Archaeology OpenCourseWare: A Free Online Undergraduate Archaeology Class by MIT

Published Jan 28, 2009

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Discover the role of archaeology in uncovering the age of the earth, how early humans lived and the way humans changed over time in 'The Human Past: Introduction to Archaeology.' This free OpenCourseWare is offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and covers the rise and fall of early humanity. This course has no prerequisites. Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology take this course.

The Human Past: Introduction to Archaeology Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Undergraduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
Yes Yes No

The Human Past: Introduction to Archaeology Course Description

This course looks at some of the physical and behavioral aspects that differentiate humans from animals. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)'s School of Engineering in Cambridge, MA, provides this OpenCourseWare for undergraduates studying anthropology or materials science and engineering. Students examine early civilization and the way society and civilization developed in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. The course delves into social organization by comparing the modern city and town structure with farming villages and moving camps of hunters and gatherers. Students also learn about domestication and how it preserved some species instead of others. The course also looks at the decline of these early civilizations when buildings were not constructed and demolished instead. MIT Professor Dr. Harry Merrick teaches this course.

Study materials, lectures, notes, some assignments, a list of course readings and lab topics are available for free online. To take this OpenCourseWare, visit the archaeology course page.

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