Prehistory Archaeology In East Southeast Asia

The aim of the course is to provide students with a general overview of the basic themes and issues in the prehistory of archaeology in East and Southeast Asia. This course is designed to introduce students to the archaeologies of East Asia and Southeast Asia; the area stretching from the Japanese Archipelago in the East to the western borders of China in Central Asia. The course primarily focuses on the prehistoric period but also extends into the early historic period (~40,000 BC to 1000 AD). The course is designed to progress chronologically, but with particular emphasis placed on specific themes, among them: early human migrations and expansions, the origins and dispersal of food production, development and spread of metallurgy, interregional contacts and the rise of hierarchical social organizations and urbanism. We will also examine the practice of archaeology in East Asia and how modern political processes have influenced the inferences made about the past.