Hi everyone!
I was wondering which would be the best non-ivy colleges for a person looking to major in archaeology (as the title says).
Stanford, JHU, WUSTL, Carleton, Bowdoin, Wellesley, USC, UCLA, Oberlin, NYU.
So a google search for articles like this: http://www.ancientdigger.com/2011/08/us-archaeology-and-anthropology-schools.html
Then research the schools that come up to see which might fit your criteria, keeping in mind that most students change their majors at least once, so the overall institution needs to be a good fit as well.
These are a few colleges worth exploring for archaeology, particularly if you have at least some interest in social anthropology:
Beloit College: Has a nationally recognized program and an anthropology museum.
Bryn Mawr College: Tends to graduate future PhDs.
Hamilton College: The anthropology department is supported by an excellent geoscience department. Offers an esoteric geoarchaeology major.
UCB
A lot depends on what type of archaeology interests you.
If you’re interested in classical archaeology, you want a school with a strong classics department, e.g., Michigan or Cincinnati.
If you’re interested in ancient Near Eastern archaeology, you want a school that is strong in that area, e.g., Berkeley, UCLA, Chicago.
If you’re interested in archaeology in general, consider U Arizona, Boston U, North Carolina. Georgia has a certificate program in archaeological sciences.
Rochester has an interesting program in “Archaeology, Technology, & Historical Structures,” which combines aspects of archeology and engineering. If that interests you, you also might be interested in programs in historic preservation.
If you’re interested in historical archaeology, U Mass has a combined major in history and archaeology.
Btw, be cautious regarding the recommendations in #1. Bowdoin, for example, offered only one course in archaeology this spring.
^ I should amend that. It appears Bowdoin also offers a handful of archaeology courses through its classics department.
Thank you all so much!!
@merc81, thank you for the clarification. What exactly is Bowdoin like?
The only real criteria I have is that recommended colleges have other good programs in other fields, in case I actually do wish to switch majors as most people seem to.
Traditionally in the U.S., archaeology is regarded as a major subfield of anthropology. Bowdoin seems to lack this major track, and instead appears to offer a handful of courses in archaeology as a way of supplementing their classics and art history departments. The College combines its anthropology with sociology to form one department.
With respect to the colleges mentioned in #3, all offer an array of archaeology courses within dedicated anthropology departments. Hamilton is curricularly balanced between the sciences and math, the humanities and fine arts, and the social sciences. Bryn Mawr, with its bi-college relationship with Haverford, offers curricular breadth as well. Beloit I recommended primarily on the strength of what I know about its anthropology department, but the rest of the college seems worth researching as well.
Thanks so much; your information was truly eye-opening!
Indiana Jones went to U Chicago if memory serves me.
LOL, sounds good. I’ve always wanted to be like him.
^^ See this on the mystery package sent to Indy Jones at the University of Chicago: http://uchicagoadmissions.■■■■■■■■■■/post/37809971913/indiana-jones-mystery-package-we-dont-really
http://uchicagoadmissions.■■■■■■■■■■/post/38161122385/mischief-managed-for-those-of-you-who-have
Jones taught at the fictional Barnett College (http://indianajones.wikia.com/wiki/Barnett_College) and Marshall College (http://indianajones.wikia.com/wiki/Marshall_College).
The Indy Jones character might be based on Beloit professor, Roy Chapman Andrews (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Chapman_Andrews); or, on Yale professor, Hiram Bingham (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiram_Bingham_III0; or, on U of Chicago professor, Robert Braidwood (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_John_Braidwood); or on U of Chicago professor, James Breasted (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Henry_Breasted); or, on Vassar professor, Walter Fairservis (http://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/16/obituaries/walter-a-fairservis-73-dies-was-archeologist-and-author.html); or, on Harvard professor, Farish Jenkins (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farish_Jenkins); or, on Northwestern professor, William McGovern (http://www.northwestern.edu/magazine/spring2010/feature/williammcgovern.html); or, on Harvard professor, Langdon Warner (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langdon_Warner), as well as on several others.
Roger from American Dad got his Masters in Archaeology from Georgetown.
(Ref. Season 9, Episode 9)
Paul Sereno is a very interesting person. Google if you are interested in learning more about him.
^^ That’s not unlike TV. Georgetown doesn’t offer a master’s in archaeology. I don’t believe they offer an undergraduate track in the field either.
Re: #15
How did paleontology come up?
Oops, sorry! 
:))
You guys are awesome; as I still haven’t decided which branch of archaeology I want to go into, what would you all suggest I do to learn more?