ANTH - Anthropology

ANTH 601 Biological Anthropology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Survey of the field of biological anthropology covering the principles of evolution, human evolution, human adaptation, human variation, primate diversity and evolution, osteology and bioarchaeology.

ANTH 602 Archaeological Methods and Theory

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Development of archaeology as a discipline; methods and theories used in archaeology for reconstructing cultural history and cultural process.

ANTH 603 Seafaring Life and Maritime Communities

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Employs primary and scholarly sources to examine the social organization, work routines, living conditions, and material culture of mariners between 1450 and 1950; broader trends in maritime communities and global seafaring are also investigated. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

ANTH 604 Cultural Method and Theory

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Survey of the theoretical concepts used in anthropology and how to construct models used in cultural and social anthropology.

ANTH 605 Conservation of Archaeological Resources I

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Fundamentals and applications of artifact conservation techniques in archaeology. Prerequisite: Knowledge of basic chemistry and physics recommended.

ANTH 606 Conservation of Archaeological Resources II

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Comprehensive study of techniques used in the identification and conservation of metal and wooden artifacts. Prerequisite: ANTH 605.

ANTH 608 Skills in Maritime Archaeology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Themes and tools of maritime archaeology; topics include remote sensing and mapping as wells as interpreting, recording and storing data used in maritime archaeological surveys. Prerequisites: Graduate classification; approval of instructor.

ANTH 610 Outfitting and Sailing the Wooden Ship 1400-1900

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Archaeological and historical sources to exam the outfitting and sailing of wooden ships between 1400 and 1900, a period popularly known as the "Age of Sail"; emphasis on two aspects that are of particular interest to the nautical archaeologist. Prerequisites: Approval of instructor; graduate classification.

ANTH 611 Nautical Archaeology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Introduction to the history and theoretical basis of nautical archeology as a discipline; fundamental concepts in nautical science relevant to the history of seafaring; key developments in the history of seafaring. Prerequisites: Approval of instructor and graduate classification.

ANTH 612 Preclassical Seafaring

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Seafarers and watercraft of the ancient Near East and Mediterranean until ca. 700 B.C. Types of watercraft used, routes, cargoes, voyages of exploration and economics of maritime trade.

ANTH 613 Classical Seafaring

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Culture history of Mediterranean seafarers between ca. 700 B.C. and end of Byzantine Empire; types of ships and boats, sea law, naval tactics, harbor-works, routes, cargoes and economics of trade.

ANTH 615 History of Shipbuilding Technology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Design and construction of preserved and excavated sailing ships, the expertise of their builders and technology involved in ancient and early shipbuilding. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

ANTH 616 Research and Reconstruction of Ships

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Techniques of recording and interpreting excavated ships; preservation of hulls; ship drafting, modeling, lofting, testing and other methods used in the research and/or reconstruction of ships. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

ANTH 617 Conservation III--Preservation of Organic Materials

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Advanced and experimental methods of organic artifact conservation; emphasis on composite artifacts, gamma radiation polymerization, scanning electron microscope evaluation of artifacts and preservation of traditionally difficult to conserve artifacts. Prerequisite: ANTH 605.

ANTH 618 Medieval Seafaring in the Mediterranean

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Cultural history of seafaring in the Mediterranean region during medieval times; ship types and their uses, naval warfare, sea law, harborworks, routes and cargoes, and maritime economic institutions and practices. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

ANTH 624 Geoarchaeology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. An applied course on the contribution of earth sciences to the interpretation of archaeological contexts, this course consists of field, lab and lecture components. Reviews Quaternary geomorphology. Investigates site formation processes in different depositional environments and impacts on archaeological sites. Provides training in stratigraphic description and interpretation and archaeological dating methods and interpretations. Applies earth science fields and methodologies to archaeological problems. Field trips will be a required component of the course in order to complete field descriptions and sampling. TOPICS AND THEMES. The development of geoarchaeology; sediments and soils and their relevance to archaeological sites; stratigraphy; dating methods and archaeological applications; landscape reconstruction and geoarchaeological interpretations; depositional environments and site formation processes; remote sensing; geophysics. This course may incorporate topics that respond to current events, student interests or emerging issues relevant to geoarchaeology. Prerequisites: Graduate classification.

