The archaeology studies program connects students to the deep past through hands-on work with archaeological data collected in both field and museum settings. The program emphasizes a scientific and quantitative approach, encouraging students to think critically and exploring multiple theoretical perspectives such as political economy, cultural ecology, niche construction theory, and more. Graduate students in the MA program can earn 6 to 18 credit hours in this research concentration, and undergraduates benefit from a curriculum that blends theory, methods, and often collaborative work with graduate students. Students can also gain professional experience through internships at local museums and historic preservation offices across Denver. Archaeology courses can be supplemented with offerings in geology, geography, and history, giving students a broad, interdisciplinary foundation for understanding human societies and their material traces.
Archaeology Themes
- Prehistoric and Modern migration
- Prehistoric political economy
- Sociopolitical evolution
- Southwestern and Mexican Archaeology
- Zooarchaeology
- Political systems and ideology
Fulltime Archaeology Faculty
Christopher Beekman (PhD, Vanderbilt University, 1996)
Archaeological theory and methods; political systems; settlement patterns and agriculture; Ceramic analysis; Mesoamerica, esp. West Mexico
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Jamie M. Hodgkins (PhD, Arizona State University, 2012)
Zooarchaeology, paleoecology, paleoanthropology, isotopic bone chemistry, Middle and Upper Paleolithic
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Tiffany Terneny (PhD, University of Texas-Austin, 2005)
South Texas historic/prehistory, mortuary and forensic archaeology
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Archaeologists from CU-Boulder, the University of Denver, Metropolitan State College of Denver and other institutions also regularly serve on UCD Master's Degree committees, giving UCD students access to the wide range of specialties and talents present in the Metro Denver area.