Course Schedule and Catalog

Long Title: PEOPLE AND ANIMALS IN THE PAST

Department: Anthropology

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Language of Instruction: Taught in English

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: This course asks students to consider the human as a special kind of animal, and the roles of other animals in our human worlds: as companions, spirits, artistic muses, laborers, and as sources of food, clothing, shelter, and tools. We examine how human-animal relationships have changed over time, and consider human impacts upon animals and environments at multiple scales: from continental and island colonizations, to local extirpations and global extinctions. While our scope is both geographically and temporally broad, specific case studies will be highlighted from Africa, Eurasia, North America, and the Pacific islands. The unifying thread among these case studies is a focus on lines of evidence, with the goal of exposing students to the diverse methods of archaeology: how can archaeologists determine the impacts of humans upon animals and vice versa, and how well are their interpretations supported by their data? Finally, we consider how knowledge of the past can help shape our approaches to animals and their environments today, with respect for the planet that we all share. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: ANTH 352. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for ANTH 552 if student has credit for ANTH 352.