ANTH 625 Zooarchaeology

Credits 4. 3 Lecture Hours. 3 Lab Hours. Analysis of animal bones from archaeological sites; inference of how prehistoric peoples hunted, domesticated and used animals. Prerequisite: Basic knowledge of zoology and archaeology.

ANTH 628 New World Seafaring

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Cultural history of seafaring in the Western Hemisphere from the fifteenth century to the present; ship types and their uses; harborworks, commerce, naval warfare, sailing routes, maritime practices. Prerequisites: ANTH 615 and ANTH 616 or approval of instructor.

ANTH 630 Anthropology of Human Reproduction

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. Examines human courtship, marriage, reproduction, family structure and parenting through the lens of evolutionary ecology. Explores how human reproductive and parenting patterns compare with those of other primates and how they vary across cultures. Evaluates different viewpoints on and approaches to the application of evolutionary logic to the study of these topics. Critically examines hypotheses explaining human behavior through biological, cultural and ecological lenses. TOPICS AND THEMES. Topics include evolutionary approaches to the study of human behavior, life histories, reproductive strategies, sexual selection, marriage, parental care, infidelity, divorce, as well as explorations of cross-cultural and cross-species variation in these areas. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ANTH 631 Primate Behavioral Ecology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Survey the behavioral ecology of the nonhuman primates exploring topics such as their hunting behavior; sexual coercion; language capabilities; culture; tool use; homosexuality; dominance; parental care, ethics of field study and their conservation. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ANTH 634 Palynology

Credits 4. 3 Lecture Hours. 3 Lab Hours. Principles and techniques used in palynology, pollen morphology, ontogeny, biochemistry, dispersion and preservation; role of palynology as a research tool in plant taxonomy agriculture, medicine, paleobotany and anthropology.

ANTH 640 Anthropological Ethics and Professionalism

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Codes of professional ethics applicable to excavation and preservation of archaeological sites; ethnographic fieldwork and professional relationships with colleagues and informants; professional protocols for publication and presentation of research results. Prerequisites: Graduate classification in anthropology and approval of instructor.

ANTH 642 Research Design in Anthropology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Research design used by anthropologists to develop sampling strategies, test hypotheses and compile quantitative data. Prerequisite: ANTH 602.

ANTH 647 Lithic Artifact Analysis

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 3 Lab Hours. Laboratory-based course reviewing methods archaeologists use to analyze stone tools and debitage, including identification of tool-stone sources, reconstruction of technology, explanation of assemblage variability, and microscopic use-wear analysis. Prerequisite: Graduate classification and approval of instructor.

ANTH 650 Ethnographic Field Methods

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Methods common to anthropology for the field collection of data on cultural behavior. Prerequisites: Graduate classification and approval of instructor.

ANTH 652 First American Archaeology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Survey of past frontiers in First American studies important to the peopling of the Americas: review of the archaeology, geology, and dating of early sites in North, Middle, and South America; human migration hypotheses; biological evidence; and late Quaternary environmental factors. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

ANTH 653 The Archaeology and Anthropology of Foraging Societies

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. Explores the archaeology and anthropology of foraging (hunting and gathering) societies in time and space. Includes an overview of archaeology focused on foraging societies and current methodological and theoretical issues, especially the use of ethnographic and environmental data. Investigates ecologically oriented case studies of late Pleistocene and Holocene hunter-gatherers paired with the ethnographic record used to interpret these sites. Archaeological case studies will have an emphasis on land-use, site-structure and site formation analyses. Ethnographic case studies will focus on the diversity of hunting and gathering societies, change in these societies through time and discussion of forager economies, with specific attention to critiquing ethnohistoric accounts and the applicability of these case studies to the archaeological record. TOPICS AND THEMES. Forager (hunter-gatherer) variation in different environments; forager variation through time; forager social structures; forager mobility; forager subsistence; socio-political complexity in foraging societies; ethnographic critiques; archaeology of foraging societies; resource management; foragers in the modern world and change in forager societies in the recent past; archaeological site structure; lithic analysis; site formation processes; archaeological site survey; archaeological theory of foragers; site modeling and resource modeling. This course may incorporate topics that respond to current events, student interests or emerging issues relevant to anthropology. Course content may include complex or sensitive topics and is designed to foster respectful, evidence-based discussion and critical engagement with multiple perspectives, skills essential for navigating a diverse and changing world. Prerequisites: Graduate classification.

