STANDARD COMPETENCIES:

 

 1.   Explain the historical development of professional archaeology and its relationship to general anthropology

 2.   Demonstrate scientific processes and how they are applied in archaeology

 3.   Evaluate theories of cultural adaptation and culture change developed by anthropologists, using information gathered by archaeologists

 4.   Describe social organization and archaeological evidence for it derived from houses, communities, and social systems

 5.   Explain economic organization and archaeological evidence for how material needs are met through the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services

 6.   Identify principles of communication systems, including the development of the earliest writing

 7.   Explain the development of political authority and power as revealed by archaeological evidence

 8.   Analyze the recognition and interpretation of evidence of religion and ideology

 9.   Explain the rise of civilization in the Old World

 10. Explain the rise of civilization in the New World

 11. Present an archaeological understanding of why civilizations fall

 TOPICAL OUTLINE:

 

 I.      Historical development of professional archaeology and its relationship to general anthropology

         A.      Archaeology as a sub-discipline of general anthropology

         B.      The Age of Discovery in European intellectual thought

         C.      Goals of archaeology

                 1.      Recover and preserve material remains

                 2.      Reconstruct lifeways

                 3.      Establish cultural chronologies

                 4.      Interpret and explain cultural change

 II.     Scientific processes and how they are applied in archaeology

         A.      The scientific method

         B.      Application of science to archaeological problems

 III.    Theories of cultural adaptation and culture change developed by anthropologists, using information gathered by archaeologists

         A.      Cultural evolution, both general and specific

         B.      Trends in cultural evolution

                 1.      Population increase and growth in societies

                 2.      Growth in cultural diversity and complexity

 IV.     Basic social organization and archaeological evidence for it derived from houses, communities, and social systems

         A.      Differentiating household from family

         B.      Material activity areas

         C.      Differentiating small temporary communities from large permanent ones

         D.      Interpreting evidence for differing kinds of social systems

 V.      Basic economic organization and archaeological evidence for how material needs are met through the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services

         A.      Sourcing raw materials

         B.      Manufacturing artifacts

         C.      Generalized economic specialization versus institutionalized economic specialization

         D.      Reciprocity, redistribution, and exchange

 VI.     Principles of communication systems, including the development of the earliest writing

         A.      First symbols

         B.      Earliest writing

         C.      Types of writing systems

                 1.      Pictographic

                 2.      Rebus writing

                 3.      Ideographic

                 4.      Logographic

                 5.      Phonetic

         D.      Literacy in non-industrial societies

 VII.    Principles of the development of political authority and power as revealed by archaeological evidence

         A.      Egalitarian societies

         B.      Chiefdoms

         C.      States

         D.      Trends in political evolution

 VIII.   Archaeological recognition and interpretation of evidence of religion and ideology

         A.      Cultural universals regarding religion

         B.      Earliest material evidence for religious behavior

         C.      Limitations on interpreting past ideological beliefs

 IX.     Rise of civilization in the Old World

         A.      Examples:

                 1.      Mesopotamia

                 2.      Sumer

                 3.      Egypt

                 4.      China

 X       Rise of civilization in the New World

         A.      Examples:

                 1.      Mesoamerica

                 2.      Andean region

         B.      Differences between Old and New World ancient civilizations

 XI.     Archaeological understanding of why civilizations fall

         A.      Overuse of environment