CLASS 7201

Scientific Analysis of Archaeological and Heritage Materials

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2026-2027 Catalog.

Headline-making archaeological narratives using methods drawn from STEM fields have become increasingly common, yet how archaeological narratives are constructed from paleogenomics, organic residue analysis, or X-ray fluorescence spectrometry can often seem like an inscrutable ?black box.? This hands-on course unpacks the methods, theoretical frameworks, and contributions of STEM techniques to archaeology and the study of heritage materials. Through weekly readings, lectures, data analysis, labs, and a final science communication project, students will gain practical experience in chronometric dating, organic residue analysis and paleodiet reconstruction, and analysis of inorganic archaeological and heritage materials.

Prerequisites ARKEO 7000 or equivalent.

Last 4 Terms Offered 2026SP

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