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Major: Bachelor of Arts
MajorOverview
Archaeology is the study of human societies through their material remains, offering direct access to the experiences of a wide range of people in numerous cultures across the globe. Increasingly, archaeology bridges past and present societies through the study of the human heritage and its role in contemporary societies.
The mission of Stanford’s undergraduate program in Archaeology is to provide students with a broad and rigorous interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of the material culture of past societies, drawing on the questions and methods of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, and including the faculty and courses from a wide range of University departments and programs. Students in the major learn to relate these analyses to the practice of archaeology in the contemporary world. The program seeks to help each student achieve a high level of understanding through concentrated study of a particular research area. Archaeology students are well prepared for advanced training in professional and graduate schools.
Requirements
Degree Requirements Overview:
Coursework must form a coherent program of study, and be approved by the student services officer and the program faculty director. The degree requirements are divided into six components. A course may only be used once to fulfill a degree component and may only be used to satisfy requirements for one major.
Students must meet the minimum unit count totaling 65 units:
Core | 15 Units
Methods & Skills: Statistics | 5 Units
Methods & Skills | 10 Units
Theory | 10 Units
Electives | 20 Units
Capstone | 5 Units
Undergraduates may fulfill course requirements in Methods & Skills, Theory, and Electives from graduate-level courses with the approval of the instructor and Archaeology Center director.
Core Program Requirements
Core
All three courses must be taken for a letter grade and have a minimum passing grade of B. Completing these three courses should amount to 15 units.
ARCHLGY 1 (Introduction to Archaeology) is recommended as a first course. Many upper-level courses in Archaeology require this course as a prerequisite.
ARCHLGY 1
Introduction to Archaeology
ARCHLGY 102
Archaeological Methods
ARCHLGY 103
History of Archaeological Thought
Methods & Skills: Statistics
Quantitative skills and computing ability are indispensable to archaeologists. Students must take one statistics course for five units to fulfill the statistics requirement.
Courses taken to fulfill the statistics component cannot be used to satisfy any other degree requirement. A course can only be applied to one degree component.
Methods & Skills
To fulfill the Methods & Skills component, students must take courses on archaeological Methods & Skills, ten units.
Methods & Skills courses may include archaeological formation processes, botanical analysis, cartography, ceramic analysis, dating methods, faunal analysis, geographic information systems, geology, geophysics, genetics, osteology, remote sensing, soil chemistry, and statistics, among other topics.
Courses taken to fulfill the Methods & Skills component cannot be used to satisfy any other degree requirement. A course can only be applied to one degree component.
ARCHLGY 21Q
Eight Great Archaeological Sites in Europe
ARCHLGY 97A
Curatorial Internship
ARCHLGY 97B
Collections Management Internship
ARCHLGY 97C
Archival Internship
ARCHLGY 97D
Provenance Research Internship
ARCHLGY 97E
Public Outreach Internship
ARCHLGY 110
Environmental Archaeology
ARCHLGY 117
Virtual Italy
ARCHLGY 124
Archaeology of Food: production, consumption and ritual
ARCHLGY 125
Archaeological Field Methods: Excavating Campus Histories at Frenchman's Lake
ARCHLGY 126
Archaeobotany
ARCHLGY 134
Introduction to Museum Practice
ARCHLGY 145
Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Maritime Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean
ARCHLGY 159
Theory and Method in Ceramic Analysis
ARCHLGY 183
Visualizing the Past: Images of the Market Street Chinatown
ARCHLGY 189
Physical Analysis of Artworks
ARCHLGY 198A
Archaeological Geographic Information Systems
Theory
Students must take ten units from any course designated explicitly as Theory. Courses in this area may include archaeological, art-historical, sociocultural, historical, and material culture theory.
Courses taken to fulfill the Theory component cannot be used to satisfy any other degree requirement. A course can only be applied to one degree component.
