ANTHROPOLOGY/ARCHAEOLOGY
BACHELOR OF ARTS | BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
"Anthro is the major for changing your life and changing the world."—Jason Antrosio
Anthropologists (including specialists in archaeology) are scientists who investigate human diversity in the past and present. Today’s anthropologists are interested in applying insights from the study of human cultural, biological, and linguistic diversity and change to contribute to contemporary local to global issues. Anthropology is a broad field that integrates with other disciplines. Mercyhurst University’s program in Anthropology/Archaeology is characterized by hands-on training in current methods and theory with highly individualized mentoring. We prepare students to design and execute original research studies and become leaders in their field. Job opportunity and diversity are hallmarks of careers in anthropology. Anthropologists work in corporate firms, local, state and national government agencies, law- enforcement, museums, non-profits, universities, urban settings, and in a wide range of social- and community-focused positions. Our graduates are sought-after because they have been trained in critical thinking, pattern recognition, problem solving, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and intercultural skills.
Anthropology/Archaeology students at Mercyhurst University are provided with basic training in the broad field of anthropology as well as specialized training in Archaeology, Bioarchaeology, Physical Anthropology, and Sociocultural Anthropology. Students can take a hands-on approach to a wide variety of research opportunities in diverse topical, chronological, and environmental settings. Students attain a solid foundation within the field and further their education when choosing one of three concentrations: Archaeology, Bioarchaeology, or Sociocultural Archaeology.
Fast Facts
- The Bureau of Labor statistics reports that employment of anthropologists and archaeologists is expected to grow over the next seven years
At Mercyhurst you’ll gain valuable hands-on expertise in archaeological fieldwork, ethnographic research methods, and skeletal and artifact analyses
Our individualized mentoring in current research methods, data analysis, and writing skills will enable you to contribute to our profession as an undergraduate and gain valuable job skills! Our students engage in collaborative research projects, author publications, and present their research at conferences and to the public
Mercyhurst is ranked as a "Top-20 Value" program for a degree in Archaeology by College Values Online
Students seeking a B.A. with an Archaeology Concentration must complete an additional 5 courses (20 credits), Physical Geology/Lab (4 credits), and 2 additional Anthropology/Archaeology courses numbered above 200.
Sample Coursework:
ANTH 224 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD METHODS This course is designed to expose students to the full spectrum of field methods now in use in contemporary anthropological archaeology. Students learn the rationale, technical details, and results of a wide array of field methods in the context of site location, site characterization, and full scale data recovery of prehistoric and historic archaeological sites. Classroom studies are complemented by hands on training and critical exercises.
ANTH 229 LITHIC STUDIES As a significant component of most archaeological assemblages, lithic artifacts are a primary source of data informing explanations and inferences of human behavior and practice. Following a review of the history of stone tool technology and the mechanics of its production, students learn to conduct several analytical methods and interpret their results. The course explores the practical, logistical, social, and environmental factors involved in technological decision-making, while considering the theoretical lenses through which archaeologists examine this data in pursuit of cultural information.
ANTH 342 FUNERARY ARCHAEOLOGY Students are introduced to the diversity of funerary practices in the past and the present, and explore the role of funerary rituals within communities. They examine the consequences of how archaeologists and anthropologists have approached death in their work. Students also address how death has become politicized in the ongoing conflict between indigenous or descendent communities and scientists over the ownership and control of human remains and the past.
Students Seeking a B.A. with a Sociocultural Concentration must complete an additional 7 courses (21 credits), and 3 additional Anthropology/ Archaeology courses numbered above 200.
Sample Coursework:
ANTH 107 LANGUAGE AND CULTURE This course is designed to introduce students to the complex study of language and its role in culture and society. We begin by examining what constitutes language and examine language structure, including morphology and syntax. We examine how language is used by different peoples to construct and maintain social values and relationships, worldviews and personal identities. Some questions addressed throughout the semester include: How do children acquire linguistic competence in their language? How is language used by people of different genders, ethnicities, socioeconomic classes and geographical placement? Students engage in their own anthropological linguistic fieldwork.