ANTH 658 Quantitative Ethnographic Methods

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Quantitative data collection and analytical methods employed by anthropologists including standardized observation, structured interviews, demography and network analysis; emphasizes hands-on assignments involving data collection among local community. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ANTH 660 Field Archaeology

Credits 1 to 12. 1 to 12 Other Hours. Field instruction in the methods of archaeological excavations; recovery and cataloging of cultural, floral and faunal remains; and interpretation of these data. Locations of the field course will vary according to site. Field trips required. May be taken more than once but not to exceed 8 hours of credit toward an MA degree and not to exceed 12 hours of credit toward a PhD degree. Prerequisite: ANTH 602 or equivalent.

ANTH 661 Environmental Archaeology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. 0 Lab Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. Explores the paleoecological context in which past humans interacted with the natural environment encompassing plants, animals and landscape. Introduces students to theories and methods relevant to studying past human-environment interactions. Outlines types of environmental data that survive in the archaeological record (geological, botanical, faunal, chemical), recovery and analytical methods, absolute chronology and inferences made based on these data. Develops long-term, global perspective on human-environment interactions provided by the fields of archaeology and earth science. TOPICS AND THEMES. The use of archaeological sites as paleoenvironmental archives, human impacts on ancient environments, Quaternary extinctions, long-term landscape evolution, plant and animal domestication, the Anthropocene and cultural collapse and resilience. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.

ANTH 662 Method and Theory in the Peopling of the Americas

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. Reviews current evidence from the fields of archaeology, genetics, biological anthropology and paleoecology for the dispersal of modern humans to the New World during the Pleistocene. Examines terminal Pleistocene cultures in Asia and the earliest sites in the Americas. Discusses various models proposed for this migration. Critically examines major archaeological sites and cultures. Stresses an interdisciplinary approach. Applies theory and method used to explain prehistoric human migration and colonization of empty lands. TOPICS AND THEMES. Pleistocene Americas; ancient DNA; paleoenvironments; radiocarbon dating; archaeological modeling; lithic analysis; ethnographic analogy; zooarchaeology and extinctions; archaeological site formation processes; critical analysis of fragmentary data; statistical analysis. This course will incorporate topics that respond to current events, student interests or emerging issues relevant to the peopling of the Americas. Course content may include complex or sensitive topics and is designed to foster respectful, evidence-based discussion and critical engagement with multiple perspectives, skills essential for navigating a diverse and changing world. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ANTH 663 Analytical Methods in Archaeology and Conservation

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Conventional and advanced techniques used for artifact material analysis and artifact documentation; material analysis is the way that we study artifacts, both in structure and elemental composition; includes photography and artifact sketching, computer modeling, laser digitization, computer image photogrammetry, 3D printing and XRF elemental analysis. Prerequisite: Graduate classification in anthropology or approval of instructor.

ANTH 664 Cultural Heritage and Resource Management

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Evaluation of modern ideas about how and why archaeological, architectural, ethnographic, and natural resources should be preserved and presented to current and future societies; critical examination of the theories, methods, regulations, and ethics that guide efforts to preserve and protect cultural heritage within a context of past endeavors and future directions. Prerequisites: Graduate classification.

