Welcome, undergraduate students! Below you’ll find a list of the latest course offerings at UD that engage significantly with material culture. Don’t forget to check out the amazing grant opportunities sponsored by CMCS.
Spring 2025 Courses
Anth324 – Old World Archaeology
Professor Rocek
The course surveys world prehistory, excluding the Americas, from the origins of hominins to the appearance of states. This survey is used to introduce concepts of biological and cultural evolution, and variation in technological, economic and social complexity. We begin with an introduction to method and theory in archeology, and then proceed chronologically through the sequence of cultural development.
ANTH/MCST216-710 – Introduction to Material Culture Studies
Professor de Kramer
This course is about the study of people and their things. This includes the clothes we wear, the tools we use, the food we eat, the art we make, the brands we like and the places we go. Material culture consists of all the “stuff” of our daily lives, which are all products of culture, and which often have deep meaning. In this class, you will learn about American material culture and how to study it. Guest speakers from different disciplines will come explain their specific way of studying things.
UAPP418/MCST418 – Traditional Architectural Materials
Professor Reedy
Overview of composition, fabrication methods, deterioration mechanisms, and preservation needs of stone, ceramic, metal, glass, mortar, plaster, paint, and wood components of traditional architecture from a variety of cultural contexts.
ANTH/MCST/HIST 216 – Introduction to Material Culture Studies
Professor DeCunzo
This course introduces the field of material culture studies, the study of all the things
people make, and the ways people alter the physical world. Considers numerous
approaches to understanding material and physical dimensions of life, including
architecture, technology, consumer goods, and place. Case studies are drawn from
around the world.
ANTH 257 – Archaeology of Delaware Native Americans
Professor Custer
Examines the diverse cultures and lifeways of Native Americans in the Delaware region,
with a focus on the historical period prior to European contact and colonization.
Emphasis on the dynamic relations between past societies and their ecological
environments.
ARTH332 – Art and Archaeology of Asia
Professor Rujivacharakul
Examines history of art, architecture, and archaeology in Asia through critical
discussions of objects, sites, built-environment, material culture, and archival texts.
Topics include: First Empire's Material Culture, Song-Yuan Paintings, Pax Mongolica
Cultural Exchange, Archaeological Sites of India, Buddhist Art and Archaeology of
Afghanistan, Temples and Shrines in Asia, among others.
MSST/HIST/ARTH 201 – Introduction to Museums
Professor Ott
Introduction to the history, operations and future of museums, historic sites, archives
and related cultural organizations. Examines collecting and collection management,
conservation of collections, exhibition development, public programs and museum
education, and digital outreach. Museum careers and volunteer engagement are
explored.