The course is a survey of scientific applications, which make contributions to archaeological research, from the point of view of the field archaeologist.  The student does not need a background in the natural sciences.  The course will include guest speakers and field trips to laboratories, with examination of dendrochronology, radiocarbon dating, PIXE, SEM, ceramic petrography, and other fields.  Each student will be expected to write a research paper about one of the scientific fields and its archaeological applications.

The goal of the course is to acquaint the student with the capabilities and limitations of several fields so that the articles can be better understood and collaborations between laboratory scientists and field archaeologists can be better appreciated.