Okavango Archaeological Research Project
Botswana
Summer 2010
Curriculum
Prerequisites: None
Required Course:
Archaeology C159 (Undergraduates): 12 quarter units
or
Archaeology C259 (Graduate Students): 12 quarter units
Please note that to receive graduate credit you must currently be a graduate student seeking either an MA or Ph.D. degree. If you are currently an undergraduate student, or holding a BA/BS degree, you may enroll in the graduate level course work with instructor consent. In addition to all other course requirements, students enrolled at the C259 level must submit a research paper in coordination with the project Faculty Director.
This course has two goals; 1) to introduce students to the archaeology of the region and its field methods, and 2) to provide a practical working knowledge of survey, excavation, and analytical techniques used in archaeology. The primary aim is to enable students to better understand how archaeology is practiced in the field.
The course will be held in north-west Botswana in the Okavango Delta region, based in the town of Maun. Working with the University of Botswana (Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre -HOORC) and the National Museum of Botswana, this project will examine the archaeology of this region through a combination of survey and excavation. Previous research in has revealed a long history of occupation, from the Early Stone Age to the historic period, and students will have the opportunity to work on a range of sites from the prehistoric and historic periods.
The course will last for five weeks with the first week dedicated to introductory classes on the archaeology, history, cultures and environment of Botswana as well as archaeological field-techniques and methods. Weeks two to five will then be spent working on the research project, with students rotating between different aspects of the research (excavation, survey, analysis). Work will be carried out Monday-Saturday, with a half day on Saturday, leaving time for students to travel independently over the weekend.
For more details please read the 2009 syllabus.