BA in Anthropology - Anthropological archaeology Track

Program Learning Outcomes for BA in Anthropology Students graduating from this program will: Acquire a solid foundation in anthropological debates, concepts, goals, and historical development of the discipline. They will develop an understanding of the major subfields; familiarity with the debates, concepts and goals at the core of the discipline of anthropology; and a grasp how these are relevant to the discipline’s changing understanding of the dynamics of cultures past and present. Acquire a solid understanding of culture and social practice. Through the application of anthropological concepts, methods, and theories, they will acquire a historically-informed understanding of the salient aspects of culture and social practice, both theoretically and through the study of particular dimensions of culture, for example gender, sexuality, health, and media. Develop an understanding of anthropological theory, method, and analytical tools. They will develop the critical and comparative tools of the discipline through acquisition of methodological, theoretical and analytic skills. Acquire conceptual tools for understanding contemporary cultures in the context of globalization. They will develop disciplinary tools for responsibly researching and describing other cultures, as well as for critically conceptualizing the relationship between globalization and culture. Apply research and analytical tools. They will choose and effectively apply appropriate research and analytical skills to individual research questions and case studies in order to become effective producers and critical evaluators of anthropological knowledge. Degree Requirements for BA in Anthropology The major in anthropology has two distinct areas of concentration: anthropological archaeology and social-cultural anthropology. Anthropological archaeology. In this track, the focus is on research skills in the library, the field, and the laboratory. Archaeology students will also engage theoretical developments and critical contemporary debates on issues such as the politics of the past and cultural heritage. Students also develop at least one analytical skill, such as, archaeological statistics, osteology, or geoarchaeology, drawing on the university's laboratory and computer facilities. The archaeology program at Rice has a long-term focus on the archaeology of urban, complex societies in East and West Africa. The program offers students the opportunity to participate in archaeological excavations abroad as well as projects in Houston that focus on the city’s African-American past. Students inquiring about the major with a focus on anthropological archaeology should see Dr. Jeffrey Fleisher (; Sewall 582).