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Requirements for Archaeology and Anthropology major

To complete a major in Archaeology/Anthropology at least 40 credits from the following courses are needed.

  1. Anthropology 101 (offered by Dr. Bell or  Dr. Goluboff), 205, 207, 210, 354, Geology 102, and Sociology 102.
  2. Anthropology 377 or 379.
  3. One of the following statistics courses: Economics 201, Mathematics 118, Politics 201, or Psychology 250.
  4. At least nine credits chosen from the following: additional courses in anthropology or sociology numbered 200 or above; Art 301 or 380 (when the topic is relevant and approved by the department); Biology 220, 245, or 340; Geology 108, 160, 209, or 330.

Archaeology Courses at Washington and Lee

Anthropology 205

Anthropology 205, Archaeology, is an anthropologically oriented look at archaeology. This course takes place in the classroom and does not have a field component. The subjects covered include the history of archaeology, theoretical aspects, excavation techniques, and recent developments in archaeology.

Anthropology 332

Historical Archaeology, Anthropology 332, considers the theoretical development of this sub-area of archaeology. It focuses on recent findings and developments in historic archaeology. Because Washington and Lee's Archaeology Program focuses on the excavation of historic sites, students will also study past investigations the university has undertaken.

Anthropology 377

Anthropology 377, Field Techniques in Archaeology, is a course designed to introduce students to the methods and aims of archaeological fieldwork. The six-week spring semester provides a wonderful opportunity for the students to participate in intensive archaeological excavations. The first week of the course takes place in the classroom where students learn about excavation techniques and methods. Additionally, they will learn about the research questions that the excavations are trying to answer. The remainder of the course will take place on the archaeological site. During the class, students are exposed to and participate in surveying, excavating, recording, mapping, laboratory procedures, and computer processing and analysis. Students may take Anthropology 377 more than once for degree credit if the topics are different. While the course is designed to teach students about archaeology in the field, their efforts will be aiding important research projects concerned with the prehistory and history of the area.

Anthropology 378

Washington and Lee offers Anthropology 378, Anthropological Field Survey Techniques, during the fall semester. This course is designed to provide an introduction to the important arena of cultural resource management (CRM) and discusses the laws that serve to protect our nation's cultural resources. Cultural resource management deals with the identification and, more importantly, protection of archaeological sites. In this course, students are exposed to all components of the cultural resource management process, so the course is divided into several parts: classroom, instructive labs, and survey in the field. In the classroom, students will learn about the relevant laws and agencies that are critical to the protection of archaeological sites as well as the techniques used to identify and record the sites. Also, they will learn about mitigation techniques and the importance of long-term protection of sites. During the labs, they will learn how to use compasses and Global Position System (GPS) devices, read a topographical map, plot sites on a map, and other techniques that are necessary during archaeological work. In the field, the students put what they have learned in the classroom and lab into practice as they learn how to locate archaeological sites and assess their significance.


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