SOAN 230 - Discovering W&L’s Origins Using Historical Archaeology

FDR: SS4 Social Science - Group 4 Distribution
Credits: 3

Not open to students who have taken SOAN 181 with the same description. Same as HIST 230. This course introduces students to the practice of historical archaeology using W&L’s Liberty Hall campus and ongoing excavations there as a case study. With archaeological excavation and documentary research as our primary sources of data. we use the methods of these two disciplines to analyze our data using tools from the digital humanities to present our findings. Critically, we explore the range of questions and answers that these data and methods of analysis make possible. Hands-on experience with data collection and analysis is the focus of this course, with students working together in groups deciding how to interpret their findings to a public audience about the university’s early history. The final project varies by term but might include a short video documentary. a museum display, or a web page.