ANTH 1515 - LITHIC ANALYSIS

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
For roughly 3 million years before the use of metals, human populations relied on making and using stone tools to survive-and thrive- in environments all over the world. Stone tools both compose a huge percentage of the archaeological record and serve as a direct reflection of human activities, making their analysis fundamental to studying the past. This course engages students with the methods archaeologists use to identify stone tools and to extract behavioral information from them. We will examine knapping mechanics, raw material economy, mobility, technological strategies, tool use, and discard behavior. Students learn how to identify the stone tools that characterize major prehistoric periods and discuss controversies about stone tools' role in human evolution, behavioral complexity, origins of agriculture, and craft specialization. By combining hands-on replication experiments, lab analysis, and discussion, students will learn everything necessary to carry out stone tool analysis.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

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