Academic Information 2012
Course Offerings
Registration for courses offered during the 2012 excavation season at Tall al-`Umayri must happen before you come to Jordan. Please communicate in advance with the contact person listed for the institution through which you hope to obtain credit (only MPP-affiliated and MPP-`Umayri consortium schools can grant credit for courses taken on this project) in order to register before the summer begins. Unless otherwise indicated, credits are undergraduate quarter units. Some courses may require reading and research before and/or after the excavation season.
| La Sierra University | Package Plan -- Contact Douglas Clark |
|---|---|
| Contact: Douglas Clark - (951) 785-2041 | |
| Course ID | Name | Type | units |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARCH/RELB 445 | Old Testament Archaeology | Undergrad | 4 |
| ARCH/RELB 446 | New Testament Archaeology | Undergrad | 4 |
| ARCH/HIST 432E | Mediterranean World in Antiquity | Undergrad | 4 |
| ARCH 494 | Fieldwork in Middle East Archaeology | Undergrad | 1-8 |
| ARCH/RELB 545 | Archaeology of the Old Testament World | Grad | 4 |
| ARCH/RELB 546 | Archaeology of the New Testament World | Grad | 4 |
| ARCH 594 | Fieldwork in Middle East Archaeology | Grad | 1-8 |
| Canadian University College | $TBD Canadian/semester unit |
|---|---|
| Contact: Larry Murrin - (403) 782-3381 | |
| All Canadian University College students must register in advance of the summer. | |
| Course ID | Name | Type | units |
|---|---|---|---|
| RELB 485 | Archaeological Fieldwork | Undergrad | 3-9 |
| Mount Royal University |
$629.28 or $544.78* Canadian for ANTH 2290 $1160.30 or $984.08* Canadaian for ANTH 2291 |
|---|---|
|
Contact: Julie Cormack - (403) 440-7012 *Please refer to the fee schedule for what programs/students fall in the second category. |
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ANTH 2290 Field Course in Archaeological Techniques I (3 weeks) -- 3 [sem] credits |
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The book, Ancient Ammonites and Modern Arabs: 5000 Years in the Madaba Plains of Jordan, is required reading for any fieldwork credit, as is "From the Stone Age to the Middle Ages in Jordan: Digging up Tall al-`Umayri" in Near Eastern Archaeology 72/2 (June 2009): 68-97. A copy of each will be made available to participants before the dig begins or in Jordan. It would also be helpful to brush up on colloquial Arabic with the booklet, Arabic for Archaeologists, published by the American Center of Oriental Research in Amman, Jordan; copies of this too will be provided to participants. In addition, the recently released Madaba Plains Project: Forty Years of Archaeological Research into Jordan's Past, eds. Douglas R. Clark, Larry G. Herr, Oystein S. LaBianca, and Randall W. Younker, will be of interest to anyone working on one of the Madaba Plains Project excavations; copies available through David Brown Book Company.
SYLLABUS FOR EARNING FIELDWORK CREDIT
OBJECTIVES
Through the academic dimension of the Madaba Plains Project we intend to encourage thoughtful inquiry and investigation into Jordan's past and to foster learning about archaeological theory and practice in the broadest sense as well as experiencing Jordanian culture, past and present. Hopefully the course structure and associated activities will accomplish these goals in the most responsible, integrative, and productive fashion for students.
REQUIREMENTS FOR COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY CREDIT
Students wanting academic credit for participating in a Madaba Plains Project excavation will apply to the consortium school of their choice, since only consortium institutions can give credit. Grades and tuition fees are to be arranged through that institution. For the sake of consistency, the requirements for the courses in archaeological fieldwork will cover the same basic topics for all students seeking credit, although modifications may be needed for specialization or elaboration in certain circumstances. Those in the field for only three weeks instead of the full five-week field season will only be expected to meet requirements available to them while they are in Jordan (including an orientation) and they will be treated accordingly. The final exam/evaluation will be graded, keeping in mind the distinction in requirements between undergraduate and graduate credits.
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Work Assignments:
- A large part of the student's grade will be determined on the basis of how well s/he has performed in the assigned task or work area. The field supervisors will have evaluation sheets with which to assess industry, accomplishment, quality of work, growth, and contribution to the project. It goes without saying that performance in one's work assignment is central to the success of the dig and to the entire learning enterprise in archaeology.
