COURSE OBJECTIVES and EXPECTATIONS

This class will require you to do a lot of reading, writing, and thinking, using both traditional scholarly resources (such as the library), and newer computer tools (such as CD-ROM and WWW). My goal is to engage you in active investigation and interpretation of the early archaeological record of Africa. To do so you will need to learn basic terminology and key concepts, but, more importantly, you will be learning how to build effective written arguments using your own interpretations of different types of archaeological evidence and scientific reasoning.

• Lectures and discussions will explore issues and introduce aspects of the prehistoric evidence.
• Videos and Slides will show you archaeologists at work, and the places and materials that they study.
• Hands-on Activities will give you a chance to examine examples of stone tools and casts of hominid fossils.
• Computer Investigations and Team Research will ask you explore and interpret real archaeological data.
• Teaching Evaluation will be an important course objective – thanks for your help with this!

GRADES will be based on:

25% weekly on-line quizzes Go To Quiz Site

The weekly quizzes will test your understanding of the basic information covered in class and readings. Quizzes will be available through the class website, and must be taken by the weekly deadline (Monday midnight) to qualify for credit. If you forget to take an online quiz, you can take a paper version during her Tuesday office hours, but it will not be an open-book exam, and will be worth less credit. You can take a make-up quiz if you have a valid medical excuse. There will be 5-10 quiz questions each week, for a total of about 100 over the semester. Your cumulative quiz score will be calculated as a % of all possible points, and graded on a fixed scale (100-99% = A+; 98-94%=A; 93-91%=A-; 90-89 = B+, etc).


Go To Quiz Site

NOTE: Quiz 1 is now ready (and will be available to take through week 2).

15% in-class activities

60% 4 written projects, 15% each

• Essay 1: Defining early hominid "culture" Due Oct 5 in class.
  
• Essay 2: Comparing Oldowan and Acheulian lifestyles Due Nov 2 in class.
  
• MSA Site Report Web Project: Digital files due Nov 30 before class.
  
• Essay 3: Debating modernity. Due before 10 AM Dec 12 (final exam)
  

READINGS for this course are extensive, and are an important part of the course material. If you have not previously taken a course in human evolution or archaeology, you may initially have difficulty following some of the material in this course. Consult the instructor if you are worried about the level of your background preparation.

Go to detailed reading schedule

We will have readings from three sources:

• H.J. Deacon and J. Deacon 1999 Human Beginnings in South Africa. Uncovering the secrets of the Stone Age. Alta Mira Press (You can purchase this paperback from the bookstores in town. It will be the main source of readings for the first two weeks of class, and intermittently thereafter.)
  
• Jeanne Sept 1997 Investigating Olduvai. Archaeology of Human Origins CD-ROM. IU Press. (You can purchase your own copy of the CD-ROM from one of the bookstores, or check out one of the two copies placed on 1 day reserve in the Media Reserves of the Main Library. You will be required to read from this CD-ROM, as well as use it for course assignments.
  
• Additional readings will come from a range of scientific articles and book chapters which have been placed ON RESERVE in the Geography Library. If you intend to make photocopies of the articles, you may consider ordering copies from Print Mart, which will have a complete set of the readings available for custom copying. PrintMart is located on the north side of the Bloomington Courthous square at 108 W. Sixth Street. Phone them in advance if you would like to order a copy of the readings 332-2365.
  
  Go to detailed reading schedule
  

Professor Sept will also post class-notes and other useful links on the class web-page as the class proceeds.

SCHEDULE OF TOPICS

WEEK 1 Introduction to the study of Africa's past: history & geography

WEEK 2 Introduction to the Early Stone Age: the South African story

WEEK 3 Introduction to the Early Stone Age: the East African story
Sept 12: meet in Library-503 computer lab - bring Olduvai CD-ROM

WEEK 4 Who made the first stone tools, and why?
Sept 19: meet in LI-503

WEEK 5 Comparing the behaviors of early hominids and chimpanzees
Sept 26: meet in LI-503

WEEK 6 Early Hominid societies and land-use

WEEK 7 Homo erectus & Acheulian technology
Oct 10: meet in LI-503

WEEK 8 The "Muddle in the Middle": the Acheulian continued

WEEK 9 Late Acheulian sites and transitions to MSA

WEEK 10 Did modern humans originate in Africa? archaic Homo sapiens
Oct 31: meet in LI-503

WEEK 11 Middle Stone Age

WEEK 12 Independent team-work on MSA case studies (no class meetings)

WEEK 13 Nov 21 Independent work on MSA case studies (no class meetings)

Thanksgiving Break!

WEEK 14 Later Stone Age

WEEK 15 LSA rockart and perspectives on the past

Professor Jeanne Sept
(812) 855-5395 ; email: SEPT
Office Hours Student Bldg 038 TH 1:00-3:00, or by appt.	Lectures: Student Bldg 150 TuTh 11:15-12:30