ARCHLGY 59
The Archaeological Imagination
ARCHLGY 106
The Archaeology of Climate
ARCHLGY 111B
Muwekma: Landscape Archaeology and the Narratives of California Natives
ARCHLGY 116B
Anthropology of the Environment
ARCHLGY 117C
Indigenous Archaeology
ARCHLGY 121B
"The Will to Adorn": An Anthropology of Dress
ARCHLGY 124C
Pueblo Revolt
ARCHLGY 129
Archaeology of Gender and Sexuality
ARCHLGY 129C
A Deep Dive Into the Indian Ocean: From Prehistory to the Modern Day
ARCHLGY 135
Constructing National History in East Asian Archaeology
ARCHLGY 137
Political Exhumations: Killing Sites in Comparative Perspective
ARCHLGY 137A
The Archaeology of Africa and African Diaspora History and Culture
ARCHLGY 139
Archaeology & Disability
ARCHLGY 151
Ten Things: An Archaeology of Design
ARCHLGY 161
The Archaeology of Institutions
ARCHLGY 166
African Archive Beyond Colonization
ARCHLGY 171
Failure: From Design Flaws to Societal Collapses
ARCHLGY 193A
Archaeology and Environmental Aesthetics
ANTHRO 90B
Theory of Cultural and Social Anthropology
CLASSICS 36
Gender and Power in Ancient Rome
ARCHLGY 81
Ancient Empires: Near East
Required Milestone: Archaeological Field Experiences
Students must take part in a field experience approved by the Stanford Archaeology Center, and enroll in any coursework that is required for participation in the field experience. Experiences are typically offered during summer months and funding may be provided. Other opportunities to fulfill the field experience requirement may include on campus field schools provided by the Center. Students may also petition for exemption to this requirement, but the exemption will normally be granted only in exceptional circumstances. Read more about Field Experiences here opens in a new tab.
Required Milestone: Senior Capstone
Students must complete a Senior Capstone and have three options for doing so: an Honors Thesis, a SUAC project, or a Senior Project. Students typically complete the capstone requirement their senior year while enrolled in the required course ARCHLGY 130: Senior Capstone. ARCHLGY 130 can be taken for variable units across multiple quarters, but students must earn at least 5 units total.
Related Courses
Archaeology is an interdisciplinary program. Students should meet with their advisor about degree requirements and the applicability of courses from other university departments to the Archaeology major or minor. Applicable courses are commonly found in History (HISTORY), Anthropology (ANTHRO), Classics (CLASSICS), and East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALC) but are not limited to these departments. Students should consult their advisor and the program director for course approvals.
Overseas Studies Courses in Archaeology
For course descriptions and additional offerings, see the Bing Overseas Studies opens in a new tab website listings. Students should consult their department or program’s student services office for the applicability of Overseas Studies courses to a major or minor program.
Electives
Emphasis Categories
Students must complete 20 units of Electives on regions, themes, or other areas of interest. They are encouraged to do so by consulting with their faculty advisor and the Archaeology SSO to design a course plan.
The electives are broken down into emphasis categories below allowing students to identify courses based on their varied interests in archaeology, and students may choose courses from multiple emphasis categories.
Heritage: Courses for students interested in understanding the roles and reception of past material culture in present-day societies and cultures, navigating tensions that emerge within local, national, and international governments/communities and exploring how heritage work can contribute to healing and reconciliation.
Biological & Environmental Archaeology: Courses for students interested in understanding how humans lived and interacted with their surroundings and the environment.
Archaeological Science & Technology: Courses for students interested in how the sciences and technologies applied to material culture help us understand past societies.
Materiality & Society: Courses for students interested in the relationship and interaction between humans, their objects, and the societies they built together.
Regional: Courses for students interested in a particular region of the world such as the Americas, Mediterranean, Asia/East Asia, and Africa.
Non-ARCHLGY courses can be used to fulfill this requirement with the prior approval of the Archaeology curriculum committee and Archaeology Center director. Please contact the Archaeology student services officer opens in a new tab for more information on this petition process.
Courses taken to fulfill the elective component cannot be used to satisfy any other degree requirement. A course can only be applied to one degree component.
Heritage
Heritage courses are for students interested in understanding the roles and reception of past material culture in present-day societies and cultures. Navigating tensions that emerge within local, national, and international governments/communities and exploring how heritage work can contribute to healing and reconciliation.
