Archeaology

[Guest Guest]

Can I get some infomation about Archeaology programs where the focus is on the America's. There is listing on Classical Archeaology, but I am not interested in that part of the world. I am looking for suggestions on programs that would be a better fit that the Classical ones that are out there. Yes I know that these programs will most likely be within the Anthropology departments, but the websites for most of these programs focus on the cultural part of Anthropology and gloss over the Archeaological part if they offer it at all. I have tried to do this myself and all I have managed to do is get more confused than when I started searching.

[Guest Andrewster]

"Americas" is pretty general I would say. But you can start by looking at the major anthro departments that have great archaeology programs - Berkeley, ASU, University of Arizona, UPenn, WashU, etc. These schools all have plenty of Americanist archaeologists, though it matters a good deal whether you want to study complex societies or simple societies.

[History_Nerd]

Andrewster tends to pull through, and he did it yet again on the above post. Those are all great programs. In archaeology it seems that having an advisor whose interests match with yours seems to be especially important. Take a look at where your favorite authors teach, and where they went to school. Also take a look at some of your favorite journals and see who sits on the editorial boards, and who is publishing articles you find interesting. That should give you a start.

[kamay]

which cultures are you interested in?

[Guest Guest]

Mostly Central and South America. That what makes this so hard because few programs have a concentration in this area of the world. Depending on the school that I am looking at the Archeaological program is Anthropology department, Art History department, or the Classic's department (which means that the programs only talk about Greece or Rome), or they interdisplinary programs which can be a leap of faith because they can fall apart around you. I never thought that it would be this difficult just to pick out 5-8 programs to apply to. I would love to find a good program about the Maya but I am open to South American Civilizations as well because I know that I may need a back up if the first one does not work out because of small number programs that exist in the first place. So any sugestions would be very helpful. The only good thing is that I am appling next year and have enough time figure where I want to go.

[History_Nerd]

Guest - take a look at Cornell. I've met some archaeologists who do double duty in their archaeology program as well as their Latin American studies program. Just a thought.

[kamay]

If you want a good balance of art history and archaeology, you should look into the UT Austin programs. They have David Stuart for the Maya and Steve Bourget for Moche.

Harvard has Gary Urton in Andean archaeology and ethnohistory, Jeffrey Quilter in Andean and Intermediate Area archaeology, Tom Cummins in Andean Art History and they're also connected to Dumbarton Oaks with excellent collections in all the Americas and fellowship opportunities (and then of course the Peabody Museum)

Wisconsin-Madison has 3 great Americanists in anthropology for cultural and archaeology -- Frank Salomon in the Andes, Neil Whitehead in the Amazon, and Jason Yaeger in the Maya Area and Andes (and they have an intersectional track where you can integrate disciplines).

WUSTL has David Freidel studies the emergence and fluorescence of government institutions among the lowland Maya of southeastern Mexico and Central America. Tristram Kidder applies archeolgy and geology to the study of how human ppulations have adapted to climate change. He explores these issues in the Eastern United States, in Central Asia, and in China with graduate students. James Wertsch studies national narratives and memory, collective memory and identity in the United States, Estonia, and Russia.

SMU has David Freidel for Maya archaeology, Alan Covey for Inka archaeology (who is the up and coming Andeanist), David Wilson for Andean archaeology, and Adam Herring for Mesoamerican art history.

Yale is also worthwhile with Richard Burger for Early Horizon Andes, Mary Miller in Meso art history.

There certainly are not a great deal of programs to choose from, but those that are out there are very strong. If you're more scientific, you can look at places like Stanford with John Rick.

Feel free to message me, Guest, if you're interested in discussing. I am integrating art history and archaeology in my program next year.

[History_Nerd]

kamay said:

If you want a good balance of art history and archaeology, you should look into the UT Austin programs. They have David Stuart for the Maya and Steve Bourget for Moche.

Harvard has Gary Urton in Andean archaeology and ethnohistory, Jeffrey Quilter in Andean and Intermediate Area archaeology, Tom Cummins in Andean Art History and they're also connected to Dumbarton Oaks with excellent collections in all the Americas and fellowship opportunities (and then of course the Peabody Museum)

Wisconsin-Madison has 3 great Americanists in anthropology for cultural and archaeology -- Frank Salomon in the Andes, Neil Whitehead in the Amazon, and Jason Yaeger in the Maya Area and Andes (and they have an intersectional track where you can integrate disciplines).

WUSTL has David Freidel studies the emergence and fluorescence of government institutions among the lowland Maya of southeastern Mexico and Central America. Tristram Kidder applies archeolgy and geology to the study of how human ppulations have adapted to climate change. He explores these issues in the Eastern United States, in Central Asia, and in China with graduate students. James Wertsch studies national narratives and memory, collective memory and identity in the United States, Estonia, and Russia.

SMU has David Freidel for Maya archaeology, Alan Covey for Inka archaeology (who is the up and coming Andeanist), David Wilson for Andean archaeology, and Adam Herring for Mesoamerican art history.

Yale is also worthwhile with Richard Burger for Early Horizon Andes, Mary Miller in Meso art history.

There certainly are not a great deal of programs to choose from, but those that are out there are very strong. If you're more scientific, you can look at places like Stanford with John Rick.

Feel free to message me, Guest, if you're interested in discussing. I am integrating art history and archaeology in my program next year.

That, right there, is a solid list. Someone has clearly given this some previous thought.

[kellygirl]

I've gotten into two schools so far-one for an anthro phd and one for an archaeology phd. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with or advice about job placement with an archaeology phd? Or regarding the two tracks in general...

[kamay]

Basically, the statistics are not good...

I think, though, that if you want to work in the US you're better off doing an anthro program with an archaeology focus. That way, you are able to teach more interdisciplinary courses and more likely to find a faculty placement.

[kmh]

Do you think it is advantageous to get a MA in archaeology before going on to a PhD in anthropology (my ultimate goal is traching/research at a university), or is it better to go directly into the anthropology doctorate program and concentrate in archaeology? I am about to graduate with an undergraduate degree in anthropology, and I've gotten into both an MA program in anthropology and a PhD program in anthropology. What should I do?

[lisamc]

I'm chiming in (several years) late, but for archival purposes - why not reply, eh? I'm finding the opposite problem as the OP, I keep coming across archaeology focusing on various parts of the Americas, whereas I'm looking for archaeology focus on the Classical World and British archaeology (mortuary archaeology focus). We should trade lists! haha!