ANTH 577: Mortuary Archaeology

ANTH 577-001: Mortuary Archaeology
(Spring 2018)

03:00 PM to 04:15 PM MW

David J. King Hall 2084

Section Information for Spring 2018

Human burials and associated materials, rituals, and ideologies underlying their formation often represent a microcosm of a broader culture, belief system, and population. Burials constitute a veritable treasure trove of information about past societies and not surprisingly have been the focus of intense anthropological investigation for many decades. Developments in mortuary analysis have been inextricably tied to the development of modern archaeology, including bioarchaeology. 

This seminar aims to provide students with an in-depth appreciation of the potential, limitations, and theoretical underpinnings of diverse approaches for mortuary analysis in contemporary archaeology, as well as the range of information that can be extracted from burial patterns. Accordingly, this seminar revolves around two foci: (1) the theories and methods by which burials may be best perceived, excavated, documented, and recovered, (2) how to “decode” the potential range of emic meanings of ancient burial patterns. These elements help elucidate the physical and procedural aspects of mortuary practices (e.g., preparation and placement of the deceased, grave goods, tombs construction and organization, as well as their qualitative and quantitative aspects), but more broadly speaking, reveals death as both a cultural and biological event and process. This will be accomplished in part by an examination of the history of mortuary studies, particularly the theories and methods as well as potential and limitations of "processual" and “postprocessual" approaches.  The seminar also considers ways of integrating mortuary archaeology and bioarchaeology to consider future paths of funerary archaeology for the following decades. 

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Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Focuses on the study of burial patterns and death rituals in antiquity by introducing students to the methods of burial excavation, examining the history of mortuary archaeology theory and engagement with processual and postprocessual schools of thought, and examining case studies from around the world to decode the complex symbolisms encoded in burial practices. May not be repeated for credit.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Junior Plus, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.

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