The Archaeology of Communication in the Ancient City
The origins of prehistoric cities involves a remarkable set of interrelated developments such as the evolution of social classes, hierarchical political structures, organized religion, state-level administrative institutions, and indeed, writing itself. These innovations provided new means and opportunities for communication that allowed people to maintain, increase, and justify growing inequalities. How did Aztec warriors use their colorful battle costumes to intimidate political rivals? What did painted symbols on Chinese pottery from elites' graves tell the illiterate populace about the importance of paying taxes? How are such messages conveyed in the American city today? In this course, we will explore these and other forms of communication in ancient cities through guided discussions and our written arguments.
Through our readings, discussions, and writing assignments, we will practice increasingly sophisticated methods of deconstructing and critically evaluating scientific works. We will also employ self-reflective methods to build logically coherent and well-supported arguments that efficiently and convincingly bridge data with models of human behavior. Writing assignments include a series of short essays that will culminate in a field project proposal, several short papers testing models of sociopolitical change against archaeological remains, and a conference-style presentation, all critical modes of communication in the social sciences.
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