Environmental archaeology draws from a number of disciplines to understand past human-environment interactions. Thus, a broad background, especially in the sciences (e.g., ecology, evolution, geology, chemistry, physics) is required. Listed below are courses that may be suitable for a concentration in some aspect(s) of environmental archaeology.
Archaeology is housed within the Department of Geography at UNT, and undergraduate students who are interested in Archaeology may major in Geography or Anthropology. To choose the correct major, students should seek advice from faculty members in both departments. General speaking, those interested in archaeology with an anthropological focus (concerning social and cultural perspectives) should major in Anthropology and then take a variety of Archaeology courses. Those students interested in Archaeological Science (environmental archaeology, geoarchaeology, zooarchaeology) should major in Geography. Graduate students interested in studying Archaeology at UNT must do so through the Master's in Applied Geography program. All Archaeology courses are listed under the ARCH prefix and are taught through the Department of Geography.
The Archaeology Minor: If a student is majoring in Anthropology or Geography and their interests lie in Archaeology, they may not minor in Archaeology because ARCH courses are part of the curriculum for each major. If a student is majoring in Geography, they should minor in Anthropology to gain exposure to relevant coursework. If majoring in Anthropology, minor in Geography to gain additional skills and concepts relevant to a career in Archaeology. A double major in Anthropology and Geography is another desirable option for those who desire a career in Archaeology.
Key Courses in the Undergraduate EA Core
- ARCH 2800 Archaeological Science
- ARCH 3650 Origins of Civilization
- ARCH 4620 Topics in Archaeology
- ARCH 4810 Archaeological Field School
- GEOG 2110 Foundations of Geographic Research*
- GEOG 2180 Geosystems, Environment and Society*
- GEOG 3420 Applied Biogeography
- GEOG 4800 Geography Capstone*
- GEOL 1610 Introduction to Physical Geology
- GEOL 4710 Ecosystems: Structure, Function and Services
Key Courses in Other Departments
- BIOL/ANTH 2700: Human Evolution and Physical Anthropology
- ANTH 4250: Development of Anthropological Thought
- BIOL 2140: Principles of Ecology
- CHEM 1410: General Chemistry
In addition, there are a number of specializations within environmental archaeology that students can pursue.
Recommended Courses for Geoarchaeology, Lithics, Ceramics
- GEOG 3350 Geomorphology
- GEOL 3000 Geology of Texas
- GEOL 3020 Historical Geology
- GEOL 4630 Soils Geomorphology
- PHYS 1315 Introduction to the World of Physics
Recommended Courses for Zooarchaeology
- BIOL 1710/1730 Principles of Biology I
- BIOL 1720/1740 Principles of Biology II
- BIOL 3000 Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates
- BIOL 3160 Biological Resource Conservation and Management
- BIOL 4050 Animal Ecology
- BIOL 4051 Community Ecology
- BIOL 4260 Principles of Evolution
- BIOL/ANTH 4600 Forensic Anthropology/Biology
Recommended Courses for GIS, Spatial Analysis
- GEOG 3050 Cartography and Graphics
- GEOG 3500 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
- GEOG 4400 Introduction to Remote Sensing
- GEOG 4520 Intermediate GIS
* Required course for all undergraduate geography majors
Key courses in the graduate EA core
- ARCH 5260 Topics in Archaeology
- GEOG 5800 Research Design and Geographic Applications*
- GEOG 5160 Foundations of Geographic Thought*
- GEOG 5190 Advanced Quantitative Techniques*
- GEOG 5630 Soils Geomorphology
- GEOG 5960 Ecosystems: Structure, Function and Services
- BIOL 5050 Foundations of Ecological Theory
- BIOL 5260 Principles of Evolution
*Required course for all geography graduate students
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Students interested in the EA core may also be interested in our other two core areas: Human Systems and the Environment and Earth Science and Modeling.