Are you interested in American museums and/or the field of archaeology?
Are you fascinated by cultural objects in museums?  Did you ever wonder
how archaeological objects are acquired and arranged in museum displays?
This class will explore these topics and more by examining multiple
interactions between archaeology and American museums.  We will examine
the changing role of artifacts in museums from curiosities to art.  In the second
part of this course, students will visit four museums (Wylie House, IU Art
Museum, Indiana State History Museum, and the Eiteljorg Museum of
American Indians and Western Art) to see varying contexts of artifacts and
interact with curators.  We will also debate the illicit art market, looting,
repatriation and issues of ownership.   Utilizing group assignments and
individual research, we will strive to understand the interactions between
archaeology and museums in the past, present, and future.