ARCHLGY 91
Archaeology of Maya Worlds
ARCHLGY 107
Discovering the World of Indus
ARCHLGY 111B
Muwekma: Landscape Archaeology and the Narratives of California Natives
ARCHLGY 112A
Muwekma(CEL) Traditional Ecological Knowledge(TEK) Native Plant Garden Field Project
ARCHLGY 121B
"The Will to Adorn": An Anthropology of Dress
ARCHLGY 134
Introduction to Museum Practice
ARCHLGY 135
Constructing National History in East Asian Archaeology
ARCHLGY 137A
The Archaeology of Africa and African Diaspora History and Culture
ARCHLGY 139
Archaeology & Disability
ARCHLGY 140
Mediterranean Islands
ARCHLGY 145
Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Maritime Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean
ARCHLGY 147
Industrial Archaeology
ARCHLGY 158
The Archaeology of Frontiers, Borderlands, and Boundaries
ARCHLGY 166
African Archive Beyond Colonization
ARCHLGY 189
Physical Analysis of Artworks
Law (Cultural Resource Management), Community Engagement & Relationships, and Museum Collections
Biological & Environmental Archaeology
Biological & Environmental Archaeology courses are for students interested in understanding how humans lived and interacted with their surroundings and the environment.
ARCHLGY 106
The Archaeology of Climate
ARCHLGY 110
Environmental Archaeology
ARCHLGY 116B
Anthropology of the Environment
ARCHLGY 124
Archaeology of Food: production, consumption and ritual
ARCHLGY 126
Archaeobotany
ARCHLGY 133
Experimental Archaeology
ARCHLGY 147
Industrial Archaeology
Bioarchaeology, Zooarchaeology, Paleoethnobotany, Food Archaeology
Archaeological Science & Technology
Archaeological Science & Technology courses are for students interested in how the sciences and technologies applied to material culture help us understand past societies.
ARCHLGY 106Q
How to Redesign Everyday Things (for Beginners)
ARCHLGY 117
Virtual Italy
ARCHLGY 118
Engineering the Roman Empire
ARCHLGY 124
Archaeology of Food: production, consumption and ritual
ARCHLGY 125
Archaeological Field Methods: Excavating Campus Histories at Frenchman's Lake
ARCHLGY 126
Archaeobotany
ARCHLGY 133
Experimental Archaeology
ARCHLGY 189
Physical Analysis of Artworks
ARCHLGY 198A
Archaeological Geographic Information Systems
ArcGIS, Lithics, XRF Analysis
Materiality & Society
Materiality & Society courses are for students interested in the relationship and interaction between humans, their objects, and the societies they built together.
ARCHLGY 59
The Archaeological Imagination
ARCHLGY 91
Archaeology of Maya Worlds
ARCHLGY 106
The Archaeology of Climate
ARCHLGY 107
Discovering the World of Indus
ARCHLGY 118
Engineering the Roman Empire
ARCHLGY 121B
"The Will to Adorn": An Anthropology of Dress
ARCHLGY 129
Archaeology of Gender and Sexuality
ARCHLGY 135
Constructing National History in East Asian Archaeology
ARCHLGY 143
Excavating the University
ARCHLGY 145
Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Maritime Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean
ARCHLGY 147
Industrial Archaeology
ARCHLGY 151
Ten Things: An Archaeology of Design
ARCHLGY 156
Design of Cities
ARCHLGY 158
The Archaeology of Frontiers, Borderlands, and Boundaries
ARCHLGY 159
Theory and Method in Ceramic Analysis
ARCHLGY 166
African Archive Beyond Colonization
Food and Foodways, Agriculture, Human Settlement, Trade, Archaeology of Colonialism, Gender, Power, Disease
Regional (Africa)
African regional courses are for students interested in that particular region of the world.
ARCHLGY 121B
"The Will to Adorn": An Anthropology of Dress
ARCHLGY 137A
The Archaeology of Africa and African Diaspora History and Culture
ARCHLGY 166
African Archive Beyond Colonization
Regional (Americas)
American regional courses are for students interested in that particular region of the world.
