Archaeology - Undergraduate Minor
The Undergraduate Minor in Archaeology is an interdisciplinary program through which students develop a deeper understanding of global culture change and the long-term anthropogenic impacts to our planet. Archaeologists use the material evidence of landscapes, sites, and artifacts to reconstruct past lifeways and interpret human behavioral variation and cultural change. They apply their knowledge to promote stewardship of cultural resources and respect for diverse pasts. The minor offers students the opportunity to acquire training in archaeology through experiential learning of field data collection techniques, laboratory analysis of archaeological materials, and cross disciplinary skills needed for careers in public and private cultural resource management, historic preservation, and heritage conservation. NMSU occupies a strategic position as a land grant institution in a multi-cultural regional setting, combined with its geographic location on a binational border. Students in different programs can use the minor in archaeology to enhance their undergraduate degrees and prepare themselves professionally to seek careers and graduate degrees in archaeology, public lands management, environmental sciences, public history, geography, or teaching.
The minor requires 18 credit hours, distributed as follows.
- At least 12 credits must be earned in upper division (300+) courses.
- At least one course and no more than two courses (6 credits) must be earned in a field other than Anthropology.
- At least three credits must be earned in each division – required, area studies, field methods, and laboratory methods.
| Prefix | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 18 | |
| Introduction to Archaeology (required Archaeological Method & Theory course) | 3 | |
| Select a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6 credits in Area Studies in Archaeology from the following: | ||
| World Archaeology | 3 | |
| Physical Geology | 4 | |
| Archaeology: Search for the Past | 3 | |
| The Ancient Maya | 3 | |
| Ancient Mexico | 3 | |
| Archaeology of Ancient Southwest | 3 | |
| Historical Archaeology | 3 | |
| Archaeology of Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion | 3 | |
| Cultural Resource Management I | 3 | |
| Greek Civilization: From Helen of Troy to Alexander the Great | 3 | |
| Roman Civilization | 3 | |
| Select a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6 credits in Field Methods from the following: | ||
| Archaeological Mapping | 3 | |
| Archaelogical Field School | 6 | |
or ANTH 488 | Advanced Archaeological Field School | |
| Geomorphology | 3 | |
| Select a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 9 credits in Laboratory Methods and Analysis from the following: | ||
| Pottery Analysis in Archaeology | 3 | |
| Lithic Technology Organization | 3 | |
| Lab Methods in Archaeology | 3 | |
| Curation Crisis in Archaeology | 3 | |
| Human Osteology | 3 | |
| Zooarchaeology | 3 | |
| Cartography and GIS | 4 | |
| Introduction to Rocks and Minerals (pre/co-requisite GEOL 1110G) | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Notes:
- Students who earn a B.A. in Anthropology may also earn a minor in Archaeology.
- Students earning the minor must pass 18 credits with grades of C- or higher.
- Students may count S grades only in courses in which all grades are S/U.
- Alternate courses may be substituted with approval of the advisor for the minor.