short response essays,

Final Essay Prompt
You will have one week to complete the following questions. These are short response essays,
and while we will only be grading them for content and not grammar, do take the time to
proofread your work. Points will be deducted for essays that contain severe grammatical errors
that are catchable via spellcheck. All citations must be in Chicago Author/Date format.
Question 1 (20 pts) What do you know about archaeology? (~2 double spaced pages)
Think back to the first week of class this quarter. You were asked to reflect on your existing
knowledge about archaeology. For section 1 of your Final Exam please provide a referenced
response to this question that includes a critical reflection of what you knew about archaeology
coming into the course and what you know now. This is more than a then & now comparison.
Provide specific examples and serious consideration of what you have learned. Be sure to
include discussion of the modern social relevance and ethics of archaeology.
No one expects you to become an archaeologist after one “Introduction to Archaeology” course,
but we hope that you leave this course as informed members of the public with a greater
appreciation of the discipline of Archaeology and the vast depths of human prehistory
reconstructed by archaeologists. Which leads us to Section 2…
Question 2 (80 pts) What have you learned about humanity’s past as reconstructed by
archaeologists? (~4 double-spaced pages)
Throughout this term we have considered several significant developments in humanity’s past,
including:
1) Early Hominin Origins
2) The Spread of Anatomically Modern Humans
3) Development and spread of Agriculture
4) Origins of Social Inequality
5) Emergence of States
6) The Collapse of States
Select one of these. Then, drawing on all course resources (texts, lectures and videos), choose a
specific case study that demonstrates how archaeologists know about the processes involved in
humanity’s past. For example, if you choose topic number 1) The Emergence of Humans, then
research at Olduvai Gorge may provide an appropriate case study. You may not use the same
topic as the one you choose for the Second Essay Assignment.Once you have selected and justified the appropriateness of your case study, present specific
examples of how archaeologists know what they know about the topic. You do not have to
consider each and every one of the points below, rather this list is intended to get you thinking
about HOW archaeologists generate knowledge about the past and reconstruct the prehistoric
past based on data from artifacts, ecofacts, and features. Potential details to consider include:
1) What specific field methods were used (consider both survey and excavation, if
relevant)?
2) What data was collected? How was the data collected?
3) How was/were the site(s) dated? Why was/were the dating method(s) appropriate?
4) What type(s) of laboratory analysis(es) were conducted? Why was/were the analysis(es)
appropriate?
5) What did the analytical result(s) indicate? Why do we have confidence in the results of
this case study?
6) How does this case study inform us about the broader topic?
7) Why is this research important?
The specific details of your case study will vary depending on what you select. This is your
opportunity to pull together all that you have learned about archaeological methods in your
discussion sections with what you learned about human prehistory history during lecture