Disruption and Diffusion: The Archaeology of Innovation

This undergraduate seminar uses engagement with canonical archaeological topics and questions about the emergence of civilization to introduce students to critical perspectives on the nature of novelty, progress, and modernity. The first weeks of the course will be spent learning about archaeological hypotheses and debates on early human innovation (e.g. urban development, agriculture). Later weeks will focus on developing a robust theoretical framework through which to better understand and interrogate claims about the origin of innovation.