ANTH 672 Ancient Biomolecules

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. Explores how biomolecules – DNA, proteins, lipids and metabolites – persist in plant and animal remains, artifacts and sediments for thousands to millions of years, preserving key insights into long-term ecological and human history. Determines how these molecules are preserved, identified and analyzed within archaeological contexts to address interdisciplinary questions about evolution, migration, diet, disease, culture, tool production, health and environmental change. Interpretation of biomolecular evidence will draw from archaeological, historical and scientific sources to reconstruct past lifeways within their own cultural and environmental settings. Develops the ability through lectures, discussions and data analysis to assess the suitability for different biomolecular methods for addressing specific research questions and critically evaluate current scientific literature in the field. Skills learned are directly applicable to making informed, evidence-based decisions, empowering students to navigate information-rich environments with discernment and confidence. Prior knowledge in either biology/biochemistry or archaeology is required, but not both. TOPICS AND THEMES. Analysis of the hereditary biomolecules DNA, proteins, lipids and metabolites; large-scale ‘omics’ approaches, including genomics, metagenomics, proteomics, metaproteomics, lipiomics and metabolomics used to investigate complex systems; instrumentation including PCR, Sanger Sequencing, Whole Genome Sequencing (NGS and WGS), chromatography and mass spectrometry; specialized applications such as environmental DNA, microbiomes and dental calculus genetics and proteomics; biomolecule preservation and degradation; ways biomolecular techniques are adapted for archaeological considerations; integration with other lines of archaeological, textual, historic and scientific evidence. This course may incorporate topics that respond to current events, student interests or emerging issues relevant to archaeological biomolecules. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ANTH 675 Medical Anthropology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. Introduces medical anthropology, the subfield exploring the biological and cultural dimensions of health, illness and healing across diverse societies. Defines and discusses key concepts, such as health, illness and disease, in relation to various social, environmental, political and evolutionary contexts. Analyzes the interconnections among micro- and macrobiological, cultural, social and political determinants to construct a holistic view of human health. Engages with contemporary and emerging issues in health and healthcare, emphasizing the comparative analysis of global medical systems. Compares and contrasts biomedicine with other ethnomedical systems to evaluate its role within diverse cultural contexts. Develops critical thinking, reading, writing and collaboration skills for engaging with multiple perspectives on health. Note that course content may include complex or sensitive topics designed to foster critical engagement. TOPICS AND THEMES. Surveys foundational theories and methodologies. Analyzes cultural beliefs and environmental influences on health, including ecological and evolutionary disease patterning. Explores health-related behaviors, mental health, medical systems and explanatory models across diverse cultural contexts. Examines environmental health challenges, globalization and infectious disease. Considers gender, race/racism, social inequality and health disparities. Discusses professional applications and emerging issues in the subdiscipline. Prerequisites: Graduate classification.

ANTH 676 Anthropology of Body Image

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. Evaluates core psychological, medical, evolutionary and anthropological theories of body image, eating disorders, fat and cosmetic surgery. Surveys and critiques theories of body image from the lens of medical anthropology and global mental health. Develops expertise in articulating the major theoretical questions, strengths and limitations of different frameworks, particularly in relation to cross-cultural variation. Critically analyzes global case studies of body image-related illnesses. Applies anthropological theories to identifying biases in the body image literature and public health consequences. Formulates anthropological solutions to conversations and concerns in the body image literature surrounding emerging trends, cross-cultural value- and knowledge-systems and the challenges of treatment. TOPICS AND THEMES. Analysis of anthropological theories of the body; critique of current theories of body image and eating disorders; assessment of psychological and anthropological approaches to fat talk; critique and synthesis of biomedical and social justice approaches to weight and weight stigma; evaluation of limitations of eating disorders research from a cross-cultural perspective; formulation of anthropological solutions to emerging discussions in body image among men, racial minorities and sexual minorities; evaluating the cross-cultural motivations and ethics of cosmetic surgery; critiquing current treatments for eating disorders and obesity from an anthropological lens. Prerequisites: Graduate classification.

ANTH 680 Teaching Anthropology

Credits 0. 0 Lecture Hours. Introduction to course planning for future instructors of anthropology; includes course design, student motivation and engagement, assessment of design and implementation and technology use in education. Prerequisites: Graduate classification; admission to graduate program in the Department of Anthropology.

ANTH 681 Seminar

Credits 0-1. 0 Lecture Hours. 0-1 Other Hours. Orientation to graduate degree requirements in the Anthropology Department at Texas A&M; systematic introduction to the department's faculty and bridging themes of their research. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ANTH 684 Professional Internship

Credits 1 to 9. 1 to 9 Other Hours. Opportunity to put anthropology learned in the classroom into practice; may be used to gain practical experience in a variety of settings including: local, state or federal agencies; museums; non-profit organizations; non-governmental organizations; and private firms. Prerequisites: ANTH 601, ANTH 602, and ANTH 604; approval of committee chair.

ANTH 685 Directed Studies

Credits 1 to 12. 1 to 12 Other Hours. Directed individual study of selected problems in anthropology. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

ANTH 689 Special Topics in...

Credits 1 to 12. 1 to 12 Lecture Hours. Selected topics in an identified area of anthropology. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

ANTH 691 Research

Credits 1 to 23. 1 to 23 Other Hours. Research for thesis. Prerequisite: Approval of graduate advisor.