Scientific archaeology has a problem: fringe ideas about mysteries of the past attract more interest than scholarly accounts of these same mysteries. In discussing the "mysterious" side of archaeology, this course asks why consideration of the past invites some of the most bizarre speculations about human life. Why do fringe theories about lost civilizations, intergalactic interactions, and mysterious technologies gain more popularity than mainstream theories? Why should serious archaeologists and students pay any attention to such "wacko" ideas?

As part of the General Education curriculum, this course falls under the "Global Dynamics" category of the broad area of "Citizenship". This course will explore some of the cultures, and aspects of culture, found in the broad region of the Middle East and North Africa. Exploration will be rooted in anthropological research and perspective, and organized around rubics including kinship, gender, religion, and cultural performance.

This course is a detailed survey of societies and cultures of contemporary Latin America, utilizing contributions from anthropological research.

A comparative ethnographic, theoretical, and historical exploration of the socio-cultural constitution of economic practices. Students will examine different approaches to questions of human nature, choice, values, and morality. The course explores power and social life in diverse cultures through a topical focus on peasants, markets, gifts, commodities, consumption, and systems of production. The course provides a foundation for applying anthropological knowledge to real-world situations and the material is readily applied to archaeology, international business, and social science.

This course focuses on the origin and growth of prehistoric American Indian cultures north of Mexico as revealed by archaeological data.

Examines the way in which symbolic systems create the meanings through which we experience life. The course will explore symbols and symboling behavior from a humanistic perspective, and will present examples of non-Western symbolic systems.

Selected topics of theoretical or methodological importance in anthropology, with special attention to topics of contemporary relevance. Refer to Schedule of Classes for topics.

Examination of social, cultural and economic conditions in lesser developed countries. Discussion of the various socioeconomic and cultural theories of change and developments, and of alternative policies for the world of the future. Considers the possible roles for social scientists in policy formulation and application.

An in-depth examination of the interrelations between science, agriculture, and development. Both domestic and international issues are explored.

This seminar examines the development of archaeological theory with specific emphasis on the discipline of anthropological archaeology in the New World. Particular schools and trends in contemporary archaeological theory are discussed in detail.