ANTH 227 ETHNOGRAPHIC FIELD METHODS This course provides students with an opportunity to combine qualitative ethnographic field work with an anthropological analysis of ethnicity, socioeconomic position, and gender in contemporary United States society. Students engage in observation, conduct interviews, and learn to write, transcribe, code, and analyze field notes through their own mini field work project. Students discuss research readings, develop ethnographic case projects, produce descriptive writing, and analyse social behavior. Each student designs their own project, choosing the setting and topic.
ANTH 346 ANTHROPOLOGY OF GENDER This course introduces students to gender issues in anthropology and archaeology through lectures, practical exercises and film. Topics covered include gender bias in popular and academic discourse, gender definitions and the social construction of gender, gender and scientific practice, gender and feminism, and “engendering” the past. A critical attention to gender construction, performance and politics is stressed.
Students seeking a B.S. with an Archaeology Concentration must complete an additional 8 courses (32 credits), Physical Geology/Lab (4 credits), and 2 additional Anthropology/Archaeology courses numbered above 200. Students seeking a B.S. with a Bioarchaeology Concentration must complete an additional 8 courses (31 credits), and Human Biology/Lab (4 credits).
Sample Coursework:
ANTH 224 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD METHODS This course is designed to expose students to the full spectrum of field methods now in use in contemporary anthropological archaeology. Students learn the rationale, technical details, and results of a wide array of field methods in the context of site location, site characterization, and full scale data recovery of prehistoric and historic archaeological sites. Classroom studies are complemented by hands on training and critical exercises.
ANTH 229 LITHIC STUDIES As a significant component of most archaeological assemblages, lithic artifacts are a primary source of data informing explanations and inferences of human behavior and practice. Following a review of the history of stone tool technology and the mechanics of its production, students learn to conduct several analytical methods and interpret their results. The course explores the practical, logistical, social, and environmental factors involved in technological decision-making, while considering the theoretical lenses through which archaeologists examine this data in pursuit of cultural information.
ANTH 342 FUNERARY ARCHAEOLOGY Students are introduced to the diversity of funerary practices in the past and the present, and explore the role of funerary rituals within communities. They examine the consequences of how archaeologists and anthropologists have approached death in their work. Students also address how death has become politicized in the ongoing conflict between indigenous or descendent communities and scientists over the ownership and control of human remains and the past.
ANTH/GEOL 430 GEOARCHAEOLOGY Geoarchaeology examines the interface which exists between the fields of geology and archaeology. Students are acquainted with the history of the interrelationship between these academic disciplines and learn the range of geological techniques which are useful to the contemporary archaeologist. Specifically, in lectures and laboratory work, students learn how geological methods are employed in the location, excavation, and interpretation of archaeological sites and materials.
Sample Coursework:
ANTH 270/272 PALEOANTHROPOLOGY I & II This two-course sequence follows the development of the human species from our remote primate forbearers through the appearance of fully modern Homo sapiens. The student is familiarized with the methods and the data of human paleontology and comparative primatology and is shown the complex relationships which exist between biological and cultural evolution. Part I focuses on primate evolution and the evolutionary history of Australopithecines. Part II deals with the biological and cultural history of the genus Homo from its roots in the Plio-Pleistocene through the Palaeolithic Holocene.
ANTH 326 HUMAN OSTEOLOGY I The focus of this class is the identification of complete and fragmentary human skeletal and dental remains. Introductory lectures will deal with growth and development of osseous and dental structures, variation in biological tissues, and modification of these tissues through traumatic, pathologic and taphonomic factors. Students are trained to identify isolated bone specimens.
ANTH 240 HUMAN ADAPTATION This course examines the biological, physiological and evolutionary responses of the human body to short and long-term stresses, as well as cultural adaptations to those stresses. Studies of native populations living in stressful environments will be discussed and include the effects of extreme heat and cold, solar radiation, and high altitude hypoxia. Other issues examined include the problems of malnourishment, disease, and their cultural solutions. Students also address a number of related biological topics, including growth and development, physiology, genetics, and human diversity.
Sample Coursework:
ANTH 270/272 PALEOANTHROPOLOGY I & II This two-course sequence follows the development of the human species from our remote primate forbearers through the appearance of fully modern Homo sapiens. The student is familiarized with the methods and the data of human paleontology and comparative primatology and is shown the complex relationships which exist between biological and cultural evolution. Part I focuses on primate evolution and the evolutionary history of Australopithecines. Part II deals with the biological and cultural history of the genus Homo from its roots in the Plio-Pleistocene through the Palaeolithic Holocene.