ARCHLGY 91
Archaeology of Maya Worlds
ARCHLGY 111B
Muwekma: Landscape Archaeology and the Narratives of California Natives
ARCHLGY 112A
Muwekma(CEL) Traditional Ecological Knowledge(TEK) Native Plant Garden Field Project
ARCHLGY 117C
Indigenous Archaeology
ARCHLGY 124C
Pueblo Revolt
Regional (Asia/East Asia)
Asia/East Asia regional courses are for students interested in that particular region of the world.
ARCHLGY 107
Discovering the World of Indus
ARCHLGY 111
Emergence of Chinese Civilization from Caves to Palaces
ARCHLGY 135
Constructing National History in East Asian Archaeology
CLASSICS 81
Ancient Empires: Near East
Regional (Mediterranean)
Mediterranean regional courses are for students interested in that particular region of the world.
ARCHLGY 30
Greek Archaeology: The Worlds the Greeks Made
ARCHLGY 52
Introduction to Roman Archaeology
ARCHLGY 117
Virtual Italy
ARCHLGY 118
Engineering the Roman Empire
ARCHLGY 140
Mediterranean Islands
ARCHLGY 141
"Erotic" Roman Art from Pompeii and Herculaneum
ARCHLGY 145
Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Maritime Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean
ARCHLGY 158
The Archaeology of Frontiers, Borderlands, and Boundaries
ARCHLGY 165
Roman Gladiators
ARTHIST 100N
The Artist in Ancient Greek Society
CLASSICS 36
Gender and Power in Ancient Rome
Additional ARCHLGY Courses
Complete ANY additional ARCHLGY courses not specified above.
ARCHLGY 1
Introduction to Archaeology
ARCHLGY 11
Muwekma(CEL) Traditional Ecological Knowledge(TEK) Native Plant Garden Field Project
ARCHLGY 11N
Roman Portraits and Persons
ARCHLGY 21Q
Eight Great Archaeological Sites in Europe
ARCHLGY 30
Greek Archaeology: The Worlds the Greeks Made
ARCHLGY 42
Pompeii
ARCHLGY 52
Introduction to Roman Archaeology
ARCHLGY 54
Introduction to Early Andean Visual Culture: Interspecies Value and More-than-Human Presence
ARCHLGY 59
The Archaeological Imagination
ARCHLGY 81
Ancient Empires: Near East
ARCHLGY 91
Archaeology of Maya Worlds
ARCHLGY 97
Archaeology Internship
ARCHLGY 97A
Curatorial Internship
ARCHLGY 97B
Collections Management Internship
ARCHLGY 97C
Archival Internship
ARCHLGY 97D
Provenance Research Internship
ARCHLGY 97E
Public Outreach Internship
ARCHLGY 101
Etruscan Archaeology
ARCHLGY 102
Archaeological Methods
ARCHLGY 103
History of Archaeological Thought
ARCHLGY 105
Food and Drink in Ancient Greece and Rome
ARCHLGY 106
The Archaeology of Climate
ARCHLGY 106Q
How to Redesign Everyday Things (for Beginners)
ARCHLGY 107
Discovering the World of Indus
ARCHLGY 110
Environmental Archaeology
ARCHLGY 111
Emergence of Chinese Civilization from Caves to Palaces
ARCHLGY 111B
Muwekma: Landscape Archaeology and the Narratives of California Natives
ARCHLGY 112A
Muwekma(CEL) Traditional Ecological Knowledge(TEK) Native Plant Garden Field Project
ARCHLGY 116B
Anthropology of the Environment
ARCHLGY 117
Virtual Italy
ARCHLGY 117C
Indigenous Archaeology
ARCHLGY 118
Engineering the Roman Empire
ARCHLGY 121
Diversity and Knowledge Production in Archaeology
ARCHLGY 121B
"The Will to Adorn": An Anthropology of Dress
ARCHLGY 123
Archaeology and the Public
ARCHLGY 124
Archaeology of Food: production, consumption and ritual
ARCHLGY 124C
Pueblo Revolt
ARCHLGY 125
Archaeological Field Methods: Excavating Campus Histories at Frenchman's Lake
ARCHLGY 126
Archaeobotany
ARCHLGY 129
Archaeology of Gender and Sexuality
ARCHLGY 129C
A Deep Dive Into the Indian Ocean: From Prehistory to the Modern Day
ARCHLGY 130
Senior Capstone Seminar for Archaeology Majors
ARCHLGY 131
Community-Based Research in Archaeology
ARCHLGY 133
Experimental Archaeology
ARCHLGY 134
Introduction to Museum Practice
ARCHLGY 135
