Bachelor of Science in Archaeology and Materials as Recommended by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (Course 3-C)

专业详情

Students who have a specific interest in archaeology and archaeological science may choose Course 3-C. The 3-C program is designed to afford students broad exposure to fields that contribute fundamental theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of ancient and historic societies. The primary fields include anthropological archaeology, geology, and materials science and engineering. The program enriches knowledge of past and present-day nonindustrial societies by making the natural and engineering sciences part of the archaeological tool kit.

The program’s special focus is on understanding prehistoric culture through study of the structure and properties of materials associated with human activities. Investigating peoples’ interactions with materials, the objects that such interactions produced, and the related environmental settings leads to a fuller analysis of the physical, social, cultural, and ideological world in which people function. These are the goals of anthropological archaeology, goals that are reached, in part, through science and engineering perspectives.

Participation in laboratory work by undergraduates is an integral part of the curriculum. The program requires that all students take a materials laboratory subject. Many of the archaeology subjects are designed with a laboratory component; such subjects meet in the Undergraduate Archaeology and Materials Laboratory. Undergraduate students also have access to the extensive CMRAE facilities for research in archaeological materials as part of UROP and thesis projects. Such projects may include archaeological fieldwork during IAP or the summer months.