UHON 222 The Legacy of Ancient Technology

The University of New Mexico, Spring 2010

Tuesday/Thursday 2:00-3:15pm, Honors Room 8

Dr. Troy Lovata (lovata@unm.edu)

http://www.unm.edu/~lovata/spring10/ancienttech

Office Hours (Honors Room 2B): 1:00-1:45 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30-4:30pm Wednesdays, and by appointment.

 

SCHEDULE

REVISED on 4/12/10

 

Readings, except for chapters from the Whittaker book, are available from E-reserves (consult the syllabus). You are required to print out and bring hard copies of all readings to class.

 

January

19 First day of class

Introduction to class policies and procedures

Begin discussion of Tools, Ethnoarchaeology and the Modern meaning of Pre-industrial Technology

 

21 Ethnoarchaeology and Pre-industrial Technology

Read: Chapters 6 from David and Kramer’s Ethnoarchaeology in Action and Stiles’ ‘Ethnoarchaeology’.

 

26-28 Stone Tools: Grinding

Read: Adams’ ‘Use Wear Analysis of Manos…’ and ‘Refocusing the Role of Food Grinding Tools’ and Mohr’s ‘Deep Basin Metate…’.

 

February

2-4 Stone Tools: Knapping

Read: Whittaker chapters 1-7.

Assignment 1 Due February 2

 

9-11 Stone Tools: Knapping cont’d

Read: Whittaker chapters 8-10.

 

16-18 Stone Tools: Knapping cont’d

 

23-25 Projectiles

Read: Cotterell and Kaminga’s ‘Projectiles’; Frison’s ‘Experimental Use of Clovis Weaponry and Tools on African Elephants’.

Assignment 2 Due February 23

 

March

2-4 Projectiles cont’d

 

9 Projectiles cont’d

 

11 Projectiles cont’d

 

15-17 Spring Break, No Class

 

23 Projectiles cont’d

Atlatl test day

 

 

25 Cordage: Part 1

Read: Kidder’s ‘Making Cordage by Hand’; selections from Gill’s ‘Practical Basketry’.

Assignment 3 Due March 25

 

30-April 1 Cordage: Part 1 cont’d

Read: Thomson’s ‘A Bark Sandal from the Desert of Central Western Australia’; Keller’s ‘Production: Insights of the Practitioner’.

 

6 Cordage: Part 1 cont’d

Project test day

 

8 Cordage: Part 2, Skill

Read: Ingold’s ‘Beyond Art and Technology: The Anthropology of Skill and Thought’.

 

13 Adobe

Read: selections from Romero and Larkin’s Adobe: Building and Living with Earth.

 

15 Adobe cont’d

No organized class. Small group tours.

 

20-22 Adobe cont’d

Read: Oliver’s ‘Earth as a Building Material Today’; Brown and Clifton’s ‘Adobe I: The Properties of Adobe’; Brown, Robbins and Clifton’s ‘Adobe II: Factors Affecting the Durability of Adobe Structures’.

Assignment 4 Due April 20

 

27-29 Adobe cont’d

 

May

4 Adobe cont’d

 

6 Adobe cont’d

Last Day of Class: Required attendance, Course Evaluations

Museum Assignment Due

 

10 Assignment 5 Due via Email

 

 

                                                                                    -TRL 01/10