The undergraduate concentration in Archaeology and the Ancient World provides students with an opportunity to explore the multi-faceted discipline of archaeology, and encourages an interdisciplinary approach to engaging with the ancient world. While the core focus of Archaeology and the Ancient World at Brown University is archaeology and art of the ancient Mediterranean, Egypt, and the Near East, this concentration encourages students to reach beyond this geographic area, to engage with Brown’s many strengths in history, epigraphy, art, ethics, engineering, religious studies, and the sciences – to name just a few. The concentration, with its three distinct but overlapping tracks, is intended to allow students flexibility in structuring their own path through this diverse field of study.
It is expected that, in completing the requirements for this concentration, students will incorporate courses that offer new perspectives on the complex dynamics of social inequity, exclusion, and difference, and which encourage engagement with the community – both by enrolling in classes designated as Race, Power, and Privilege (RPP) or Community-Based Learning and Research (CBLR), and through other classes that explore similar themes. Research opportunities, through summer fieldwork, internships, museum experience, or independent study projects, are strongly encouraged.
Within this concentration, the three tracks are:
- Archaeology and the Ancient World: the most flexible of the concentration tracks, allowing students to explore any region or time period, and to develop their own areas of focus, such as museum studies, ethics and politics of the past, engineering and materials analysis, cultural heritage, or environmental studies.
- Classical Archaeology: for those interested chiefly in the ‘classic’ civilizations of the Mediterranean (especially Greece and Rome), as well as for those interested in both earlier (prehistoric) and later (medieval) periods in that geographic region.
- Egyptian and Near Eastern Archaeology: for those interested chiefly in the cultures of Egypt and the ancient ‘Near East’ – Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia – from prehistoric through Islamic times.
All three tracks begin with the same foundation. Students are then expected to experiment with and define their own areas of specialty, establishing expertise in topics such as cultural heritage, archaeological theory, or materials analysis, or in particular regions or time periods. The concentration is also designed to allow students to build progressively upon what they have learned, moving from introductory courses to upper-level seminars.
The student must take a total of 10 courses, including:
| CORE REQUIREMENTS: | ||
| All three tracks share four Core Requirements: two introductory courses providing an overview of archaeology’s two central aspects (field methodologies, and art history); and two introductory courses in the core geographical focus of the Joukowsky Institute (Classical/Mediterranean archaeology and Egyptian/Near Eastern archaeology). | ||
| One introductory course in archaeological methodology and/or scientific approaches, preferably: | 1 | |
| Field Archaeology in the Ancient World | ||
| Past Forward: Discovering Anthropological Archaeology | ||
or a course that addresses similar methodological/scientific topics, which must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Appropriate courses could include, for example: | ||
| The Archaeology of College Hill | ||
| One introductory course in ancient art history, for example: | 1 | |
| Art in Antiquity: An Introduction | ||
| Introduction to Egyptian Archaeology and Art | ||
| Roman Archaeology and Art | ||
| One ARCH course in Egyptian or Near Eastern archaeology, art, and/or architecture, for example: | 1 | |
| Archaeologies of the Ancient "Middle East" | ||
| Archaeologies of the Muslim World | ||
| Temples and Tombs: Egyptian Religion and Culture | ||
| One ARCH course in Classical or Mediterranean archaeology, art, and/or architecture, for example: | 1 | |
| Myriad Mediterraneans: Archaeology, Representation and Decolonization | ||
| Troy Rocks! Archaeology of an Epic | ||
| Archaeologies of the Greek Past | ||
| TRACK REQUIREMENTS: | ||
In addition to the Core Requirements above, each of the three tracks requires six additional courses, which allow students to define their own areas of geographic and/or topical specialty. | ||
| Archaeology and the Ancient World: | ||
| One ARCH course, of any level, that focuses on a particular thematic or theoretical topic pertaining to archaeology, for example: | 1 | |
| Heritage In and Out of Context: Museum and Archaeological Heritage | ||
| Engineering and Technology in the Ancient World | ||
| Microarchaeology | ||
| One ARCH course, of any level, that focuses on a part of the world OTHER than Mediterranean, Egyptian, or Near Eastern, for example: | 1 | |
| Buried History, Hidden Wonders: Discovering East Asian Archaeology | ||
| Archaeology Under the Volcano | ||
| Archaeology of the Andes | ||
| Two additional ARCH courses, on any aspect of archaeology and art, at the 1000 level (or above). Students are encouraged to use these upper-level courses to define a particular core specialty or track, such as a focus on archaeological theory, museum studies, archaeological ethics, materials analysis, cultural heritage, or climate change, for example: | 2 | |
| The Human Skeleton | ||
| The Archaeology of Slavery | ||
| Environmental Archaeology | ||
| Two non-ARCH courses which EITHER relate to the study of the ancient world OR to the discipline of archaeology. Outside courses are chosen with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies from appropriate 1000 level (or above) offerings in other departments such as, but not limited to: Anthropology, Classics, Egyptology and Assyriology, Environmental Studies, Geological Sciences, History, History of Art and Architecture, Religious Studies. One term of language study, in any relevant (usually ancient) language, may also be counted toward this requirement. | 2 | |
| Total Credits | 10 | |
1 All formally cross-listed courses, regardless of home department, can be considered ARCH courses and can fulfill the relevant concentration requirement(s). There is no limit on the number of cross-listed courses that can count toward the completion of a concentration.
