Archaeologies of Sustainability and Collapse (326-0-20)

Instructors

Melissa Rosenzweig
1812 Hinman #304
Office Hours: Mondays, 1:00 – 3:00 pm or by appointment. Room 304, 1812 Hinman
Melissa Rosenzweig is an anthropological archaeologist specializing in environmental archaeology of the ancient Near East. Her research incorporates regional specialization in northern Mesopotamia and the Levant, methodological expertise in archaeobotany, and theoretical specialization in human-environment interactions.

Meeting Info

ANTHRO Sem Rm 104 - 1810 Hinmn: Mon, Wed 10:30AM - 11:50AM

Overview of class

This course is a seminar that uses archaeological case studies from the past to interrogate human-environment relationships across time and space, including the present and the future. The emphasis here will not be on learning environmental archaeology methods. Instead, we will be focusing on how archaeologists think about key environmental concepts, including climate change, sustainability, and resilience. We will discuss examples of "failure" and "success" in the long history of human-environment interactions, and see if there's room for nuance along the way. We will also use this course as an opportunity to consider how archaeology can contribute to current environmental sustainability and environmental justice efforts. Prior coursework in archaeology is not required to appreciate this class or do well, but would be helpful.

Evaluation Method

Reading Responses, Student Presentation, Final Paper

Class Materials (Required)

All of the readings for this course will come from articles and book chapters provided online through Canvas.

Class Attributes

Social & Behavioral Sciences Distro Area