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Lectures:
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There are two introductory lectures near the beginning of the project. along wtih a new mini-conference of reports from projects currently in the field which work in the Madaba Region. They are noted below and, except for the archeo-fest meeting from 10 am to 1 pm in Madaba, will be held from 7:00 to 8:00 pm at ATC:
Tues 10 July – Archaeological Periods in Jordan and Surrounding Regions
Thur 12 July – Research Design of the Madaba Plains Project
Sun 15 July – Madaba Region Archaeogy Mini-conference
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There are two introductory lectures near the beginning of the project. along wtih a new mini-conference of reports from projects currently in the field which work in the Madaba Region. They are noted below and, except for the archeo-fest meeting from 10 am to 1 pm in Madaba, will be held from 7:00 to 8:00 pm at ATC:
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Learning Stations:
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Students (and others who are interested) will hear presentations by specialists on remains with which archaeologists deal every day. The first two involve presentations (visual and tactile), one on each of two major types of finds: lithics and ceramics. In the third learning-station session the group will divide into two sub-groups who will alternate between lab areas dedicated to processing finds (objects, artifacts, ecological samples, etc.) and those involving archaeological documentation (computer, database, and technical and artistic renditions). The sessions, which will take place from 7:00 to 8:00 pm on the designated dates, will allow for hands-on learning and increased awareness of standard archaeological procedures as applied to our study of `Umayri and to our understanding of Jordan’s past. The dates for visits to the learning stations are:
Tues 17 July - Ceramics, Lithics and Geology
Thur 19 July - Processing and Documentation
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Town hall meetings are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (see schedule below) from 7:00 to 8:00 pm and are required of all students. Each session will synthesize results from a specific chronological period of archaeological history represented at the excavation. Specialists in excavation, survey, objects, ceramics, fauna, flora, etc., will collaborate on a panel to address the broader cultural issues at the site, paint the wider picture, and relate how our present research ties together many lines of scientific inquiry. Discussion, questions, and comments are encouraged as they will add to the educational value of the sessions. Tentatively, the schedule is:
Tues 24 July – The Bronze Ages in the Madaba Plains
Thur 26 July – The Early Iron Age in the Madaba Plains
Tues 31 July – The Early Iron Age – Daily Life surrounding the Four-room House (meeting at the tell)
Thur 2 August – The Late Iron Age and Hellenistic Period in the Madaba Plains
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Students (and others who are interested) will hear presentations by specialists on remains with which archaeologists deal every day. The first two involve presentations (visual and tactile), one on each of two major types of finds: lithics and ceramics. In the third learning-station session the group will divide into two sub-groups who will alternate between lab areas dedicated to processing finds (objects, artifacts, ecological samples, etc.) and those involving archaeological documentation (computer, database, and technical and artistic renditions). The sessions, which will take place from 7:00 to 8:00 pm on the designated dates, will allow for hands-on learning and increased awareness of standard archaeological procedures as applied to our study of `Umayri and to our understanding of Jordan’s past. The dates for visits to the learning stations are:
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Final Take-home Exam/Evaluation:
- The final examination will assess the student's acquisition and synthesis of information from lectures, learning stations, town hall meetings, Ancient Ammonites and Modern Arabs, the `Umayri article in Near Eastern Archaeology, and, more generally, experience gained from the field excavation and recording processes. The exam consists of 1) a set of essay questions drawn from the MPP lectures, town hall meetings, and learning station visits and 2) a final, more reflective and longer essay on what the student thought this dig was about, critiques of the dig (design and operation), and an assessment of the student's contribution to the larger enterprise.
GRADE
The grade for academic credit is determined by the school's representative through whom the student has applied for credit and will rest upon 1) the student's Field supervisor's assessment of work quality and experience; 2) attendance at all lectures, learning stations, and town hall meetings; 3) reading of the required sources (Ancient Ammonites and NEA article); and 4) the final examination/evaluation.
CHECKLIST FOR FULFILLING ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
At the end of a lecture or meeting, obtain the initials of one of the Madaba Plains Project Academic Program Coordinator(s), or the person in charge of the program you attend, in the blank space preceding the meeting title. At the conclusion of the dig, give this sheet to the professor who represents the institution at which you are enrolled. Please bring this sheet to all required academic appointments.