examples of plagiarism and clear guidelines on how to avoid it.
• Unauthorized collaboration (working with each other on assignments that are not indicated to be collaborative)

Concerns about these or other behaviors prohibited by the Student Conduct Code will be referred for investigation and adjudication. Students found to have engaged in academic misconduct may receive a zero on the assignment (or other possible outcome) and repeat offenses will result in an E grade (0) for the course.

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).”

SAFETY

Call SafeCampus at 206-685-7233 anytime – no matter where you work or study – to anonymously discuss safety and well-being concerns for yourself or others. SafeCampus’s team of caring professionals will provide individualized support, while discussing short- and long-term solutions and connecting you with additional resources when requested.

Safe Campus: http://www.washington.edu/safecampus/

• 206-685-7233

UW Police: http://police.uw.edu/

• Emergency: 911
• Non-Emergency: 685.UWPD (8973) TTY
• Anonymous Tips: 685.TIPS (8477)