Course Syllabus

ARCH 1666: Archaeologies Out of the Mainstream: Representing the Past from Ancient Aliens to Modern Nationalism

Class Meetings: Tuesdays 4:00-6:20 pm

Location: Rhode Island Hall 008

Instructor: Alexander Smith

Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World

Rhode Island Hall, 60 George Street, Email: Alexander_Smith@brown.edu

Office Hours: Wednesdays 10:00-12:00 or by appointment.

 

Course Overview:

Have you ever wondered what lies outside of academic archaeology? Have you ever watched Ancient Aliens, Searching for the Lost Giants or read Chariots of the Gods? "Alternative" archaeologies are the bestsellers when it comes to presenting the human past. This course will take a critical look at different types of alternative archaeologies, both past and present, to understand how they intersect and interface with academic understandings of archaeology and human history. Be prepared to quellacademic prejudices as we delve deep into the culture of alternative archaeologies to rattle our comfort zones and uncover our connections to the most popular forms of human history ever to have been made.

This course will walk you through major themes in alternative archaeology starting with ancient aliens and the popular pursuit of alternative histories for the dawn of humanity. We will then turn to the study of giants, mythical beings, Atlantis, theories regarding the population of the New World and biblical archaeology. The course will then turn to the past and present of academic archaeology to discuss what was once considered “fringe” or “mainstream” and how different archaeologies have transcended these barriers in academia. Finally we will discuss the presentation of archaeology in modern popular media and the future of the discipline in the public eye.

The goal of this class is to explore these alternative archaeologies in detail, reading the essential works of these various theories along with secondary sources to understand how these authors envision human history and how this differs from academic perceptions. The class will be one hour of lecture, followed by in-class debate and discussion of the readings and viewings for the week. The purpose of this class is not to debunk or refute alternative archaeologies. Instead, we will strive to better understand alternative archaeologies in order to create bridges with academia while attempting to assess modern archaeology’s relationship with the alternative “fringe” and the academic “mainstream.”

 

Prerequisites:

None. Previous experience in archaeology is welcome but not required.

 

Course Requirements:

All students must attend class, complete all the readings outlined on the syllabus, and participate in class discussion. A portion of your grade will be based on your class participation and attendance.Students must also complete all assignments by the dates outlined on the syllabus.

 

Grading Breakdown:

Class attendance and participation: 10%

Blog Posts (2): 10% in total (5% each)

Short Writing Assignment 1: 15%

Short Writing Assignment 2: 20%

Short Writing Assignment 3: 15%

Final Paper: 30%

 

Assignments:

Over the course of the semester, you will be required to produce two blog posts, three short writing assignments and one final paper.

Blog Posts (10% of Grade)

After Week 1, discussions of the readings will be led by 2 students each week. Over the course of the semester, each student will be in charge of leading discussion 2 separate times. Along with leading discussion, both students will be asked to post a 200-300 word blog response to the readings on the Canvas “Discussions” page. The blog post can range from a general synopsis of the readings to personal responses and opinions regarding the reading’s subject matter. The blog posts should be uploaded by 5:00 p.m. on the Monday before discussion day.

Assignment #1: Site review and critique (15% of grade) (Due February 27th)

Find a real archaeological site that has been excavated or investigated by archaeologists. Produce two descriptions of the site, one focusing on the academic, archaeological interpretation of the site and the other taking an alternative archaeological perspective of your choice. If you can, use sites that have been interpreted by both archaeologists and alternative scholars in the past. For more information on this, see the readings below. Feel free to approach a site that has not been the focus of alternative archaeologies as well. Each description should be approximately 1.5 pages double-spaced in 12 or 11 point font, for a total of 3 pages.

Assignment #2: Review of an alternative archaeology book (20% of grade) (Due March 20th

Throughout this course we will delve into many different examples of alternative archaeological source materials ranging from popular books to very dense readers. But there is so much more out there! For this assignment, choose a book that we have not/will not read in class and write a brief review of the work. These reviews should give a brief synopsis of the book’s structure, critical evaluation of the content, and perspective as to how it fits in with other similar alternative works. Please clear your book selection with me by March 13th The review should be 4 pages double spaced in 12 or 11 point font.

Assignment #3: Review of a History or Discovery Channel show (15% of grade) (Due April 10th)

We all know how many shows there are about archaeology on the History and Discovery Channels. Pick one dealing with any archaeological topic. Feel free to choose from alternative archaeologies such as Ancient Aliens and In Search of the Lost Giants, to more historically oriented shows describing archaeological sites and finds. Write a review of the show of approximately 3 pages double-spaced in 12 or 11 point font taking into consideration the themes we’ve discussed throughout the semester.

