This class introduces the theory, method, and technique of a range of archaeobotanical analyses. We will discuss field methods in archaeobotany, sampling, presentation and interpretation of data, and specific applications such as studies of diet and cuisine, vegetation reconstruction, and fire history. The class combines lectures, seminar discussions, and lab exercises to allow students to gain introductory hands-on archaeobotanical experience alongside the theoretical foundation.

This course introduces the practice of critical, engaged pedagogy, and trains students in a methodology of facilitating academically rigorous, community-engaged learning circles in the context of the university. The aim of critical teaching/learning is to promote the practice of critical solidarity, justice and community. Through this course, students will learn to apply theoretical concepts of critical pedagogy as they develop specific skills in preparation for acting as peer facilitators of critical, self-reflective learning about structural injustice and community organizing.

Introduction to major issues in anthropological theory. Focus on key concepts in the discipline, important authors, and development of and debates over theoretical issues. Required for and limited to anthropology majors; satisfies the Junior Year Writing requirement for anthropology majors.

Introduction to major issues in anthropological theory. Focus on key concepts in the discipline, important authors, and development of and debates over theoretical issues. Required for and limited to anthropology majors; satisfies the Junior Year Writing requirement for anthropology majors.

Introduction to major issues in anthropological theory. Focus on key concepts in the discipline, important authors, and development of and debates over theoretical issues. Required for and limited to anthropology majors; satisfies the Junior Year Writing requirement for anthropology majors.

Introduction to major issues in anthropological theory. Focus on key concepts in the discipline, important authors, and development of and debates over theoretical issues. Required for and limited to anthropology majors; satisfies the Junior Year Writing requirement for anthropology majors.

This course provides and introduction to linguistic anthropological research methods. Over the course of the semester, we will read about different methods used in the field and familiarize ourselves with examples of how such methods have been used in ethnographic research on language, culture, and communication. Most importantly, however, students will have the opportunity to practice utilizing a range of methodological approaches in a collective research project on The Everyday Politics of Language Use at UMass Amherst.

This course offers a "hands on" introduction to the human skeleton as a means to reconstruct the lifeways of past populations. We will learn how to reconstruct the biological profile (e.g. age, sex, health), and various aspects of behavior (e.g. diet, physical activity). Students will work in teams of 2-3 with the skeletal remains from the Italian Medieval site of San Paragorio (11th-16th centuries AD).

Analysis of the behavior and ecology of nonhuman primates in their natural habitats. Topics include: the adaptive diversity of primates; ecological niche differentiation in primates; social organization and interactions; social cognition; mating and reproductive behavior; mother-infant interactions; development, life histories, and population survival; and primate conservation. Draws heavily on field studies. (Gen.Ed. BS)

Throughout the semester, we will explore in depth the interaction of biological, social, and cultural factors in determining human diet, nutrition, and health. Course content will include discussions about the various approaches to nutritional anthropology, nutritional basics, food behaviors, methods of dietary and nutritional assessment, and a series of case studies addressing causes and consequences to nutritional problems across the world. Major anthropological contributions will be highlighted, along with works from nutrition, epidemiology, and other fields.