Archaeology, Minor
Matthew Canepa, Program Director
2000 Humanities Gateway
www.humanities.uci.edu/archaeology
The interdisciplinary minor in Archaeology offers rigorous academic study of the archaeological record and its interpretation from cultures of great antiquity through the modern period. The curriculum engages students with methodological training in archaeological recovery and analysis, as well as the theoretical underpinnings of how we know what we know about past societies through the material traces of human activity.
Students also grapple with the ways in which archaeology is experienced and shaped through the heritage industry, popular culture, museums, as well as political, social, and cultural movements. As they prepare for careers or graduate study, Archaeology minors are encouraged to explore these problems while gaining foundational knowledge in the archaeology of a wide variety of cultures throughout the Old and New worlds, including ancient Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Iran, the ancient and medieval Mediterranean, the Islamic world, South Asia, Pre-Columbian North and South America, as well as archaeology in and of the contemporary world.
Upon completion of the minor, students are equipped to think critically about the archaeological record and as educators, museum professionals, researchers, lawyers, as well as policy makers and employees of cultural institutions and heritage sites in various roles across multiple government agencies (forestry, BLM, state parks, etc.) who manage our shared cultural resources. The minor's curricular structure consists of an introduction to archaeology (category A), one or more geographically- or historically-focused surveys to gain foundational knowledge in the archaeology of a specific region, time period, or culture (category B), and upper-division lectures or seminars that explore specific archaeological problems in greater depth (category C). To ensure an interdisciplinary course of study, students are allowed to take no more than five courses from any single academic unit.
Requirements for the Minor in Archaeology
| Completion of seven courses (28 units) as specified below. At least four courses must be upper-division. | |
| A. Complete: | |
| ANTHRO 2C | Introduction to Archaeology |
| B. Select one of the following: | |
| Ancient Greek and Roman Art, and Architecture | |
| History of Asian Art: Arts of India | |
| History of Asian Art: Arts of Islam | |
| Ancient Civilization of Mexico and the Southwest | |
| C. Select five additional elective courses chosen from Areas B or C 1,2 | |
| Archaeology or Aliens?: Conspiracy, Pseudoscience, and the Emergence of Civilizations | |
| Egyptomania | |
| Archaeology of the Islamic World | |
| Archaeology, Politics, and Identity | |
| I Dig UCI | |
| Special Topics in Archaeology 3 | |
| Indian North America | |
| Special Topics in Area Studies 3 | |
| Studies in Ancient Art | |
| Studies in Greek Art | |
| Studies in Roman Art | |
| Ancient India | |
| Topics in Museum Studies 3 | |
| Advanced Seminar: Topics in Art History 3 | |
Residence Requirement for the Minor
Four upper-division courses required for the minor must be completed successfully at UCI. Two of the four may be taken through the UC Education Abroad Program provided course content is approved in advance by the Humanities Undergraduate Study Office.
- 1
No more than three of the five electives can be taken from a single department.
- 2
With the approval of the director of the minor, other relevant courses may satisfy the requirements for the minor. Possibilities include a course with archaeological content not already listed, credit earned from the completion of an accredited field school, or courses imparting training relevant to digital archaeology, geology, remote sensing, CAD, GIS, etc. (e.g. from COMPSCI, EARTHSS, EECS, ENGRCEE, I&C SCI, IN4MATX, etc.). In such cases, students must fulfill any prerequisites required by the program offering the course.
- 3
Course must be on an approved topic. A list of approved topics can be viewed on the Archaeology Minor webpage on the Department of Art History website.