Constructing National History in East Asian Archaeology
ARCHLGY 137
Political Exhumations: Killing Sites in Comparative Perspective
ARCHLGY 137A
The Archaeology of Africa and African Diaspora History and Culture
ARCHLGY 139
Archaeology & Disability
ARCHLGY 140
Mediterranean Islands
ARCHLGY 141
"Erotic" Roman Art from Pompeii and Herculaneum
ARCHLGY 143
Excavating the University
ARCHLGY 145
Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Maritime Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean
ARCHLGY 147
Industrial Archaeology
ARCHLGY 151
Ten Things: An Archaeology of Design
ARCHLGY 153
Ancient Urbanism
ARCHLGY 156
Design of Cities
ARCHLGY 157
The Ancient Silk Road between the Classical Mediterranean and China
ARCHLGY 158
The Archaeology of Frontiers, Borderlands, and Boundaries
ARCHLGY 159
Theory and Method in Ceramic Analysis
ARCHLGY 161
The Archaeology of Institutions
ARCHLGY 165
Roman Gladiators
ARCHLGY 166
African Archive Beyond Colonization
ARCHLGY 168
Lithic Analysis
ARCHLGY 170
How It's Made: Craft, Innovation, and Social Change
ARCHLGY 171
Failure: From Design Flaws to Societal Collapses
ARCHLGY 177
Non-Destructive Archaeology: Methods, Ethics, and Theory in Geophysics and Remote Sensing Drones
ARCHLGY 183
Visualizing the Past: Images of the Market Street Chinatown
ARCHLGY 184
Barbarians at the Gate: Race and Ethnicity in Ancient Rome
ARCHLGY 189
Physical Analysis of Artworks
ARCHLGY 190
Archaeology Directed Reading/Independent Study
ARCHLGY 192
Making, Knowing, Resisting: Anthropology of Craft
ARCHLGY 193A
Archaeology and Environmental Aesthetics
ARCHLGY 195
Independent Study/Research
ARCHLGY 198A
Archaeological Geographic Information Systems
ARCHLGY 199
Honors Independent Study
ARCHLGY 202
Archaeological Theory: A Review
ARCHLGY 211
Emergence of Chinese Civilization from Caves to Palaces
ARCHLGY 221
Diversity and Knowledge Production in Archaeology
ARCHLGY 221B
"The Will to Adorn": An Anthropology of Dress
ARCHLGY 223
Archaeology and the Public
ARCHLGY 224
Archaeology of Food: production, consumption and ritual
ARCHLGY 225
Archaeological Field Methods: Excavating Campus Histories at Frenchman's Lake
ARCHLGY 226
Archaeobotany
ARCHLGY 229C
A Deep Dive Into the Indian Ocean: From Prehistory to the Modern Day
ARCHLGY 233
Experimental Archaeology
ARCHLGY 234
Introduction to Museum Practice
ARCHLGY 235
Constructing National History in East Asian Archaeology
ARCHLGY 237
Political Exhumations: Killing Sites in Comparative Perspective
ARCHLGY 237A
The Archaeology of Africa and African Diaspora History and Culture
ARCHLGY 239
Archaeology & Disability
ARCHLGY 240
Archaeology Lunch Talk Series
ARCHLGY 247
Industrial Archaeology
ARCHLGY 257
The Ancient Silk Road between the Classical Mediterranean and China
ARCHLGY 258
The Archaeology of Frontiers, Borderlands, and Boundaries
ARCHLGY 259
Theory and Method in Ceramic Analysis
ARCHLGY 268
Lithic Analysis
ARCHLGY 277
Non-Destructive Archaeology: Methods, Ethics, and Theory in Geophysics and Remote Sensing Drones
ARCHLGY 284
Barbarians at the Gate: Race and Ethnicity in Ancient Rome
ARCHLGY 292
Making, Knowing, Resisting: Anthropology of Craft
ARCHLGY 297A
Curatorial Internship
ARCHLGY 297B
Collections Management Internship
ARCHLGY 297C
Archival Internship
ARCHLGY 297D
Provenance Research Internship
ARCHLGY 297E
Public Outreach Internship
ARCHLGY 298A
Archaeological Geographic Information Systems
ARCHLGY 299
Independent Study/Research
ARCHLGY 342
Archaeology of Roman Slavery
ARCHLGY 367
Mediterranean Networks
Research & Independent Study (Up to 5 units)
Students may count up to 5 units of research or independent study toward the Archaeology major, including but not limited to the following courses.
