Rice University - Introduction to Archaeology : Archaeology as Science 

Meet The Professor

1.0 Introduction to Archaeology as Science

Discussion Forum Guidelines

Disability Accommodation Statement

Keys to Success

Discussion: Introduce Yourself

2.0 Introduction to The Science of Living Spaces

2.1 Household Archaeology and Historical Archaeology

2.2 Archaeological Excavation

2.3 Keeping Records

2.4 Artifacts, Ecofacts, and Features

2.5 From Houses to Household

2.1 Practice Quiz

2.2 Practice Quiz

2.3 Practice Quiz

2.4 Practice Quiz

2.5 Practice Quiz

Final Assessement

Week 2 Documenting Archaeological Techniques

Exploring The Science of Living Spaces in Your Home

3.0 Introduction to The Science of Environments

3.1 Sediment Archaeology

3.2 Sediment Core Animation

3.3 Paleoethnobotany

3.4 Dating Segment Sequences

3.5 Summary of Sesecapa Lagoon Sediment Core

3.1 Practice Quiz

3.2 Practice Quiz

3.3 Practice Quiz

3.4 Practice Quiz

3.5 Practice Quiz

Final Assessment

Week 3 Documenting Archaeological Techniques

Exploring Paleoethnobotany in Texas

4.0 Introduction to the Science of the Human Diet

4.1 What kinds of evidence tell us about human diet?

4.2 What is Zooarchaeology?

4.3 What is stable isotope analysis?

4.4 Biomolecular Archaeology - Lipids

4.5 Biomolecular Archaeology - Ancient Proteins and DNA

Practice Quiz

4.1 Practice Quiz

4.2 Practice Quiz

4.3 Practice Quiz

4.4 Practice Quiz

4.5 Practice Questions

Final Assessment

Week 4 Documenting Archaeological Techniques

Discussion-Exploring the Impact of Ancestral Resources and Environment on Their Diets and Cuisine

5.0 Introduction to The Science of Landscape

5.1 Landscape Archaeology and Settlement Studies

5.2 GIS- least cost path analysis. Viewshed analysis, Concentration Clusters

5.3 LiDar

5.4 3D Scanning and Augmented/ Virtual Reality

5.1 Practice Quiz

5.2 Practice Quiz

5.3 Practice Quiz

5.4 Practice Quiz

Final Assessment

Week 5 Documenting Archaeological Techniques

Exploring Archaeological Sites Through 3-D Technology

6.0 Introduction to Science of Time

6.1 Relative Dating Methods

6.2 Other Time Systems: Mayan Calendar

6.3 Absolute Dating: Radiocarbon/ Calibration

6.4 Absolute Dating: Dendrochronology

6.5 Other methods: Argon, Thermoluminsence; OSL

6.0 Practice Quiz

6.1 Practice Quiz

6.2 Practice Quiz

6.3 Practice Quiz

6.4 Practice Quiz

6.5 Practice Quiz

Final Assessment

Week 6 Documenting Archaeological Techniques

Exploration of Dating Techniques

The Final Dig: Closing Remarks on Archaeology as Science

Project Self Evaluation

Final Assessment

Week 7 Project Conclusion - Documenting Archaeological Techniques