ANTH 326 HUMAN OSTEOLOGY I The focus of this class is the identification of complete and fragmentary human skeletal and dental remains. Introductory lectures will deal with growth and development of osseous and dental structures, variation in biological tissues, and modification of these tissues through traumatic, pathologic and taphonomic factors. Students are trained to identify isolated bone specimens.
ANTH 357 BIOARCHAEOLOGY Students will learn how the analysis of human remains from archaeological contexts can inform on past demography, subsistence, diet, patterns of disease, biological distance, violence, warfare, migrations, physical activity, mortuary treatment, and various biological indicators of environmental conditions. Examples from numerous cultures and sites from around the world will be used to illustrate how the bioarchaeological approach helps us understand the lives and deaths of earlier peoples.
Students pursuing a Minor in Anthropology/Archaeology must complete ANTH 107, 112, 120/121, 130/131 and four additional ANTH prefix courses over 200.
The gender studies minor provides students with the opportunity to learn about gender identity and variation and its social impacts through a multidisciplinary encounter. Although this minor builds on the university’s special history of empowering women, it offers a broader program of inquiry, and promotes a socially responsible and aware approach to all gendered social interaction through academics and service learning. Students enhance their ability to function in the workplace and at home though an appreciation of gender differences, gender roles, and historic interactions in a variety of contexts.
Students construct this seven-course minor with their advisor by taking two required courses followed by their selections from a flexible list of more than 15 electives. Courses in this minor are offered from multiple departments, and fulfill many REACH requirements. Anthropology (ANTH 346/Anthropology of Gender), Criminal Justice (CRJS 335/Women in Crime), English (ENGL 374/Women in Literature), History (HIST 283 Sex in Modern History), Religious Studies (RSLT 255 Religious Perspectives on Human Relationships), Social Work/Sociology (SOC 204 Diversity in Society), Psychology (PSYC 140/ Relationship Psychology) and World Languages (SPAN 305 Gender in Hispanic Civilizations).
Learning Outcomes
Goal (1) Understand the concepts and methods of anthropology as a four-field discipline.
Outcome: Demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental concepts and field/laboratory methods in Anthropology/Archaeology.
Goal (2) Have effective communication skills, including oral and written examples.
Outcome: Demonstrate effective communication skills, including oral and written presentations of synthesized/analyzed Anthropological/Archaeological materials and literature.
Goal (3) Demonstrate critical engagement with the discipline’s theoretical and ethical concerns.
Outcome: Distinguish, synthesize, and evaluate the theoretical and ethical underpinnings of Anthropology or Archaeology.
Goal (4) Apply foundational concepts and methods in an analysis of diverse problems and contexts.
Outcome: Critically apply Anthropological/Archaeological concepts and data to new contexts.
Goal (5) Conduct independent Anthropological research under faculty supervision.
Outcome: Design and Conduct Anthropological Research using appropriate techniques and procedures.
B.A. in Anthropology and Archaeology
All Anthropology/Archaeology students complete 9 required departmental core courses (28 credits), Statistics (3 credits), and successfully complete the intermediate level of a foreign language (3-9 credits). Students seeking a general B.A. in Anthropology/ Archaeology must complete an additional 3 required departmental methods and materials courses (9-13 credits), Physical Geology and Lab (4 credits), and 5 additional Anthropology/Archaeology courses numbered above 200.
Sample Coursework:
ANTH 216 PLANTS AND PEOPLE
People depend on plants for food, clothing, shelter, medicines, and a host of other daily needs. This course examines the varied and complex interrelationships between plants and people. Major topics include domestication processes, the Green Revolution, intentional and unintentional modification of plant communities, and an examination of those plants that provide drugs, food, beverages, and fibers necessary to daily life.
ANTH 220 NATIVE AMERICANS IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY
This course introduces students to the diverse lives and livelihoods of Native Americans in contemporary society with an emphasis on the range of issues facing Native peoples today. The course provides an overview of the salient issues affecting contemporary Native peoples’ social, cultural, economic and political activities. Lecture topics include, but are not limited to, colonial legacies, popular culture and stereotypes, indigenous identities, tribal-federal relationships, sovereignty, cultural survival and revitalization, and ethics.
