ANTH 335 - Archaeology of the Wild West

3 Credit(s)

The phrase “Wild West” conjures up images of gun-slinging cowboys, saloons, and noble Indians living close to nature, among many others. Although some of these notions may be accurate, many are more the product of Hollywood than an actual reflection of past life in western North America. In fact, the region has been romanticized to such an extent that it is difficult to distinguish myth from reality. In this class, we will explore many of the widely held ideas of the American West and examine what both prehistoric and historical archeology has revealed to either confirm or debunk these. In the process, we will learn about the many different peoples who have occupied western North America over the last 13,000 years, and better understand what the “West” was really like for them.

Prerequisite(s): ANTH 106 or ANTH 204.