Curriculum in Archaeology
Introduction
The undergraduate major in archaeology focuses on the systematic study of the human past through its material remains by means of the excavation, recovery, and interpretation of artifacts and other associated evidence. Historical, environmental, and comparative components enable the examination of different culture systems through time and space, as well as the reconstruction of past lifeways and the interpretation of ancient social, political, and economic systems. The geographic scope of the program includes the Americas, Europe and the Mediterranean, Egypt, and the Near East. The educational goal of the program is to provide the student with a component of a liberal arts education that draws on both the social sciences and the humanities. It also will effectively prepare students for graduate study in anthropological archaeology, Mediterranean archaeology, museology, and historical preservation, or careers in contract archaeology and cultural resource management. Students interested in applying to graduate programs in Mediterranean or Near Eastern archaeology may need ancient language classes not required for the major. Students should consult the faculty advisor in archaeology if they have questions.
Advising
All majors and minors have a primary academic advisor assigned in ConnectCarolina. Students are strongly encouraged to meet regularly with their advisor and review their Tar Heel Tracker each semester. The curriculum’s director of undergraduate studies (see “Contacts" tab above) works with current and prospective majors and minors by appointment. Students are encouraged to consult with the director of undergraduate studies about course choices and field work opportunities. Curriculum academic advising is particularly important for those majors who are considering going on to graduate school. Further information on courses, undergraduate research opportunities, and the honors program may be obtained from the curriculum’s website.
Graduate School and Career Opportunities
The undergraduate curriculum in archaeology prepares majors for specialized graduate study in archaeology and cognate fields. The specific area of graduate study will depend on the fields of concentration of major, minor, and supporting coursework. Graduating majors (and double majors and minors) may pursue degree programs and careers in fields such as anthropology, Latin American studies, classical and medieval archaeology, Egyptology and ancient Near Eastern archaeology, art history, ancient history, and linguistics. Provided with a well-rounded undergraduate degree in the liberal arts, graduating students may pursue professional and graduate programs in diverse fields of the humanities and social sciences, utilizing their skills in various professions such as field archaeology (professional or contract archaeology), museology, conservation and historical preservation, cultural resource and heritage management, and teaching. Career resources as well as a list of former graduates and their careers are available on the curriculum’s website.
Adjunct Professors
Benjamin Arbuckle, Donald C. Haggis, Jodi Magness, Patricia M. McAnany, David Mora-Marín, Vincas P. Steponaitis.
Adjunct Associate Professors
Anna Agbe-Davies, Brian Billman, Jennifer Gates-Foster, Heather Lapham, Hérica Valladares.
Adjunct Assistant Professors
Mary Beth Fitts, Timothy Shea.
Adjunct Assistant Teaching Professors
Rachel Briggs, Douglas Smit.
Professors Emeriti
Carole L. Crumley, R.P. Stephen Davis Jr., Dale Hutchinson, C. Margaret Scarry, Laurie Cameron Steponaitis, Mary C. Sturgeon.
Chair
Jon Marcoux
