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Class number:
3035
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Title: Hist/Arch West Africa |
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Department: History |
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Career: Undergraduate |
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Component: Seminar |
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Session: Regular |
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Instructor's Permission Required: No |
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Grading Basis: Regular |
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Units: 1.00 |
| Enrollment limited to 18 |
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Current enrollment: 11 |
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Available seats: 7 |
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Start date: Tuesday, January 20, 2026 |
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End date: Friday, May 8, 2026 |
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Mode of Instruction: In Person |
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Schedule: TR: 2:55PM-4:10PM, SH - S205 |
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Instructor(s): Crutcher, Megan |
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Prerequisite(s): None |
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Distribution Requirement: Meets Humanities and Global Requirements |
Course Description:
West Africa is a vast region that stretches from the Sahara in the north, to the Atlantic in the south and west, to the Gulf of Guinea in the east. As a result of colonization, West Africa was bordered in such a way that split apart longstanding ethnic groups and historical states. West African societies have been shaped by trade, exchange, and contact from all directions. This diversity is reflected in the complex archaeological record of the region. This seminar course investigates the history and archaeology of West Africa from the paleolithic to the present, investigating topics from the Late Stone Age to the rise of powerful kingdoms like Mali, Ghana, and Songhai, to the transatlantic trade, colonization, and the postcolonial period. Students will engage with key archaeological sites, stories, objects, and debates in West African historiography. This course highlights how archaeology reshapes our understanding of Africa’s past beyond colonial narratives and offers a dynamic lens into one of the world’s most diverse and influential regions. |