Anthropological Archaeology at UCSD

Program Description

The Department of Anthropology offers a broad-range approach to the study of the archaeology of complex societies. By taking a world-wide view of the rise, maintenance and collapse of ancient complex social organizations, we seek to present a theoretically integrated graduate curriculum in this field of archaeology and prehistory.

Archaeology is new at UCSD. Since 1991, the Department of Anthropology made a commitment to an integrated approach to the study of anthropology by hiring its first archaeologist. Since then, an undergraduate program in anthropological archaeology was developed including the establishment of course curricula, field schools, and a research laboratory. Beginning in 1998, a graduate program has been offered leading to a Ph.D. in anthropology with a concentration in anthropological archaeology. Students pursing a concentration in anthropological archaeology are exposed to theoretical developments in socio-cultural and biological anthropology during their first two years of study.

While theoretical issues concerning ancient complex societies are addressed through readings and course work, the program focuses on a series of case studies from the Old World based on faculty areas of specialization. Based on current faculty, these areas include: Mesopotamia, the Levant, Anatolia, and Central and South America.

Our Ph.D. with a concentration in archaeology at UCSD is aimed at graduate students committed to carrying out field work. New archaeological laboratory facilities at UCSD provide graduate students with lab space, offices, study collections, library, computer facilities and other research tools.