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General Statement:
The program situates studies of historic- and contact-period societies within the framework of four-field, historical anthropology. Our areal specialties concentrate on Eastern North America and the Ancient Eastern Mediterranean. In addition to these areas, we encourage students to work in other parts of the world, in a manner informed by political, economic, and/or cultural-ecological theories. Ongoing field and laboratory projects in historical archaeology include the archaeology of various sites throughout western Massachusetts, including studies of Deerfield Village and its environs, analyses of the W. E. B. Du Bois site in Great Barrington, the Hermitage in Tennessee, and Cyprus during the Bronze and Iron Age. Other programs of potential interest to students include an undergraduate certificate in Native American Indian Studies and Masters program in Public History through the Department of Hisotry. The Anthropology Department's European Studies Program financially supports student research conducted in Europe. Citizens of third-world countries and Native American students may apply for financial support from the Sylvia Forman Third World Scholarship Fund. The M.A. and Ph.D. degrees are offered.
Affiliated Faculty
General Statement:
The Graduate Program at USF offers MA and PhD degrees in Applied Anthropology, through which students learn the fundamentals of the four subfields of anthropology, their links with one another, and their relation to other academic disciplines.At the MA level, the archaeology track focuses on coursework in archaeological method and theory that prepares students for careers in cultural resources management or with public and private agencies and museums responsible for managing archaeological resources. At the PhD level, the track provides advanced training and research in applied archaeological anthropology, offering preparation for both academic and practicing positions. We also offer a Concentration in Cultural Resource Management, in which students at both levels may choose to take classes that focus on the practical management of cultural and archaeological resources.
The department maintains significant archaeological collections estimated to contain over a million specimens systematically collected from prehistoric and historical sites throughout Florida and the Southeastern U.S. There are type collections for prehistoric and historic ceramics, lithics, and historical artifacts from Florida and the wider Southeast. Of particular importance are collections of projectile points ranging in date from Paleo-Indian through the contact period, and prehistoric collections from peninsular and northwest Florida. Additional collections, representing Mesoamerica and the American Southwest, include nearly 300 examples of whole pottery vessels, figurines, and other artifacts.
There are five archaeological laboratories in the department, equipped for artifact processing, documentation, and conservation; optical microscopy, photography, illustration, and drawing; physical and chemical analysis of archaeological materials; and preparation of museum exhibits. There is also access to instrumental facilities at USF with equipment for remote-sensing using ground penetrating radar; thin-section and metallographic sample preparation and analysis; micro-analytical analysis and elemental characterization using scanning electron microscopy with energy and wavelength dispersive x-ray spectrometers; characterization using x-ray diffraction; and elemental/isotopic analysis by inductively coupled plasma optical emission and mass spectrometers.
Two primary affiliates of the Department of Anthropology provide research and employment opportunities for our graduate students. The Alliance for Integrated Spatial Technologies provides faculty and students with the opportunity for interdisciplinary training and research in three-dimensional visualization and spatial mapping using High Definition Documentation Survey technologies, including 3D Laser Scanning, Global Positioning Systems, Geographic Information Systems, photogrammetry, and multi-spectral imaging. The Tampa Regional Public Archaeology Center, part of the Florida Public Archaeology Network, promotes and facilitates the conservation, study, and public understanding of Florida’s archaeological heritage on Florida’s west coast. The Center’s activities include promoting archaeological/heritage tourism, developing partnerships with regional heritage organizations, disseminating archaeological information to the public, promoting regional heritage events and programs, and facilitating archaeological volunteer opportunities.
For More Information Contact:
Dr. E. Christian Wells, Graduate Director, Department of Anthropology University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, SOC 107, Tampa, FL 33620-8100 USA, phone: 813/974.2337, fax: 813/974.2668, email: cwells@cas.usf.edu, website: http://anthropology.usf.edu/graduate/.
Other research-associated bodies include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (deep-water archaeology), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (imaging in underwater archaeology), University College, South Stockholm (ships and society), the National Museum of Sweden (various shipwreck-recording projects, and the Guernsey Museum & Galleries.
The University of Sydney has the oldest program in historical archaeology in Australia, established by Judy Birmingham in the 1960s. It offers two specific undergraduate courses in historical archaeology and research M.A. and PhD. Degrees. Staff experience encompasses historical archaeology in Australia and the Pacific, with additional specialisation in the archaeologies of cross-cultural contact. Gibbs is former director of the Masters in Maritime Archaeology at James Cook University and will be developing this field at USyd at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. In additional to the traditional archaeology program, Sydney is also base for the Archaeological Computing Laboratory which provides state of the art GIS and multimedia capabilities and training. USyd also has a full range of remote sensing and laboratory facilities. The wider Archaeology department is engaged in research in Australian and Pacific prehistory, Southeast Asia, the Near East and the Mediterranean.
Historical archaeology at Syracuse combines a unique set of resources that utilize the university's multidisciplinary strengths. Our focus is on ethnohistory, culture change and transformation, and the impact of historical contact and interaction between cultures. Anthropology is administered through the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, ranked by U.S. News and World Report in 2002 as the top program in public administration. This facilitates interdisciplinary studies in environmental issues, historic preservation, and policy planning. Historical archaeology draws upon strengths in anthropology as well as history, geography, and earth sciences. Facilities include a laboratory complex, Syracuse University Archaeological Research Center, GIS and GPS equipment, and analytical equipment. Analytical facilities within the Earth Sciences Department include high-precision isotope ratio, mass spectrometer, X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, X-ray diffractometer, and directly coupled plasma spectrometer. Students take courses in the Maxwell School, Women's Studies, Museum Studies, SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry, and SUNY-Upstate Medical Center. Funding is competitive; currently 95% of enrolled students are funded. Opportunities include university fellowships, teaching assistantships, and funded projects. Students are encouraged to participate in the Future Professoriate Project funded by the PEW Charitable Trusts and the U.S. Department of Education. Completion of this program leads to a Certificate in University Teaching awarded upon completion of the doctoral degree. All admitted applicants enter the doctoral program. Both the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees are awarded.