ARCHLGY 190
Archaeology Directed Reading/Independent Study
ARCHLGY 195
Independent Study/Research
ARCHLGY 199
Honors Independent Study
Writing in the Major (WIM)
WIM Requirement
ARCHLGY 103
History of Archaeological Thought
ANTHRO 103B
History of Archaeological Thought
ARCHLGY103 is one of our three required core courses. Completing your core courses will include completing the major’s WIM requirement.
Capstone
Capstone Requirement
Students will have three options for their capstone requirement, and all will have to enroll in a Senior Capstone Seminar (ARCHLGY 130) course for 5 units.
ARCHLGY 130: Senior Capstone Seminar for Archaeology Majors is offered to students in their final year of study as either a stand-alone course on designing research projects and writing or as a touchpoint for students who are launching the writing phase of their senior projects or honors thesis.
Senior Capstone Seminar for Archaeology Majors
ARCHLGY 130 is a variable unit course (1-5 units). Students can take the course in multiple quarters during their senior year adding up to the required 5 units.
It must be taken as part of any of the three Capstone options below.
ARCHLGY 130
Senior Capstone Seminar for Archaeology Majors
Capstone Options (in Addition to ARCHLY 130)
Option 1: Honors Thesis
The honors program in Archaeology gives qualified majors a chance to work closely with faculty on an individual research project culminating in an honors thesis. Students may begin honors research from several starting points, including topics introduced in the core or upper-division courses, independent interests, research on artifacts in Stanford’s collections, or fieldwork experiences. Interested Archaeology majors of junior standing may apply for admission by submitting an honors application form opens in a new tab, including a four to five-page statement of the project, a transcript, and a letter of recommendation from the faculty member supervising the honors thesis. Applications are due by May 1st of their junior year. Archaeology majors are eligible to apply for honors candidacy. The thesis is due in early May of their senior year. It is read by the candidate’s advisor and a second reader. Students will be invited to present at the SAC Spring Symposium in May or may arrange to present their research results in another public forum.
Option 2: SUAC Project
Students interested in working on a SUAC Capstone Project with the Stanford University Archaeology Collections (SUAC) can do so individually or as a team. Projects are tailored to the student’s interest within the scope of current initiatives underway at SUAC. Students will work with staff at SUAC and their faculty mentor at SAC. Projects may take various creative forms, such as deep research or materials analysis of a particular artifact, research reports on sites or collections, or the development of a virtual or physical exhibit. Students will be invited to present at the SAC Spring Symposium in May or may arrange to present their research results in another public forum.
Option 3: Senior Project
The Senior Project is for students who want to design their capstone individually or as part of a team. Students will participate in ARCHLGY 130, Senior Capstone Seminar for Archaeology Majors to explore their ideas and begin developing a project proposal. During the winter quarter, students will start and/or continue the research and development of the project. Students will be invited to present at the SAC Spring Symposium in May or may arrange to present their research results in another public forum.
Honors
OptionalHonors
Honors Program
The honors program in Archaeology gives qualified majors a chance to work closely with faculty on an individual research project culminating in an honors thesis. Students may begin honors research from several starting points, including topics introduced in the core or upper-division courses, independent interests, research on artifacts in Stanford’s collections, or fieldwork experiences.
Interested Archaeology majors of junior standing may apply for admission by submitting an honors application form opens in a new tab, including a 4-5 page statement of the project, a transcript, and a letter of recommendation from the faculty member supervising the honors thesis. Archaeology majors are eligible to apply for honors candidacy. The thesis is due in early May of the senior year and is read by the candidate’s advisor and a second reader.
Applications are due in mid-May of your junior year. Contact the Student Services Officer for more information.