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Historic Preservation Home > Syllabi > 400 Level Courses > HISP 471W Introduction to Artifacts and Material Culture

UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION

HISP 471W (01) Introduction to Artifacts and Material Culture
Fall Semester 2005

Instructor: Evelyne Godfrey
Time: MWF 9:00-9:50
Location: Combs Hall 025

Historic Preservation 471W Artifacts and Material Culture will provide an introduction to the study of early manufactured objects, and examine the common artifacts that are encountered in museums and archaeological contexts. In the first seven weeks of the course, the material culture of artifacts will be considered from the perspective of the function of objects; for example, items that are interpreted as having had a religious use, or were used in the home, or were used as weapons, or indeed, items whose primary function was indicating or enhancing the social status of their owner. Lectures will examine how objects were made, how they were originally employed, and how they are now interpreted, analyzed, and preserved by historians, archaeologists, and conservators.

The second half of the course will highlight two broad themes in material culture studies: firstly, early economy, trade, and exchange of goods, and secondly, early production processes, with an emphasis on metalworking technology.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Students should

  • gain a understanding of how artifacts are interpreted
  • be able to recognize the archaeological objects that are commonly found
  • have an awareness of the development of material culture over time
  • become familiar with the relevant subject literature

CLASS REQUIREMENTS:

TEXTS:
The following books are recommended and will be available in the University Bookstore:

1. James E. McClellan, Science and Technology in World History: An Introduction
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press (1999) ISBN: 0801858690
2. Arnold Pacey, Technology in World Civilization: A Thousand-Year History
Publisher: The MIT Press; Reprint edition (1991) ISBN: 0262660725
3. Philip D Curtin, Cross-Cultural Trade in World History
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (1984) ISBN: 0521269318
4. Pierre Lemonnier, Technological Choices: Transformation in Material Cultures since the Neolithic
Publisher: Routledge; New Ed edition (2002) ISBN: 0415296447

ASSIGNMENTS AND TESTS:
The student is responsible for all required readings and lecture materials.  Any handouts for class are either web pages or on our web site in *.PDF format. Professor provided materials with the exception of lecture summaries should be considered materials that will be tested.  There will be two short essay assignments: each 2-pages (excluding references), at 1.5 line spacing, 1 inch margins, and 12 font. Assignment I is due Friday October 14th, and Assignment II is due Friday November 18th. Both assignments must be completed to pass the course.

There will be two tests, with multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions concerning basic terms, concepts or events from class or required readings. Test I will be on Friday 23rd September and Test II will be on Monday 21st November.

EXAM:
The final examination will be on Wednesday, December 14th at 8:30AM.

GRADING:
Letter grade descriptions and quality point conversions quoted below are taken from the Academic Catalog.  This and the Dictionary of Academic Regulations should be consulted for further explanation of these and all other grading details and other academic regulations.  When numerical grades are used in computation, I use the following equivalents:

below 60    F    0.00 quality points       80-82         B-   2.70 quality points

60-66         D    1.00 quality points      83-86         B    3.00 quality points

67-69         D+  1.30 quality points      87-89         B+  3.30 quality points

70-72         C-   1.70 quality points      90-93         A-   3.70 quality points

73-76         C    2.00 quality points      94-100       A    4.00 quality points

77-79         C+  2.30 quality points

FINAL GRADE:
Please note: No passing grade can be achieved in this course without completion of all tests, final examination and out-of-class assignments.  Your final grade will be based on:  Assignment 1 = 20%; Assignment 2 = 20%; Test 1 = 5%; Test 2 = 5%; Final Examination = 50%.  The Assignments will be marked down by ten (10 points) for each day later than the beginning of class on the date due.

MY OFFICE HOURS
Monday to Friday 2:00-3:00pm

OFFICE
121Combs Hall; Phone: 654-1312; E-mail: egodfrey@umw.edu
Preferably contact me by e-mail.

CLASS SCHEDULE

I. History of Technology

Week 1:
The ‘Three Age System’ and technological chronologies of the six continents
Lecture 1.  Monday 29 August 2005
Lecture 2.  Wednesday 31 August 2005
Lecture 3.  Friday 2 September 2005

Week 2:
Technological diffusion, invention, and plain common sense
Lecture 4.  Monday 5 September 2005
Lecture 5.  Wednesday 7 September 2005
Lecture 6.  Friday 9 September 2005

Week 3:
[Other] worldly Goods: the ritual use of objects
Lecture 7.  Monday 12 September 2005
Lecture 8.  Wednesday 14 September 2005
Lecture 9.  Friday 16 September 2005

Week 4:
Hearth & Home: domestic objects     

Lecture 10.  Monday 19 September 2005 Choice of Assignment I topic due.
Lecture 11.  Wednesday 21 September 2005

12.  Friday 23 September 2005
TEST I

Week 5:
Bronze Age Bling: objects and social status

Lecture 13.  Monday 26 September 2005
Lecture 14.  Wednesday 28 September 2005
Lecture 15.  Friday 30 September 2005

Week 6:
Tools of the Trade: craft-specialized objects

Lecture 16.  Monday 3 October 2005
Lecture 17.  Wednesday 5 October 2005
Lecture 18.  Friday 7 October 2005

Week 7:
This Means War: weapons and armor

Lecture 19.  Monday 10 October 2005
Lecture 20.  Wednesday 12 October 2005
Lecture 21.  Friday 14 October 2005 Assignment I due.

MID-SEMESTER VACATION BEGINS AT 5 P.M. FRIDAY OCTOBER 14th AND ENDS AT 8 A.M. WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19th.

II. Themes in Material Culture

Week 8:
Early currency and coins

Lecture 22.  Wednesday 19 October 2005
Lecture 23.  Friday 21 October 2005

Week 9:
Production centers, consumption and exchange

Lecture 24.  Monday 24 October 2005
Lecture 25.  Wednesday 26 October 2005
Lecture 26.  Friday 28 October 2005

Week 10:
Fire!! High temperature manufacturing processes   

Lecture 27.  Monday 31 October 2005 Choice of Assignment II topic due.
Lecture 28.  Wednesday 2 November 2005
Lecture 29.  Friday 4 November 2005

Week 11:
Early North and South American metalworking

Lecture 30.  Monday 7 November 2005
Lecture 31.  Wednesday 9 November 2005
Lecture 32.  Friday 12 November 2005

Week 12:
17th and 18th century manufactured objects: New World and Old

Lecture 33.  Monday 14 November 2005
Lecture 34.  Wednesday 16 November 2005
Lecture 35.  Friday 18 November 2005 Assignment II due.

Week 13
36.  Monday 21 November 2005
TEST II

THANKSGIVING VACATION BEGINS AT 8AM WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23RD AND ENDS AT 8AM MONDAY NOVEMBER 28TH.

Week 14:
The development of iron blast furnace technology to the 19th century     

Lecture 37. Monday 28 November 2005
Lecture 38.  Wednesday 30 November 2005
Lecture 39.  Friday 2 December 2005

Week 15

Lecture 40.  Monday 5 December 2005
Lecture 41. Wednesday 7 December 2005

42.  Friday 9 December 2005
COURSE REVIEW

43.  Wednesday 14 December 2005
8:30AM to 11 AM FINAL EXAMINATION