Anthropology ANT

6 courses · Palo Verde College · 2026-2027 Catalog

Classes: Fall 2026

ANT 101 Cultural Anthropology

Units: 3
Hours: 54 hours total, 3 hours lecture weekly
Advisory: ENG 100 (now ENGL C1000)
Transfers to: CSU, UC

Student Learning Outcomes: Summarize the major theories, concepts, terminologies, and approaches to anthropology Apply the concepts of ethnocentrism and cultural relativism to modern problems Demonstrate a knowledge of human diversity and cultural interactions and a commitment to honoring that diversity

General Education: CalGETC: Transfer General Education Requirements ( 4- Social and Behavioral Sciences )

Course Duration (Weeks): 18

Study of human society with emphasis on the nature and significance of culture for human life. Utilizes comparisons, drawn largely from non-western, non-industrial societies, illustrating diverse solutions to universal human problems.

Not on the Fall 2026, Spring 2027 schedules.

ANT 102 Aztecs, Maya, and Their Predecessors

Units: 3
Hours: 54 hours total, 3 hours lecture weekly
Transfers to: CSU, UC

Student Learning Outcomes: Describe the geography of Mesoamerica and how it has contributed to the rise of complex societies Identify the major cultural, artistic, economic, political, and architectural expressions in Pre-Classic, Classic, and Post-Classic Mesoamerican cultures Describe and evaluate the impact of the Spanish Conquest and Spanish colonial institutions on the cultural, religious, and social conditions of the Mesoamerican indigenous peoples

General Education: CalGETC: Transfer General Education Requirements ( 4- Social and Behavioral Sciences )

Course Duration (Weeks): 18

The prehistoric and historic cultures of ancient Mesoamerica have captivated the imaginations of people for centuries. How is it, in an environment that lends the ability to domesticate so few plants and animals, that these ancient peoples able to create such awe-inspiring architecture and complex cultural traditions? How were these ancient peoples able to build complex cultures in rainforest environments? What led these peoples to build such strong ties with one another, leading to complex trading and tribute systems? These are only a few of the many questions explored in the context of this course. Focusing on the culture area of Mesoamerica-including Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador-the course begins by discussing the peopling of these regions. A discussion of the natural environment follows, so students will gain an understanding of the natural barriers and challenges facing these ancient cultures. The course will also follow a discussion of the domestication of plants and animals, the formation of the Archaic Period, the rise of the 'civilization', the settling of Preclassic period peoples, the development of the 'state' and the rise of Classic Period Mesoamerica, the sociopolitical rise and fall of the Postclassic Mesoamerican society, and, finally, concluding with the Contact Period era. The course will focus on the archaeological, economic, social, political, and religious foundations of ancient Mesoamericans.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section, listed as ANT-102)

ANT 107 Anthropology of Religion

Units: 3
Hours: 54 hours total, 3 hours lecture weekly
Transfers to: CSU, UC

Student Learning Outcomes: Summarize how religion is defined anthropologically and how varying religions impact the sociocultural development of societies in our contemporary world Explain the various rituals, including rites of passages, prescriptive rituals, situational rituals, periodic rituals, occasional rituals, rites of intensification, healing rituals, and pilgrimages, and their impacts on Western and Non-Western religions Summarize how religion can affect conflict and warfare

General Education: CalGETC: Transfer General Education Requirements ( 4- Social and Behavioral Sciences )

Course Duration (Weeks): 18

For what reasons do humans fill their world with sacred places, imaginary beings, and supernatural forces? Since the beginning of humankind, our species created complex rituals and stories that are encapsulated in our worldviews. In a world of unpredictability and chaos, humans strived to make sense of the natural order and meaning of the universe, leading to detailed stories of our origin, a belief in supernatural beings, and elaborate rituals of grandeur. This effort to make sense of our world is manifested in a myriad of diverse religious themes, many of which are prevalent in pop culture, contemporary literature, and popular movies. These themes, and many more, will be explored over the course of the semester.

Not on the Fall 2026, Spring 2027 schedules.