2 Students who are doing a double concentration are allowed up to two courses that are also counted toward (i.e., overlap with) their second concentration to fulfill Archaeology concentration requirements.
Fieldwork and Study Abroad
Students are strongly encouraged to consider participating in a field project, most typically after sophomore or junior year. The Director of Undergraduate Studies and other faculty members can provide suggestions about how to explore and fund possible field projects.
With the permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, up to three successfully completed courses from relevant and accredited study abroad programs may be counted towards the concentration requirements. Field school courses that provide formal university transfer credit, and official transcripts, can be considered a form of study abroad and may also be used to fulfill concentration requirements.
| Classical Archaeology: | ||
| One course in ancient Greek or Roman history, for example: | 1 | |
| Mediterranean Culture Wars: Archaic Greek History, c. 1200 to 479 BC | ||
| The Fall of Empires and Rise of Kings: Greek History 478 to 323 BC | ||
| Roman History I: The Rise and Fall of an Imperial Republic | ||
| Roman History II: The Roman Empire and Its Impact | ||
| One course in either Ancient Greek or Latin, at a level beyond the first year of study, for example: | 1 | |
GREK 0300/0400 | Introduction to Greek Literature | |
LATN 0300/0400 | Introduction to Latin Literature | |
| Two courses in Mediterranean (prehistoric, Greek, Roman, medieval) archaeology and art, at the 1000 level (or above), for example: | 2 | |
| Building an Empire: The Sacred and Civic Architecture of Ancient Rome | ||
| Cities, Colonies and Global Networks in the Western Mediterranean | ||
| Minoans and Mycenaeans: Greece in the Bronze Age | ||
| Pandemics, Pathogens, and Plagues in the Greek and Roman Worlds | ||
| One ARCH course, of any level, that focuses on a part of the world OTHER than Mediterranean, Egyptian, or Near Eastern OR focuses on a particular thematic topic pertaining to archaeology, for example: | 1 | |
| The Archaeology of Central Asia: Alexander in Afghanistan, and Buddhas in Bactria | ||
| The Fair Sex: Female Body and Sexuality in the Ancient World | ||
| Cold Hard Cash: The Materiality of Money in Ancient and Modern Finance | ||
| Architecture and Memory | ||
| One non-ARCH course which EITHER relates to the study of the ancient world OR to the discipline of archaeology. Outside courses are chosen with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies from appropriate 1000 level (or above) offerings in other departments such as, but not limited to: Anthropology, Classics, Egyptology and Assyriology, Environmental Studies, Geological Sciences, History, History of Art and Architecture, Religious Studies. | 1 | |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
| Egyptian and Near Eastern Archaeology: | ||
| Two courses in Egyptian and Near Eastern archaeology and art at the 1000 level (or above), for example: | 2 | |
| Between Sahara and Sea: North Africa from Human Origins to Islam | ||
| Conquest to Conversion: The Formation of the Islamic World | ||
| Fighting Pharaohs: Ancient Egyptian Warfare | ||
| Queering Ancient Egypt | ||
| Two terms of course work in a pertinent ancient language (such as Akkadian, Coptic, Classical Hebrew, Middle Egyptian). | 2 | |
| One ARCH course, of any level, that focuses on a part of the world OTHER than Mediterranean, Egyptian, or Near Eastern OR focuses on a particular thematic topic pertaining to archaeology, for example: | 1 | |
| Bad Things: Archaeologies of New World Vices | ||
| Community Archaeology in Providence and Beyond | ||
| Archaeology and Social Justice: Un-disciplining the Past, Changing the Present | ||
| One non-ARCH course which EITHER relates to the study of the ancient world OR to the discipline of archaeology. Outside courses are chosen with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies from appropriate 1000 level (or above) offerings in other departments such as, but not limited to: Anthropology, Classics, Egyptology and Assyriology, Environmental Studies, Geological Sciences, History, History of Art and Architecture, Religious Studies. | 1 | |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
Honors Concentrations
