In the last quarter-century, the discipline of archaeology has undergone a dramatic transformation. While traditional practices such as excavating ancient sites and documenting and analyzing ancient art and architecture remain integral to the field, modern archaeology has drastically expanded its scope.

Today archaeology encompasses a wide range of topics, from decenterization of academic discourse to food, from computer games to refugee studies. In this spirit, this course explores key themes and concepts in modern archaeology, moving beyond the traditional focus on ancient artifacts and monuments to examine how the discipline informs our understanding of critical issues in human societies, both past and present.

Through global case studies and class discussions, students will investigate how archaeological approaches illuminate diverse questions, including gender, social inequality, culinary customs, slavery, migration, climate change, and societal collapse.

The course will also encourage students to critically engage with archaeology’s complex relationships with colonialism, nationalism, and the concept of “Western Civilization.” Students will delve into current debates surrounding the decolonization of the discipline, pseudoarcheology, looted artifacts in Western museums, and archaeological ethics.