Final Paper or Project (30% of grade) (Due May 5th)

For the final paper, choose a topic related to the themes we have discussed in class, ranging from giants in America to modern, academic archaeological perceptions of the past. This paper should be approximately 10-12 pages double-spaced in 12 or 11 point font and should include many of the readings we have used in class, along with outside resources. If you would like to do something beyond a traditional paper, feel free to propose a project, such as a film, art installation, or other work. Get creative and channel your inner fringe! Projects and paper assignments must be approved by April 21st.

 

Class Schedule:

January 27^th

Alternative Archaeologies: What is Fringe? What is Mainstream? What is Academia? What is Science?

Readings:****** READINGS HAVE CHANGED FOR JANUARY 27TH! CHECK DISCUSSION BOARD! *******

• Feder, Kenneth L. Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries. Read Chapter 1, "Science and Pseudoscience," pp. 1-14 (Optional reading Chapter 2, "Epistemology: How You Know What You Know," pp.15-39).  

In Class Viewing: Excerpt from 2001: A Space Odyssey

 

February 3^rd

The Fear of Pseudoarchaeology and an Introduction to Alternative Archaeologies

Readings:

 

• Cremo, Michael A. and Richard l. Thompson. Forbidden Archaeology. 1993. Read pp. 3-26.
• Fagan, Garrett G. ed. Archaeological Fantasies: How pseudoarchaeology misrepresents the past and misleads the public. 2006. Read Introduction and Chapters 2, pp. 47-70, as well as Chapter 4, pp. 96-106.

 

February 10^th

Van Däniken and the Popularization of Alien Archaeology

Readings:

• Van Däniken, Erich. Chariots of the Gods. 1969. Read Entire Book.
• Hancock, Graham. Fingerprints of the Gods. 1996. Introduction, pp.1-32.

In Class Viewing: Excerpt from “Chariots of the Gods”

 

February 24^th

Ancient Constructions and Connections with the Cosmos: Megaliths and Pyramids

Readings:

• Aveni, A.F. “Between a Rock and a Hard Place” (Review of J. North, Stonehenge: Neolithic Man and the Cosmos), Nature 383 (1996): 403-404
• Feder, Kenneth L. Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology. 2008. Chapter 10 “Mysterious Egypt,” pp. 249-282.
• Jordan, Paul. “Esoteric Egypt,” in Archaeological Fantasies: How pseudoarchaeology misrepresents the past and misleads the public, pp. 109-128.
• Hawkins, Gerald. “Stonehenge Decoded,” Nature 200 (1963): 306-308.
• Hawkins, Gerald. “Stonehenge: A Neolithic Computer,” Nature 202 (1964): 1258-1261.
• North, John. Stonehenge: A New Interpretation of Prehistoric Man and the Cosmos. 1997. “Introduction” pp. 1-12 and “Ritual and Belief” pp. 519-550.
• O’Connor, David. “Pyramid Origins: A New Theory,” in Leaving No Stones Unturned: Essays on the ancient Near East and Egypt in honor of Donald P. Hansen. Erica Ehrenberg, ed. (2009), pp. 169-182.

 

February 27^th: SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT 1 DUE: Upload papers directly to Canvas webpage by midnight.

 

March 3^rd

Giants and Mythical Creatures in Archaeology

Readings:

• Dewhurst, Richard J. The Ancient Giants Who Ruled America: The Missing Skeletons and the Great Smithsonian Cover-Up. 2013. Chapter 1 “How Big Were They?” and Chapter 2 “North America: Land of the Giants,” pp. 14-74.
• Mayor, Adrienne. Paleontology in Greek and Roman Times. 2000. Chapter 3 “Ancient Discoveries of Giant Bones,” pp. 104-156 and Chapter 6 “Centaur Bones: Paleontological Fictions,” pp. 228-254.
• Sutherland, Mary. The Red-Haired Giants: Atlantis in North America. 2014. Chapter 13 “The Red Haired Giants of Burlington, Wisconsin,” pp. 114-149.

 

March 10^th

Atlantis, Troy, and the Lure of Lost Cities

Readings:

• Balch, E.S. and W.H. Babcock (two separate pieces). “Further Contributions to the Problem of Atlantis,” Geographical Review 3 (1917): 388-395.
• Donnelly, Ignatius. Atlantis: The Antediluvian World. 1882. Parts I-III: pp. 1-152.
• Feder, Kenneth L. Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology. 2008. Chapter 8 “Lost: One Continent – Reward,” pp. 193-222.
• Friedrich, W.L., et al. “Santorini Eruption Radiocarbon Dated to 1627–1600 B.C.,” Science 312 (28 April 2006): 548.
• Rose, C. Brian. “Troy and the Historical Imagination.” The Classical World 91 (1998): 405-413.
• Schliemann, Heinrich. “Homeric Troy,” in Eyewitness to Discovery. B. Fagan, ed., pp. 176-185.

