Coordinator: Timothy Renner
Jointly sponsored by the Departments of Anthropology, Classics and General Humanities, and Art and Design, together with support from the Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, this minor offers an interdisciplinary program in the study of ancient and other past cultures through investigation of their material remains. Coursework includes overviews of ancient Old World and New World cultures and the study of archaeological method and theory. Students are also encouraged to take advantage of the extensive coursework offered by the University in modern and ancient languages and in the natural and social sciences. The overall course of study in Archaeology helps lead to a sophisticated understanding of material remains in the larger context of human society. It also shows how material evidence can compare with and supplement the evidence of written texts that are available for historical cultures (e.g., those of the Romans of the Imperial age or European settlers in 18th century North America).
Through programs run directly by the University's Center for Heritage and Archaeological Studies in northern New Jersey (for prehistoric and historical North American archaeology), as well as through faculty-conducted projects in other regions (e.g., the Caribbean or Mediterranean), students have excellent opportunities to participate in fieldwork as part of their curriculum and/or pre-professional experience in archaeology. Here they are able to develop basic fieldwork skills in surveying, excavating, mapping, and artifact analysis. In addition, training in geoarchaeology is available from Montclair State's Earth and Environmental Studies faculty.
The Archaeology minor makes a good complement to any liberal arts or professional studies major. In general archaeology has recently become a subject of great interest to many parts of our society. Students who pursue careers in the media, the travel industry, and international business (to name a few) profit from this interdisciplinary study. Moreover, historic preservation legislation has resulted in important employment opportunities in the private (applied archaeology) and public (government agencies, state museums) sectors, especially for students who major in Anthropology. Government funded or permitted development projects frequently require environmental impact studies, including archaeological and heritage investigations; these kinds of studies are typically carried out by heritage preservation or large environmental engineering firms. Finally, students who wish to pursue master's or doctoral level studies in preparation for a career in teaching, research, or museum work will find the Archaeology minor to be excellent background, especially when combined with a major such as Anthropology, Art History, Classics, or Earth and Environmental Studies.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Requirements | ||
| ANTH 103 | Introduction to Archaeology | 3 |
| HUMN 181 | Introduction to Classical Archaeology | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Aegean Art and Archaeology | ||
or ARHT 313 | Aegean Art and Archaeology | |
| Greek Art | ||
| Roman Art | ||
| Elective Courses for Minor | ||
| Select 9 credits from the following: | 9 | |
| Archaeology of Ancient Middle America | ||
| Historical Archaeology | ||
| Caribbean Archaeology | ||
| Experimental Archaeology | ||
| Public Archaeology | ||
| Archaeological Field Methods | ||
| Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing | ||
| Principles of Soil Science | ||
| Geoarchaeology | ||
| Greek Civilization | ||
| Roman Civilization | ||
| The City in Antiquity | ||
| Alexander the Great: Legend and Legacy | ||
| The Roman Republic | ||
| Cleopatra | ||
| Rome in the Age of Augustus | ||
| The Roman Empire | ||
| Special Topics in Mediterranean Archaeology | ||
| Field Methods in Mediterranean Archaeology | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |