Archaeology of Colonial Encounters

Catalog description

Drawing on archaeology and ethnohistory, this course focuses on new archaeological research regarding the perspectives, influences, actions, experiences, and identities of traditional peoples in cultural Contact and Colonial period circumstances marked by the arrival of outsiders. This topic ties in to the broader, enduring paradigm of historical anthropology which illuminates dynamic and multi-faceted forces of social change and the agency of local peoples in affecting change. This course is cross-cultural and interregional, covering current theoretical approaches, landmark studies, interpretations and methods from case studies. Topics include resistance, hybridity, cuisine, things, identity (and ethnogenesis), adornment, gender, diasporas, heritage, households, and approaches to collaboration in research with descendant peoples.