***Make sure to get your book for Short Writing Assignment 2 approved by March 13^th!

 

March 17^th

Discovering America: Israelites, Vikings, Columbus, and Aliens

Readings:

• Ben-Dor Benite, Zvi. The Ten Lost Tribes: A World History. 2009. “Concordia Mundi”  pp. 135-168.
• Feder, Kenneth L. Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology. 2008. Chapter 5 “Who Discovered America” pp. 100-121.
• Hughey, Michael W. and Michael G. Michlovic, “‘Making’ History: The Vikings in the American Heartland,” International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society 2 (1989): 338-360.
• Meggers, Betty J. “The Transpacific Origin of Mesoamerican Civilization: A Preliminary Review of the Evidence and Its Theoretical Implications,” American Anthropologist New Series 77 (1975): 1-27.

In Class Viewing: Excerpts from “America Unearthed: The Newport Tower”

 

March 20^th: SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT 2 DUE: Upload papers directly to Canvas webpage by midnight.

 

March 31^st

Biblical Archaeology and the Archaeology of Creation: Searching for Connections and Proof

Readings:

• Arnal, W.E. The Symbolic Jesus: Historical Scholarship, Judaism, and the Construction of Contemporary Identity. 2005. “Introuciton” pp. 1-45.
• Cline, E.H. Biblical Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction.2012. Chapters 10 and 12, p. 71-88 and 115-129.
• Hancock, Graham. Sign and the Seal: The Quest for the Lost Ark of the Covenant. 1993. Chapter 1 “Legend,” pp. 1-40 and Chapter 13 “The Waste Land,” pp. 465-516.
• Wallis, Robert J. and Jenny Blain. “Sites, Sacredness, and Stories: Interactions of Archaeology and Contemporary Paganism,” Folklore 114 (2003): 307-321.
• Willcocks, W. and H. Rassam. “Mesopotamian Trade. Noah's Flood: The Garden of Eden,” The Geographical Journal 35 (1910): 459-460.

 

April 7^th

The Commercialization of Archaeology and the Modern Media

Readings:

• Holtorf, Cornelius. From Stonehenge to Las Vegas: Archaeology as Popular Culture. 2005. Chapter 1 “Archaeology and Popular Culture” pp. 1-15 and Chapter 9 “Archaeo-appeal” pp. 150-160.
• Holtorf, Cornelius. Archaeology is a Brand! The Meaning of Archaeology in Contemporary Popular Culture. 2009. Read Entire Book (pp. 1-196).

In Class Screening: Excerpts from “Time-Team America” and “American Digger”

 

April 10^th: SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT 3 DUE: Upload papers directly to Canvas webpage by midnight.

 

April 14^th

From Mainstream to Fringe: Nationalism, Racism, and Archaeology’s Ugly Past

Readings:

• Arnold, Bettina. “Past as Propaganda: Totalitarian Archaeology in Nazi Germany,” in Histories of Archaeology: A Reader in the History of Archaeology. (2008), pp. 120-144.
• Díaz-Andreu, Margarita. Theory and ideology in archaeology: Spanish archaeology under the Franco regime. Antiquity 67 (1993): 74-82.
• Feder, Kenneth L. Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology. 2008. Chapter 7 “Myth of the Moundbuilders,” pp. 162-192.
• De Gobineau, Arthur. An Essay on the Inequality of the Human Races. 1853. Read pp. 1-50.
• Painter, Borden W. Mussolini’s Rome: Rebuilding the Eternal City. 2005. Chapter 1 and 2, pp. 1-65.
  • Scott, Kenneth. “Mussolini and the Roman Empire,” The Classical Journal 27(1932): 645-657.

 

April 21^st (Last Day of Class)

From Fringe to Mainstream: Archaeologies of Race, Gender, Class and Poverty

Readings:

• Joyce, Rosemary A. 2009. Ancient Bodies, Ancient Lives: Sex, Gender and Archaeology. 2009. Chapter 1, pp. 1-25.
• Leone, Mark. The Archaeology of Liberty in an American Capital. 2005. Chapter 7 “African America,” pp. 192-245.
• McGurie, Randall. Archaeology as Political Action. 2008. Chapter 3 “Class,” pp. 98-139.
• Mullins, Paul. The Archaeology of Consumer Culture. Chapter 1 “The Faces of Wealth: Archaeologies of Status, Affluence and Poverty,” pp. 13-42.
• Nelson, Sarah Milledge. Gender in Archaeology: Analyzing Power and Prestige in Archaeology. 2004. Chapters 1 and 2, pp. 1-33.

****Make sure to get your final paper or project approved by April 21^st!

 

May 5^th: FINAL PAPER DUE: Upload final papers directly to Canvas website by midnight.