North American Prehistory (ANTH 365U)

SPR 2008

T/Th: 12:00-1:50; CRN 64522

Instructor: Dr. Virginia L. Butler, 503.725-3303; e-mail butlerv@pdx.edu

Offc. Hours: Tues: 2-3:00 pm; Wed: 11:30-12:30, or by appointment; Office Location: Cramer Hall Rm 141L

Course Description:

This course will critically examine the prehistory of North America, from the initial peopling of the continent to the development of complex societies. We will review the arguments and debates on when and how people came to the New World and the role of humans in the extinction of large game. We will examine the models used to account for changing human life ways during the Holocene, including changes in structure of hunter-gatherer and agriculturalist settlement-subsistence and socio-political systems. To what extent does environmental change, evolving technologies, changing population density or yet other factors account for the striking record of cultural change? We will also review the relationship between people and plants/animals/ physical and biotic environment. To what extent were environments (wildlife) affected by human use and modification? When and where are these effects observed and how do we measure them?

The course will involve a mix of lecture and class discussion. Since some of your grade is based on class participation, you need to come prepared to discuss the readings each class period.

Goals: Increase your skills in: critical thinking; hypothesis testing and developing arguments; communicating through writing, speaking, and visual presentation of ideas. I also want you to gain a greater appreciation for the diversity of life ways of ancient Native Americans and contributions archaeology can make to the contemporary world.

Required Readings

1) I have put copies of the readings on BLACKBOARD. You must have a PSU Odin account to access the course webpage. I have selected readings that introduce topics and explore debates and ideas in some detail. I have made copies of chapters of two main textbooks that will provide good background information and I recommend you read these first, when approaching a topic, since they are written for undergraduates.

Text Excerpts on Blackboard.

- Fagan, B.M. (2005). Ancient North America: Archaeology of a Continent. Thames and Hudson, London

- Neusius, S.W. and G.T. Gross (2007). Seeking our past: an Introduction to North American Archaeology. Oxford University Press, New York.

Because I want us to push deeper in several topics than the textbooks go, and I want to give you practice with reading peer review literature, I have also included journal articles and chapters from the professional literature. See the attached bibliography of these readings.

This course assumes students have some background in archaeology from previous classes. If you lack this background and still want to take the class, I strongly recommend you obtain and review a textbook on archaeology that you can use for reference during the course. I can recommend several. Also, I have put on Blackboard, Week 1, introductory material from an archaeology textbook (see Fagan 2005 Ch. 2-3) that you should read for review.

2) Course Requirements/Grading:

- 1 Map quiz (10%)

- Summary (~400 words) of archaeological site or survey report from North America (10%).

- 1 take-home essay exam (1-2 essays—600 words)(25%)

- Oral/Poster Presentation (20%)

- ~2000 word paper (write-up of presentation) (25%).

- Class participation (10%)

I will be giving out additional information on all of the assignments and quiz.

I will base your participation grade on attendance and extent you come prepared to answer and ask questions.

Extra Credit: The Anthropology Dept. hosts a speaker on the 1st Thursday of each month at 4:00 pm. If you attend the talk and provide a written summary (the goal, how the work was carried out, what you learned), you will receive ONE point added to your final grade. ALSO: you will receive extra credit for attending and writing up Adovosio’s presentation hosted by the Archaeological Institute of America at PSU (Friday, April 11, 2008 at 7:30 PM, in Smith Ctr. Multi-cultural center).

Additional Notes:

1) The Anthropology Department does not permit instructors to give students "Incompletes" except by petition to the Department Chair. Please see the PSU Bulletin for the only conditions under which an "Incomplete" may be authorized. 2) According to University and Anthropology Department policy, a grade of C- is needed to "Pass" the course, if taking the course "Pass/No Pass". 3) Students registered with DSS who need accommodation should notify the instructor.

Course Schedule

Week Beginning	Topic	Readings
3/31	Introduction; European Contact Begin: Pleistocene Environments Peopling the New World	Fagan, Ch 1, Ch. 22; Mann 2002 see website http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2002/03/mann.htm Hoffecker & Elias 2003 Neusius & Gross 2007, Ch. 3. Meltzer 1995; [Archaeo Background
4/7	Peopling the New World Megafaunal extinctions; MAP QUIZ: Thu, 10 April Presentation: Friday, April 11, 2008 at 7:30 PM, SMC 223; Early Human Populations in the New World: A Biased Perspective, Dr. James Adovasio	Goebel et al. 2008; Martin 1967; Grayson 1991; Grayson and Meltzer 2003; Note if have trouble opening Goebel et al 2008, can also get on-line from: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/reprint/319/5869/1497.pdf
4/14	Finish Peopling/Extinctions Paleoindian/Archaic lifeways Optimal Foraging Models	O’Connell and Hawkes 1981 Cohen 1981
4/21	Finish Foraging Models; Resource Intensification Great Basin	Neusius & Gross 2007, Ch. 8; Kelly 1997
4/28	Great Basin	Jones et al. 1999
5/5	American Southwest	Neusius & Gross 2007, Ch. 9 Hard and Roney 1998; Larson et al. 1996
5/12	American Southwest
5/19	Eastern Woodlands	Neusius & Gross 2007, Ch. 11 Smith 1989;
5/26	Eastern Woodlands	Saunders et al. 1997; Dancey 2005
6/2	Finish Eastern Woodlands; Student Presentations

June 12, Thu 10:15-12:05 Oral/Poster Presentations

June 12, FINAL PAPER DUE, 4:00 pm