An Honors concentration in any of these tracks requires the successful completion of all the standard requirements with the addition of an Honors thesis. In order to qualify for Honors, students must have received more A’s than B’s in concentration courses completed, and successfully complete an Honors thesis in their final two semesters at Brown. For the preparation of this thesis, students will ordinarily enroll in ARCH 1970 during the first semester of the senior year and ARCH 1990 during the second semester of the senior year. These courses may not be taken S/NC, nor may they be used to satisfy the standard requirements of the concentration.
Honors concentrations are recommended for students considering graduate work in the discipline of archaeology. Any student interested in a course of graduate study should speak to the Director of Undergraduate Studies and faculty members as soon as possible, not least for advice about additional forms of preparation. Graduate work in the archaeology of the ancient world, for example, requires knowledge of appropriate ancient, as well as modern, languages. Students should start work on acquiring these skills as early as possible.
The Honors Thesis
The Honors thesis is an extended essay, usually of between 40 and 60 pages in length, researched and written under the supervision of a faculty advisor and second reader during the senior year (during which the student must be enrolled in ARCH 1970 in the Fall and ARCH 1990 in the Spring semester).
Students considering writing an Honors thesis should, in their junior year, identify a faculty member who will serve as thesis advisor, and a second faculty member to serve as second reader. Where appropriate, the advisor or the reader, but not both of them, may be in a unit other than the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World. During their junior year, students should also identify a specific topic and approach of the thesis, in consultation with the thesis advisor. A preliminary title and one page outline of the proposed Honors thesis is due to the Director of Undergraduate Studies and the thesis advisor by May 15th of the junior year.
In the Fall semester of their senior year (semester 7), students must register for ARCH 1970: Individual Study Project in Old World Archaeology and Art, selecting the section taught by their thesis advisor. The schedule and frequency of meetings between the student and advisor should be determined during the first two weeks of classes. On October 15th, a complete outline of the thesis project and a detailed bibliography are due to the advisor and Director of Undergraduate Studies. A full chapter must be turned in to the advisor, second reader, and Director of Undergraduate Studies no later than December 15th. Students who do not meet the thesis deadlines in the Fall, or whose work is not considered worthy of Honors as determined by the thesis advisor, will not be able to register for ARCH 1990 in the Spring and will not be permitted to continue work on an Honors thesis.
In the Spring semester of their senior year (semester 8), students must register for ARCH 1990: Senior Honors Thesis in Archaeology and the Ancient World, selecting the section taught by their thesis advisor. Students must turn in a complete draft of their thesis to their advisor, second reader, and the Director of Undergraduate Studies by March 15th. The revised, final version of the thesis is due to the advisor, second reader, and the Director of Undergraduate Studies by April 15th.
The completed thesis will be evaluated by the advisor and second reader, who will discuss its strengths and weaknesses in a joint meeting with the student; they will then make a recommendation concerning Honors, and also agree a grade for ARCH 1990.
The Honors concentrators will be asked to make a short public presentation about their work, in a joint event usually occurring in early May.
An electronic version of the final thesis must be submitted to the Joukowsky Institute via email to joukowsky_institute@brown.edu and to the Director of Undergraduate Studies by May 1st. A printed and bound copy of the thesis must be delivered to the Joukowsky Institute by May 15th.
Evaluation
The Director of Undergraduate Studies will review the student’s overall record, in addition to the thesis evaluations. If all requirements have been successfully met, the recommendation will be made that the student graduates with Honors.