ANTH 347 ANTHROPOLOGICAL ETHICS
This course explores the ethical, legal and practical dimensions of contemporary anthropology and its sub-disciplines through a consideration of topics such as anthropology as a profession, ethics and codes of conduct, national and international approaches to cultural/heritage management, the relationship between anthropology and diverse publics, and anthropological education. It exposes students to the many issues that may arise during a career in anthropology (or in the social science) and prepares them to engage them productively. Emphasis is placed on helping students develop the skills necessary to formulate, discuss and defend their own set of anthropological values through critical analysis and study of case studies, ethical principles, and codes of conduct.
Mission Statement
Our department is committed to the education and training of the next generation of Anthropologists and Archaeologists. As a four-field discipline concerned with the cultural and biological expressions of humanity past and present, Anthropology is a diverse endeavor characterized by approaches and methodologies drawn from both the sciences and the humanities. Therefore, a wide range of core information, concepts, methodologies, as well as the ability to mobilize these resources critically and independently, form the skill set that we strive to impart to our students. Development of these skills in our programs and courses is facilitated by the following tenets:
A student-centered approach to Anthropological inquiry. Immersion of students in field, laboratory, and research experiences extends to all phases of our scholarly pursuits, including research design, data collection and analysis, and communication to the disciplinary community and diverse publics.
A focus upon foundational knowledge, theories, and methodologies of our diverse discipline and, a necessary cross-disciplinary engagement with the earth and biological sciences. This focus is facilitated via classroom and practical hands-on experiences that expose students to various career paths.
A commitment to working closely with students of all experiences and backgrounds. Emphasis is placed upon mentoring through the advising process, in directed field and laboratory experiences, and through the independent research process.
Firm adherence to a clear and rigorous set of academic standards necessary for the success of our students in the current career market and in top-tier graduate programs here and abroad.
CONSERVATION LABORATORY
The Conservation Laboratory is dedicated to the assessment, documentation, stabilization, and preservation of materials in archaeological field and laboratory environments. Staff and students focus on preventative conservation of durable inorganic and non-durable organic objects with the goal of providing stable environments for artifacts by regularly monitoring facility and collection conditions, and utilizing appropriate archival-quality materials for object storage. A freeze dryer, a walk-in climate controlled storage facility, and a Parylene deposition system are available for use.
HISTORICAL ARTIFACT AND GRAVESTONE LABORATORY
Specializing in the analysis of materials and cemeteries dating to the post-European Contact period, students study and analyze materials such as ceramic wares, glass bottles, beads, and cemeteries and grave markers to learn about our more recent past. Students work with local cemeteries to develop and operationalize gravestone restoration and analysis projects. These hands-on experiences provide excellent career preparation and training as students learn how to collaborate and research in a laboratory setting.
PERISHABLE ARTIFACT LABORATORY
Our nationally unique Perishable Artifact Laboratory is dedicated to the analysis, documentation, and conservation of perishable material culture. We study and archive a wide range of interrelated craft products including cloth, basketry, string, netting, footwear and matting, as well as perishable artifact impressions and various objects made from wood, animal hide, and feathers. The lab also holds an extensive library of digital and print materials related to perishable material culture globally.
TED RATHBUN OSTEOLOGY LABORATORY
With our extensive comparative collections of human and faunal skeletal elements, students learn the most up-to-date analytical techniques to determine species, age, sex, health, and manner of death from archaeological and forensic human and animal remains. A comprehensive in-house library complements the collections.
LITHIC ARTIFACT ANALYSIS LABORATORY
Dedicated to the analysis of chipped- and ground-stone artifacts, students collect data that informs on the manufacture and use of stone tools. Students experiment with stone tool replication and uses, and our collection of artifacts from around the world represents 300,000 of stone tool manufacture.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROCESSING LABORATORY
Our Processing Lab is the first stop for artifacts recovered during our archaeological field projects. Students clean, label, and catalog archaeological specimens while learning proper artifact curation and database creation methods. Once this is accomplished, the artifacts are then sent to one of our specialty labs for analysis.
