This course introduces students to the discipline of archaeology and how archaeological method and creative critical thinking can illuminate the past and explore societies and groups peripheral to or absent from the written record of history. Archaeology is the study of the material remains of past human societies, and as such presents a framework within which to focus many aspects of the social and natural sciences on understanding the question of what is means and has meant to be human. Students are also introduced to the basic concepts and the history of the field of archaeology of graffiti, World Wars and space exploration in the twentieth century.

In this course, students will participate in the excavation of an archaeoligical site between 4500 and 400 years old on the UNE Biddeford campus. There will be a three day introduction to the field of archaeology, archaeological methods and safety, local archaeology and local indigenous groups prior to beginning the excavation itself. The two weeks of excavation will be roughly 9am-5pm, and if weather inhibits work on the site we will move indoors to clean and archive finds.

This course will explore the material record of New England's past, from the end of the most recent ice age to the arrival of Euro-Americans and the establishment of the United States. Students will be given a detailed introduction to the discipline of archaeology and how it illuminates the changing environments, populations and material culture of New England over the past twelve thousand years.