Subsections
[Cr:4, Lc:2, Tt:0, Lb:2]
- This course is meant for advanced students who need to learn traditional and new methods of
fieldwork and laboratory research required in their research. The course aims to acquaint
students to the evolutionary history of life on earth and the ecological and geological forces
that influenced it as well as past anthropogenic impacts on the earth’s ecosystem during
human dispersals and environmental adaptations. Covered topics will span anthropology,
archaeology, ethnoarchaeology, geology, ecology, paleontology, taphonomy and animal
behaviour. A significant portion of the course will be taught through field lectures and
extensive fieldwork at select pre-specified locations. Topics include:
- surveys and excavations,
- data collection (e.g. artifacts, fossils),
- site documentation,
- geological descriptions and mapping techniques.
- Anthropological methods may involve interactions with indigenous communities and
ethnoarchaeological documentation. Ecological studies will cover the evolution of life on
earth, its climate history and the associated changes in the faunal and floral communities and
tracing macroevolutionary changes as seen in fossil records. Fieldwork will include:
- field-sampling techniques,
- identification and quantification of faunal diversity and,
- field-based observations of animal behaviour.
- Geological studies will include hands-on mechanics of fieldwork, geological mapping and
synthesis of data (e.g. identification of geomorphological features, analysis of lithological &
sedimentological features). Recent concepts and theories in geology (e.g., biomarkers and
stable isotope geochemistry) for the understanding of the earth’s climate history and
associated vegetational changes will be taught. Lab work will involve working with artifacts,
fossils, animal bones, casts, modern fauna/flora, geological samples and so forth. Lab
activities will include specimen preparation and cleaning, curation and cataloguing,
qualitative and quantitative analyses, experimental archaeology and microscopy. Additional
instructional topics to be addressed include database management, community outreach and
awareness, and ethics in field and lab research. Both the field and classroom lectures will be
multidisciplinary in nature and be given by suitable IISER Mohali faculty (e.g. HSS, EES,
DBS) as well as through invited guest lectures from external faculty and experts.
- H. Burke & C. Smith, The Archaeologists Field Handbook, (2004).
- W. D. Allmon, and D. J. Bottjer, Evolutionary paleoecology: the ecological context of
macroevolutionary changes, Columbia University Press. (2001).
- A. L. (Ed.) Coe, Geological field techniques, John Wiley & Sons. (2010).
- Select chapters from various edited volumes and select journal articles