The Department of Anthropology/Archaeology offers courses leading to Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees in Anthropology/Archaeology. Students may follow a general BA course of study, or specialize in one of 3 concentrations in a B.A. or B.S. track. Students seeking a B.S. in Anthropology/ Archaeology may pursue this via an Archaeology, or a Bioarchaeology Concentration. All Anthropology/ Archaeology students complete 10 required departmental core courses (31 credits), Statistics for the Natural Sciences (3 credits), and successfully complete the intermediate level of a foreign language (9 credits).
Students seeking a general B.A. in Anthropology/ Archaeology must complete an additional 3 required departmental courses (14 credits), Physical or Historical Geology/Lab (4 credits), and 2 additional Anthropology/Archaeology courses numbered above 200.
All Anthropology/Archaeology majors must maintain an overall 2.75 GPA, and a 3.0 GPA in Anthropology/ Archaeology major courses. Grades of D or lower will have to be repeated. Students will be evaluated in the summer following their sophomore year. Students failing to achieve the minimum GPA will receive a degree of General Science
Our students learn methods of archaeological research design, geophysical survey, excavation, and artifact mapping and recovery on a 6-week field course. Our current field school location is at historic Custaloga Town, a protohistoric village established around 1754 in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, by the Delaware leader Custaloga. The site is known for being the final resting place of Guyasuta, a skilled Seneca military leader. Earlier prehistoric Archaic and Owasco occupations also exist on the site. In partnership with the Seneca Nation of Indians, research is focused on subsurface archaeological testing and electronic remote sensing to locate and document the village location, historic period burial loci, earlier occupations, and an existing 19th Century domestic site. Data recovered from these investigations will facilitate the protection and preservation of historic Native American burials, and excavations at the site will provide a new baseline for public interpretation and educational outreach.
Dr. Ed Jolie talks about the summer field training program at Custaloga Town during French Creek Heritage Days.
Our students are closely mentored by faculty and staff while they complete an individualized capstone three-term research thesis experience at both the Bachelors and Master’s levels. Anthropology/Archaeology research students work with anthropological and archaeological subject matter to:
- learn research methods and process
- gain expertise in data analysis
- develop critical thinking and intellectual maturity
- acquire disciplinary writing skills
- excel in a collaborative work environment
- conduct their own research and author conference presentations and publications
- contribute to the profession as students
Recent student research projects:
Katarina Fitzpatrick ’15 Plasmar en Oleo: An Ethnographic Study of the Painters of San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala
Elizabeth Goldberg ’17: An Analysis of Cordage from Promontory Caves, UT
Lisa Iadanza ’16: Queering the Heteronormal: Memorial Practices in the Historic Cemeteries of Erie County
Lauren Osmialowsky ’16: Climate, Tree Rings, and Pinus Ponderosa: Implications for Dendroclimatology at Fort Burgwin, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico
Pochereth Payne ‘15: Distinguishing Between Darts and Arrows among Prehistoric Eastern Pennsylvania Diagnostic Projectile Points: A Typical and Chronological Analysis of Projectile Points Using the Dart-Arrow Index
Vianna Quach ’17: A Resettlement Agency’s Responses to Resettling Syrian Refugees
Clara Summa ’16: An Archaeological and Documentary Search for the Conneaut Division of the Erie Extension Canal
Erica Weiss ’17: Representation of Native Americans in Museums via the Diorama Exhibit: A Critical Perspective
Jobs in Anthropology are expected to rise by 4 % over the next 8 years! Anthropology students are employable directly after graduation, and some complete an additional degree for certain career paths.
MU graduates are field archaeologists, cultural resource managers, material culture analysists, historic preservation officers, public history interpreters, military advisers, museum educators and specialists, teachers and professors, auction house specialists, as well as policy makers, advisers, or facilitators in many non-profit organizations.
Many other fields like medicine, education, the legal profession, international relations, geography and geosystems, and the civil service favor applicants with degrees in Anthropology. We have graduates there too!
Anthropology jobs exist in cultural and environmental resource firms, in museums, in state historic preservation offices, in schools and universities, in many non-profit settings, in the military, in local, state, and federal governments, in private firms and corporations, and in the communications industry.
