NES 6544 - [Ceramic Analysis for Archaeology]

(crosslisted) ANTHR 6211, ARKEO 6211

Fall. Next Offered: 2019-2020. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

Co-meets with ANTHR 4211/ARKEO 4211/NES 4544.

L. Khatchadourian.

Ceramics are among the most ubiquitous materials in the archaeological record. From prehistory to the present, the manipulation of clay to form pottery and other synthetic objects has transformed domains of human experience from the quotidian to the consequential. This course addresses the theories and methods that equip archaeologists to make deductions about past societies on the basis of ceramic evidence. We will examine such topics as methods of organizing and classifying ceramic data, aspects of pottery production, pottery style, form, and function, techniques of instrumental analysis, and frameworks for the interpretation of pottery that allow archaeologists to arrive at some understanding of social, political, and economic lifeways. This course entails both seminar-based instruction and hands-on laboratory skills.