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ANTH 1430 Syllabus

Course Syllabus

ANTH 1430 - Introduction to Prehistoric Archaeology

3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:

This course is an introductory survey of human origins and prehistoric cultures. Emphasis is placed on the general principles, history, theoretical orientations, and methods of archaeology. This course will examine a number of prehistoric cultural lifeways from the beginnings of human culture to the rise of civilization.

Course Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Be acquainted with the basic methods of archaeology.
  • Learn how archaeologists understand the past.
  • Understand the early development of societies around the world.
  • To better understand how cultures formed in the past.
  • To contemplate the knowledge that archaeology contributes to our own modern culture.
Prerequisites & Co-requisites:

None

Course Topics:
  • The Past as a Foreign Country: Getting from here to there
    • Getting Started in Archaeology
    • Putting the Picture Together
  • Human Evolution
    • Early Hominins
    • From Homo erectus to Neanderthals
    • The Origin of Modern Humans
    • The Peopling of Australia and the New World
  • Perspectives on Agriculture
    • Towers, Villages, and Longhouses
    • Mounds and Mize
    • A Feast of Diversity
  • The Development of Social Complexity
    • Complexity without the State
    • Cities, Pyramids, and Palaces
    • Locating the Source of Authority
    • From City to Empire
    • Bringing the Four Parts Together
Specific Course Requirements:

Since the class with be entirely online each student will need to have access to a computer as well as broadband internet. Students will be responsible for completing work and meeting deadlines on their own. Students will also need a D2L account to access all of the course materials.

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course. Move your cursor over the "Books" link in the navigation bar and select "Textbooks & Course Materials." Select your Program, Term, Department, and Course; then select "Submit."

Supplementary Materials:

None

Hardware and Software Requirements:

Minimum hardware requirements can be found here.

Minimum software requirements can be found here.

Common applications you might need:

Web Resources:

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab (for APA, MLA, or Chicago style)

The Writing Center Online Writer's Handbook

Student Resources:
  • Technical support information can be found on the TN eCampus Help Desk page.
  • Smarthinking virtual tutoring is available FREE of charge. to access Smarthinking, visit the course homepage and select Smarthinking under Course Resources. You also view sample sessions to see what Smarthinking offers and how it works.
  • Information on other student issues or concerns can be located on the TN eCampus Student Resources page.

Instructor Information

Please see "Instructor Information" in the Getting Started Module for instructor contact information, virtual office hours, and other communication information. You can expect to receive a response from the instructor within 24-48 hours unless notified of extenuating circumstances.

Participation, Assessments, & Grading

Grading Procedures:

Letter grades for this course will be assigned based on the following scale.

Assigned Grade

Point RangeAssigned Grade
900 - 1000 pointsA
800 - 899 pointsB
700 - 799 pointsC
600 - 699 pointsD
under 599 pointsF

Graded Items

DescriptionPoints
28 discussions @ 15 points each420
14 quizzes @ 20 points each280
1 paper @ 280 points280
1 paper topic @ 10 points10
1 paper summary @ 10 points10
Total points1000

 

Grading Scale:
Assignments and Projects:
Quizzes:
  • Students will be expected to complete 14 online chapter quizzes. Each quiz will have 20 multiple choice questions worth 1 point each for a total of 20 points per quiz. You will have 60 minutes to complete each quiz.
Discussion Posts:
  • Students will need to complete two discussion posts per chapter. Each post needs to be 1 to 2 paragraphs long and answer the question fully. Each discussion post will be worth 9 points each.
  • Students will need to respond to two other student’s discussion posts for each discussion. Each response post will be worth 3 points each.
  • The total points possible for each discussion assignment is 15 points.
Research Paper:
  • Students will write a 4 to 6-page research paper concerning a prehistoric culture or a specific archaeological site. The paper will be worth a total of 300 points of their final grade. Please see the course calendar for due dates.
    • Pre Paper Submission Requirements
      • Submit a paper topic for approval by the due date listed in the calendar. The paper topic will be worth 10 points.
      • Submit a 1 paragraph summary of your site or culture by the due date in the course calendar. This is show that you are making progress on your research paper and the assignment will be worth 10 points.
    • Paper Requirements
      • 4 to 6 pages
      • Double Spaced
      • Times New Roman Font
      • Your name needs to appear on the first page
      • Submit the file as a Word Doc
      • Your paper needs to include a bibliography as well as in-text citations where appropriate.
      • The paper will be worth 280 points.
Class Participation:
  • Students are encouraged to communicate with other students on the Discussion board, by posting two responses per discussion assignment.
  • Students are expected to communicate with the instructor via email within D2L
  • Students are required to check the course calendar for all assignment due dates.
Late Policy:

The quizzes and discussions will be part of a unit and that unit will have a due date. If the student misses the due date the work will remain open but I will deduct 1 point for being late. If the research paper is late I will deduct 5 points.

Course Ground Rules

The following two statements (1., 2.) were derived from the TBR System-wide Student Rules document, released January 2012:

RULES OF THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS STATE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF TENNESSEE SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT RULES CHAPTER 0240-02-03 STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Read the document in its entirety here.

1. Standards of Conduct:

  • Students are required to adhere to the same professional, legal and ethical standards of conduct online as on campus. In addition, students should conform to generally accepted standards of "netiquette" while sending e-mail, posting comments to the discussion board, and while participating in other means of communicating online. Specifically, students should refrain from inappropriate and/or offensive language, comments and actions.

2. Review the TN eCampus Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty Policy:

  • In their academic activities, students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited.

Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • an attempt by one or more students to use unauthorized information in the taking of an exam
  • to submit as one's own work, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, computer programs, or other products prepared by another person,
  • or to knowingly assist another student in obtaining or using unauthorized materials.

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.

Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are subject to disciplinary action through the regular procedures of the student’s home institution.  Refer to the student handbook provided by your home institution to review the student conduct policy.

In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed, the instructor has the authority to assign an "F" or zero for an activity or to assign an "F" for the course.

Other Course Rules:

Students are expected to:

  • Participate in all aspects of the course
  • Communicate with other students
  • Learn how to navigate in Brightspace
  • Keep abreast of course announcements
  • Use the assigned course management (Brightspace) email address rather than a personal email address
  • Address technical problems immediately:
  • Observe course netiquette at all times.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussions:

  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in TN eCampus programs and courses. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading will be included within the course modules. To access the Virtual Library, go to the course homepage and select the Virtual Library link under Course Resources.

Students with Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this syllabus is for general information purposes only. While we endeavor to keep this information up-to-date and accurate, there may be some discrepancies between this syllabus and the one found in your online course. The syllabus of record is the one found in your online course. Please make sure you read the syllabus in your course at the beginning of the semester. Questions regarding course content should be directed to your instructor.


Last Revised on July 12, 2021