Program Codes:
BAARCH
Bachelor of Arts
Introduction
Anthropologists (including specialists in archaeology) are scientists who investigate human diversity in the past and present. Today’s anthropologists are interested in applying insights from the study of human cultural, biological, and linguistic diversity and change to contribute to contemporary local and global issues. Our graduates are trained in critical thinking, pattern recognition, problem solving, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and intercultural skills.
Job diversity is a hallmark of careers in anthropology. Anthropologists work not just in exotic field locations but urban settings, corporate firms, museums, government jobs, law enforcement, non-profits, and a wide range of social- and community-focused arenas.
Mercyhurst University’s program in Anthropology and Archaeology is characterized by hands-on training in current field and laboratory methods and theory with highly individualized mentoring. We prepare students to design and execute original research studies and become leaders in their field.
Students regularly participate in faculty research projects with opportunities for professional development, such as conference presentations and peerreviewed publications. They also acquire real-world experience and training through our professional partnerships.
Anthropology is a broad field that integrates with other disciplines. The Department of Anthropology/Archaeology also has a special relationship with the Biology, Applied Forensic Sciences, Geology, and History Departments. Our students take course in these departments in fulfillment of their concentrations and doublemajor or minor in these subject areas.
The Department of Anthropology/Archaeology offers courses leading to Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees in Anthropology/ Archaeology. Bachelor of Science degrees offer a deeper grounding in the scientific subject matter and methods of anthropology and achaeology, supporting course work in related fields (biology, geology, and chemistry), and additional experiential learning in rigorous laboratory excercises. Students may follow a general B.A. course of study, or specialize in one of 3 concentrations in a B.A. or B.S. track.
Mission Statement
Our department is committed to the education and training of the next generation of Anthropologists and Archaeologists. As a four-field discipline concerned with the cultural and biological expressions of humanity past and present, Anthropology is a diverse endeavor characterized by approaches and methodologies drawn from both the sciences and the humanities. Therefore, a wide range of core information, concepts, methodologies, as well as the ability to mobilize these resources critically and independently, form the skill set that we strive to impart to our students.
Anthropology/Archaeology Minor
ANTH 107 Language and Culture - 3 Credits
ANTH 112 World Cultures - 3 Credits
ANTH 120/121 Physical Anthropology and Lab - 4 Credits
ANTH 130/131 Archaeology and Lab - 4 Credits
Four additional Anthropology and Archaeology courses above 200.
All Anthropology/Archaeology students complete 9 required departmental core courses (29 credits), Statistics (3 credits), and successfully complete the intermediate level of a foreign language (3-9 credits).
Students seeking a general B.A. in Anthropology/ Archaeology must complete an additional 3 required departmental methods and materials courses (9-14 credits), and 5 additional Anthropology/Archaeology courses numbered above 200.
All Anthropology/Archaeology majors must maintain an overall 2.75 GPA, and a 3.0 GPA in Anthropology/ Archaeology major courses. Grades of D or lower will have to be repeated. Students will be evaluated in the summer following their sophomore year. Students failing to achieve the minimum GPA will receive a degree of General Science with an Anthropology/Archaeology Minor.
This course is designed to introduce students to the complex study of language and its role in culture and society. We will begin by examining what constitutes language. Although not a major portion of the class, language structure, including morphology and syntax will be covered. We will examine how language is used by different peoples to construct and maintain social values and relationships, worldviews, and personal identities. Some questions addressed throughout the semester include: How do children acquire linguistic competence in their language? How is language used by people of different genders, ethnicities, socioeconomic classes, and geographical placement? This course is primarily lecture-based format, but students will have an opportunity to engage in their own anthropological linguistic fieldwork.
In this course, the student is exposed to the basic subject matter and methods of modern socio-cultural anthropology. The great diversity of contemporary and recently extinct human culture is examined from a comparative and evolutionary perspective with an emphasis on the differences and similarities between so-called modern state level societies and their less complex antecedents.