Our graduates:
- have a 100% success rate in graduate or professional school
- have a 90% success rate of job placement and 99% graduate/professional school acceptance rate
- receive graduate and professional school funding
- are sought-after in leadership positions and in field and laboratory settings in competitive job markets
- are prepared for a diversity of employment and internship opportunities
- are sought-after in a wider variety of post-graduate degree programs than other majors
- have flexibility in a changing career market
Some of the jobs currently held by our Alumni:
- Principal Investigator, AllStar Ecology LLC, a Cultural Resources Firm (WV)
- Geographic Information Systems Manager & Archaeologist, Dovetail Cultural Resource Group, DE/VA
- Assistant Director, Kentucky Office of State Archaeology, University of Kentucky
- Occupational therapy aide, St. Michael’s School, Navajo Nation
- Archaeological Monitor and Curation Specialist, Ft. Benning, Georgia
- Fulbright teaching scholar, Taiwan
- English teacher, South Korea
- Coin Consignment Director, Heritage Auctions (TX)
- Manager, AM Global Consulting, Washington, DC
- Creator and host of a public radio program about archaeology and history, Bellows Falls, VT
- Archaeological technician, Lincoln National Forest, NM
- Archaeological supervisor, Markosky Engineering, PA
- Director of Client and Public Relations, Cordier Auctions & Appraisals, PA
Anthropology/Archaeology students, staff, and faculty provide hands-on archaeology- and anthropology-themed experiences to young people and adults on campus, at our field school, in elementary- and secondary-education classrooms, at community festivals, and in regional cultural and historical institutions.
At Mercyhurst, we believe in engaging the public at all levels in order to share our findings, promote the preservation of historic resources, and contribute to the dialogue concerning human issues and problems. Whether we’re making stone tools with kids at summer camps and school groups, conducting mock excavations at local history events, updating our Portal to the Past exhibit at the ExpERIEnce Children’s Museum, enhancing local museum exhibits, assisting in the historic interpretations of regional sites, performing cemetery conservation projects, or hosting our very own Dig Into Erie’s Past event, you won’t have to look far to find us!
The Department of Anthropology/Archaeology has established partnerships and collaborative arrangements with a number of organizations that provide opportunities for our students to expand the breadth and depth of their Anthropology training and perspective. These include Allegheny National Forest, Fort LeBoeuff Museum, Fort Tombecbe/University of Alabama, Fort St. Pierre/Vicksburg, The Seneca Nation of Indians, Tom Ridge Environmental Center.
Internship opportunities are encouraged and have been pursued by our students at many institutions and organizations including Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Erie History Center, and the Tom Ridge Environmental Center.
Mercyhurst University faculty and students have the ability to participate in a series of unique summer Study Abroad experiences. These trips, which are tied directly into the Mercyhurst core curriculum, provide students with numerous opportunities to enhance their classroom learning with lectures and visits to renowned cultural and historical sites.
Imagine a discussion of gender politics during an outdoor dinner in Assisi, Italy, enjoying student led presentations at some of Britain’s most famous archaeological sites, or poetry readings at Yate’s Irish tower at Thoor Baile. Students have also had opportunities to sign the peace wall during a Belfast Troubles tour, taken final exams with Oxford University College as a backdrop, and explored the treasures of the Vatican firsthand.
Formal lectures, critical discussions, and powerful experiences characterize these trips, in which students and faculty members explore course themes in a variety of powerful and beautiful settings. Student presentations, journaling, and exploration make these trips into remarkable experiences that last a lifetime. Europe, Japan, Egypt, Argentina, and the Galapagos Islands are just a sampling of our past and future destinations.
Anthropology Club is a student organization dedicated to providing extra-curricular archaeological and anthropological experiences. Club members explore prehistoric technologies such as stone tool and cordage manufacture, raise funds to attend museums and significant archaeological sites, host guest speakers, and travel to professional conferences nationwide.
Resources
Main Quote ResourceAmerican Anthropological Association
American Association of Physical Anthropologists
European Association of Archaeologists
Society for American Archaeology
Society for Applied Anthropology
Society for Historical Archaeology
Mercyhurst M.S. in Secondary Education 4+1 Program
Course Catalog
Contact Us
Anthropology/Archaeology Department
Phone: 814-824-2581
