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Anthropology (ANTH) 277
The Archaeology of Ancient Peoples

Revision 2 closed January 12, 2007, replaced by current version.

View previous syllabus

Delivery mode: Individualized study. Grouped study.
Video component.*
*Overseas students, please contact the University Library before registering in a course that has an audio/visual component.

Credits: 3 - Social Science.

Prerequisite: None.

Precluded course: ANTH 277 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for ANTH 276 or ANTH 207.

Centre: Centre for Work and Community Studies

ANTH 277 has a Challenge for Credit option.

Course Web site

Overview

ANTH 277: The Archaeology of Ancient Peoples is an introductory-level anthropology course designed to provide students with an understanding of world prehistory, from the time of the earliest humans to the development of the first states and civilizations. The course is divided into five parts and begins with an introduction to archaeology as the study of the cultural evolution of humankind, based on the material remains of past human behaviour. Part II documents the spread of anatomically modern hunter-gatherers and their diverse lifeways throughout much of the Old and New Worlds. Part III covers the development of farming and discusses the archaeological explanations for its success. Part IV examines theories that explain the rise of complex states and urban civilizations and documents their emergence in Asia, Africa, and Europe. The course concludes with an overview of early states and civilizations in the Americas.

Outline

The course consists of the following 22 units:

  • Unit 1: Introducing World Prehistory

Part I: Beginnings

  • Unit 2: Human Origins
  • Unit 3: Homo erectus and Homo sapiens sapiens

Part II: The Great Diaspora: The Spread of Modern Humans

  • Unit 4: Europe and Eurasia
  • Unit 5: The First Americans
  • Unit 6: Africans and Australians
  • Unit 7: Intensification and Complexity

Part III: First Farmers

  • Unit 8: A Plenteous Harvest: The Origins
  • Unit 9: The Origins of Food Production in Southwest Asia
  • Unit 10: The First European Farmers
  • Unit 11: First Farmers in Egypt and Tropical Africa
  • Unit 12: Asia and the Pacific: Rice, Roots, and Ocean Voyages
  • Unit 13: The Story of Maize: Early Farmers in the Americas

Part IV: Old World Civilizations

  • Unit 14: The Development of Civilization
  • Unit 15: Early Civilizations in Southwest Asia
  • Unit 16: Egypt, Nubia, and Africa
  • Unit 17: Early States in South and Southeast Asia
  • Unit 18: Early Chinese Civilization
  • Unit 19: Hittites, Minoans, and Mycenaeans
  • Unit 20: Europe Before the Romans

Part V: Native American Civilizations

  • Unit 21: Mesoamerican Civilizations
  • Unit 22: Andean States
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Evaluation

To receive credit for ANTH 277, you must obtain a grade of at least “D” (50 percent) on each exam. The passing grade for the course is “D” (50 percent). The weightings for the course activities are as follows:

3 Quizzes Research paper
outline		 Research paper Mid-term exam Final exam Total
10% 10% 30% 25% 25% 100%

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

Textbook

Fagan, Brian M. 2004. People of the Earth: An Introduction
to World Prehistory. 11th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Other materials

The course materials also include a study guide, and a course manual.

Note: This course is also accompanied by a series of video programs, which are available from the AU Library. Two of these videos are required viewing. Students who are unable to watch the videos will be assigned additional readings.

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