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Minor
MinorOverview
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. To complete the requirements for the minor, students must take courses from the offerings of the program and from the listings of other university departments. The program culminates in a minor in Archaeology.
A minor in Archaeology can complement many majors, including but not limited to Anthropology, Applied Physics, Art & Art History, Classics, Earth Systems, East Asian Languages & Cultures, Engineering, Geological & Environmental Sciences, History, and Religious Studies.
Requirements
To minor in Archaeology, students must complete at least 27 units of relevant coursework comprised of:
Core | 10 Units
Methods & Skills | 2-5 Units
Theory | 5 Units
Electives | 10 Units
Students may design their own path through the Archaeology minor or select from one of the four pre-designed tracks. Tracks are comprised of courses that complete the minor. Each track is designed with different interdisciplinary majors in mind to appeal to students. Please note that while your Archaeology minor will be noted on your diploma, the track will not.
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.