Physical anthropology examines the "human animal" from a biological and cultural perspective. It is the study of human origins and our contemporary and past physical and genetic diversity.
ANTH 121
This lab course will provide an opportunity for students to obtain hands-on experience with human bones, fossil human casts, primate observation and forensic anthropology specimens.
ANTH 120
This course examines the methods, goals, and substantive results of contemporary anthropological archaeology. An emphasis on the archaeological techniques and concepts archaeologists use for making sense of the past are stressed, and numerous case studies are presented which explore past human practice from the development of human culture through to contemporary society, with a particular focus on humanity's unique relationship with material culture and the environment.
ANTH 131
This laboratory course provides the student basic exposure to contemporary archaeological field methods from both a theoretical and hands-on perspective. Topics include: archaeological survey techniques; mapping; excavation procedures; screening and data retrieval; field and lab processing; and documentation.
ANTH 130
This course is designed to address, through an examination of the history of anthropology, the theoretical developments, schools of thought, and ideas accounting for the nature of culture and cultural development. The specific contributions of the principal figures representative of each of the major schools of thought will also be identified and examined. While theories of culture are the focus and form the core of this course, the history and theoretical developments of archaeology will be simultaneously considered.
ANTH 130
ANTH-130,ANTH-236,ANTH-237,ANTH-238,ANTH-239
Senior Thesis This capstone seminar/lecture course is designed to assist Senior Anthropology/Archaeology majors during the completion of their Senior Thesis requirement. The course focuses on enabling students to learn and employ processes and methods commonly used in formal written and oral presentations of background research, data acquisition, data analysis, and conclusions. Students’ ongoing projects will serves as the material for collective class review/critique and discussion. The remainder of the course will consist of short lectures on research paper and graphic preparation and production, and oral presentation. The group will explore the following themes in both lecture and seminar format as appropriate: basic elements of composition, scientific writing, IMRAD format, managing scientific data, technical illustrations, tables and figures, thesis document production/format, and other related themes as needed.
ANTH 390
This course is designed to expose students to the full spectrum of field methods now in use in contemporary anthropological archaeology. The rationale, technical details, and expected results of a wide array of field methods are presented in the context of the location, characterization, and full scale data recovery of prehistoric and historic archaeological sites.
ANTH 130
ANTH 225
A Corequisite of ANTH 224, this course will provide hands on experience with the field methods now in use in contemporary anthropological archaeology.
ANTH 224
This course provides students with an opportunity to combine qualitative ethnographic field work with an anthropological analysis of ethnicity, socioeconomic position, and gender in contemporary United States society. Students have an opportunity to engage in observation, conduct interviews, and learn to write, transcribe, code, and analyze field notes while engaged in their own mini field work project. Each student designs his or her own project, choosing the setting and topic. Classes alternate between discussion of research, readings, and ethnographic case project development, descriptive writing, and social behavior analysis.
ANTH 112
ANTH-227
This course will introduce students to the analytical and classificatory methods used in the treatment and processing of historic materials recovered from archaeological investigations. Emphasis will be placed on colonial and nineteenth century materials of the eastern United States. Students will assist in the analysis of materials from ongoing Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute field projects.
ANTH 130
ANTH 239
A Corequisite of ANTH 238, this course provides an opportunity for students to assist in the analysis of materials from ongoing Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute field projects.
ANTH 130
ANTH 238
ANTH 130, ANTH 237
ANTH 335
ANTH 332
Five (5) Anthropology/Archaeology electives numbering above 200
Cognate Courses
A hands-on approach to further exploring and understanding topics covered in GEOL 100.
GEOL_100
Students are introduced to the basic materials of the Earth and the processes that shape them/it. The course covers plate tectonics (including volcanic activity and earthquakes) as well as surface-related processes of weathering and erosion, glaciation, and ground and surface water. Students are engaged in active discussion and hands-on exercises during the course of the semester.
GEOL_102
9 credits of Foreign Language courses