Time Schedule:
Benjamin Marwick
ARCHY 101
Seattle Campus
Introduces perspectives from archaeology on the long term history of the diversity and the dynamics of human life. Examines how archaeologists gather and use data and how that information is relevant to contemporary society. Concepts and methods introduced through readings focus around a theme that varies such as environmental issues, warfare, and migration. Offered: AWSp.
Class description
Archaeology and archaeologists are disproportionately well represented in big budget films, and are recurrent subjects in some genres of fictional writing. While archaeologists have authored or influenced some of these creations, most are written by non-archaeologists and reflect a non-specialist view of archaeological questions and archaeological findings. More significantly these creative works often present a perspective apparent in popular culture, and radically divergent from the understanding of academic archaeologists. This course looks at popular depictions of archaeology in films as a way of exploring the articulation of archaeology and popular culture. Themes to be covered in this course include constructions of the notion of the past as dangerous, and of archaeology as revealing/releasing those dangers; the depiction of archaeologists as explorers and looters; popular ambivalence or distrust of science, and scientists; and the way popular film imagery addresses issues of memory and identity. No archaeological background is required to understand this course but an ability to tolerate B-grade movies is advantageous. No textbook is required. This class will satisfy I&S requirements.
Student learning goals
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