Environmental Archaeology

1 Course Unit

Environmental archaeology is the study of past human interactions with the natural world—a world which encompasses plants, animals, and landscapes. Environmental archaeology is concerned with the wide range of ways that humans are both affected by and alter their surroundings. In this course, we will explore the types of data used to reconstruct ancient environments, how disparate strands of environmental data are combined, and examine theoretical approaches to human-environment relationships. Through case studies we will confront contentious issues in environmental archaeology and learn how archaeologists integrate the archaeological record with data from history, biology, and geosciences and make archaeological data relevant to broader issues of cultural heritage, climate change, and sustainability. Fall or Spring 1 Course Unit