Topic | Time Devoted to Each Topic | Activity |
Introduction to Frauds and Mysteries | 3 classes | Readings: ▪ Feder pp. xiii-xiv, xvii-xix, Chapter 1: Science and Pseudoscience ▪ Holtorf Chapter 1: Archaeology and Popular Culture ▪ Feder Chapter 3: Anatomy of an Archaeological Hoax ▪ Radford “Introduction” |
How We Perceive the Study of the Past, Fascinations with Archaeology and History, Significance of the Past | 2 classes | Readings: ▪ Everyone: Holtorf Chapters 3: The Archaeologist in the Field ▪ Last name starting with A-M: Holtorf Chapter 2: Below the Surface (16-34) ▪ Last name starting with N-Z: Holtorf Chapter 4: Interpreting Traces ▪ Holtorf Chapter 6: Contemporaneous Meanings ▪ Hollowell “Moral Arguments on Subsistence Digging”
Deadline to choose presentation topic |
How We Know What We Know?, Skepticism, Ways of Thinking in Science and History, Logical Fallacies | 3 classes | Readings: ▪ Feder Chapter 2: Epistemology – How You Know What You Know ▪ The Book of Bad Arguments: bookofbadarguments.com/?view=flipbook ▪ Carl Sagan Excerpts (The Baloney Detection Kit) For Review: For help learning logical fallacies look at: McGraw Logical Fallacies Resources ▪ Nickell “Principles of Authentication”
Logical Fallacies Quiz Due at the end of the week |
Frauds, Myths and Misconceptions about Human Nature, Human Origins, and Early Humans | 4 classes | Readings: ▪ Fuentes Excerpts from “Busting Myths about Human Nature” ▪ Horgan “Quitting the Hominid Fight Club” ▪ Stanford “5 Cherished Myths of Humans Origins” ▪ Feder Chapter 4 “Dawson’s Dawn Man”
Student Presentations: ▪ The Aquatic Ape Theory ▪ Samuel Morton and theories about brain size and intelligence (can also look at Stephen Jay Gould’s claims about Samuel Morton) ▪ Phrenology ▪ Bigfoot aka Sasquatch |
Exploration, Discovery, Diffusionism, Lost Civilizations, and Lost Continents | 2 classes | Readings: ▪ Feder Chapter 6: Who’s Next? After the Indians, Before Columbus
Student Presentations ▪ Claims about early Africans in the Americas (choose 2-3 to focus on, see for example: Ivan Van Sertima and/or Paul Alfred Barton) ▪ Thor Heyerdahl’s and theories of diffusionism ▪ Menzies and the Chinese “Discovery” of the New World ▪ Claims and evidence of Viking/Norse populations in the Americas (choose 2-3 to focus on Kensington Runestone, L’Anse aux Meadows)
▪ Atlantis (choose 2-3 claims about Atlantis to focus on) ▪ Graham Hancock’s claims (choose 2-3 to focus on e.g. Lost Civilization, books: Supernatural, Talisman, Fingerprints of the Gods ▪ The Lost Continent of Mu and/or The Lost Continent of Lemuria |
Myths, Mysteries, and Misconceptions about the Americas: Denials of history, European exploration, U.S. History, Ancient civilizations in the Americas | 5 classes | Readings: ▪ Feder Chapter 7: The Myth of the Moundbuilders pp. 162-182 ▪ Archaeologists’ commentary about Lost Civilizations of North America video ▪ Columbus readings
TA Guest Lecture: Misconceptions about gender in U.S. history
Student Presentations: ▪ Barry Fell’s claims (choose 2-3 to focus on, some of his books: Saga America, America BC, Bronze Age America) OR Claims of Lost Tribes of Israel in the Americas ▪ The Lost Colony and “The Dare Stones” ▪ Mark William Hofmann
▪ The Maya Calendar, 2012, and Doomsday Prophecies ▪ “The Maya Collapse” ▪ Myths about Christopher Columbus (choose 2-3 to focus on)
▪ Michael Bellesiles and his book Arming America ▪ The Willie Lynch Letter ▪ An assassination conspiracy theory (e.g. Lincoln, Kennedy) ▪ Moon Landing Denial OR The Lost Cosmonauts ▪ Free-Mason Conspiracy Theories
Midterm Due. |
Weird “History”: Beasts, Mythical Creatures, Ancient Aliens, Curses, and Strange Disappearances | 2 classes | Readings: Look up a mythical creature and briefly research the history behind it. Come to class prepared to talk about what you found. Examples: Wampus Cat, Loch Ness Monster, Yeti, Vampires, Vodoo Shark, Chimera, Dragons, Grendel, Mothman, New Jersey Devil, Unicorn. ▪ Feder Chapter 9: Prehistoric E.T.: The Fantasy of Ancient Astronauts ▪ Von Daniken Excerpt from “Chariots of the Gods”
Student Presentations: ▪ Claims about the Nazca lines ▪ Vile Vortices (choose 1 or 2) ▪ Claims about the Egyptian Pyramids (choose 2-3 to focus on; e.g. pyramid alignment, pyramid magic, slaves built the pyramids) ▪ A Curse on King Tut’s Tomb |
Manipulating the Past: Denials of History, Using the Past to Construct Identity, Nationalism and History | 2 classes | Readings ▪ Benavides “Narratives of Power, the Power of Narratives” ▪ The Use of Myth in History http://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/summer12/myths.cfm
Student Presentations: ▪ Nazi manipulations of history and archaeology ▪ James Macpherson's 'Ossian' poems ▪ Holocaust Denial ▪ Denial of African heritage in Zimbabwe |
Religion and Myths, Mysteries, and Pseudoscience and Final Project Preparation | 2 classes | Readings: ▪ Feder Chapter 12 “Old Time Religion, New Age Visions, and Paranormal Predictions” ▪ Read over debate assignment and prepare to meet with your group ▪ Do some research about your debate topic
Student Presentations: ▪ Shroud of Turin or James Ossuary ▪ Ark of the Covenant ▪ “Jesus in the Snow” and other popular claims of divine sightings |
The Concept of Authenticity, History and Entertainment, Heritage Tourism, Forgeries and Fakes | 2 classes | Readings: ▪ Holtorf Chapter 7 “Authenticity” ▪ Gable and Handler, "Deep Dirt: Messing Up the Past." ▪ Goodman “How Fake Art Is Created and Discovered and Why” ▪ Choose a few Fakes, Mistakes, Discoveries, or Secrets to read about www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/research/close-examination/
Student Presentations: ▪ Elmyr de Hory OR Han van Meegeren ▪ Shaun Greenhalgh ▪ The Hitler Diaries
Research Paper Due. |
The Past and Popular Culture and Final Project Preparation | 2 classes | Readings: ▪ Holtorf Chapters 8 ▪ Bring a laptop to class if you have one. ▪ Do some readings and research about your debate topic ▪ Prepare to meet with your debate group
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