ANT 410 - Environmental Archaeology

Credits: 3

Prerequisite(s): ANT 220
Environmental Archaeology is a survey of this fast-developing subfield that encompasses anthropology/archaeology, the earth sciences, botany, and zoology. Environmental archaeologists apply techniques and insights obtained from these sciences to questions concerning the relationships among humans, cultural systems, and the natural world, as reflected in the archaeological record. Typical data sets studied by analysts include soils, diatoms, pollen, plant macroremains (wood, seeds, etc.), microfauna, invertebrate and vertebrate faunas, human remains. Biological systematics methods and theory, as well as geo- and biochemical techniques such isotope geochemistry and ancient DNA (aDNA), among others, are commonly involved.