ANT 115 Ancient North America

Units: 3
Hours: 54 hours total, 3 hours lecture weekly
Transfers to: CSU

Student Learning Outcomes: 1. Demonstrate a general understanding of the diversity of ancient North American cultures. 2. Describe the ancient cultural adaptations of Native North American peoples through time as demonstrated by the archaeological record. 3. Critically assess the consequences of colonial impact on the indigenous peoples of ancient North America; discuss theories such as collapse,cultural loss, assimilation, westernization, cultural relativism, ethnocentrism, contact, and identity, and their impact on the way of life of pre-colonial ancient North Americans. 5. Develop a foundational understanding of the archaeological research methods used to investigate the ancient cultures of North America;through case studies and regional examples, students will learn how to apply techniques such as excavation, survey, radiocarbon dating, materialculture analysis, and GIS mapping to interpret archaeological data. 4. Discuss the overarching theories applied to the peoples of ancient North America in a deconstructionist and decolonized approach.

General Education: CalGETC: Transfer General Education Requirements ( 4- Social and Behavioral Sciences)

Course Duration (Weeks): 18

This course covers the archaeological record of the diverse Native American populations who livednorth of central Mexico, beginning over 15,000 years ago and continuing through the period ofEuropean contact after A.D. 1492. The course material is organized according to archaeologicallydefined "culture areas." For each area, we will examine the prehistory and lifeways of Indigenouspeoples through the lens of archaeological knowledge, focusing on how material remains areinterpreted to reconstruct past societies. Students will engage with a variety of archaeologicalresearch methods, including survey, excavation, dating techniques, artifact analysis, andpaleoenvironmental reconstruction. Emphasis will be placed on how these methods contribute toour understanding of social organization, subsistence strategies, belief systems, and long-termcultural change. This course also critically evaluates the overarching theories and interpretationsthat have been applied to the Indigenous peoples of ancient North America, employing adeconstructionist and decolonized approach. We will explore how Indigenous perspectives, ethicalconsiderations, and collaborative research practices are reshaping the field of archaeology today.

Not on the Fall 2026, Spring 2027 schedules.

ANT 120 Indigenous Peoples of North America

Units: 3
Hours: 54 hours total, 3 hours lecture weekly
Transfers to: CSU

Student Learning Outcomes: 1. Demonstrate a general understanding of the diversity of North American Indian cultures, both past and present. 2. Describe the cultural change that occurred within North American Indian cultures due to contact with Europeans. 3. Critically respond to and assess current controversial issues facing North American Indian communities. 4. Apply theory to evaluate events in the histories, cultures, intellectual traditions, contributions, lived-experiences and social struggles of NativeAmericans with a particular emphasis on agency and group-affirmation. 5. Discuss theories such as cultural loss, assimilation, westernization, decolonization, cultural relativism, ethnocentrism, agency, and identity, andtheir impact on the way of life for Native Americans. 6. Identify and describe key cultural anthropological research methods used to study Indigenous peoples of North America, includingethnographic analysis, oral history collection, archival research, linguistic study, and participant observation.

General Education: CalGETC: Transfer General Education Requirements ( 4- Social and Behavioral Sciences)

Course Duration (Weeks): 15

This course explores the cultural diversity, ways of life, history, and present-day realities of theIndigenous peoples of North America-those present on this continent prior to the arrival ofEuropeans. Students will gain a broad understanding of various Indigenous groups, the impacts ofEuropean colonialism, and contemporary issues faced by Native North Americans. The courseincorporates anthropological research methods to examine the deep histories and culturaldevelopments of Indigenous societies. These methods include anthropological approaches such asparticipant observation, ethnographic fieldwork, oral history collection, linguistic analysis, andcross-cultural comparison. Emphasis will be placed on how these interdisciplinary methodscontribute to understanding cultural change, continuity, identity, and adaptation over time.Additionally, this course critically evaluates the overarching theories applied to Indigenouspeoples through a deconstructionist and decolonized framework, centering Indigenousperspectives and emphasizing ethical, collaborative approaches to research.

Not on the Fall 2026, Spring 2027 schedules.

ANT 201 Introduction to Archaeology

Units: 3
Hours: 54 hours total, 3 hours lecture weekly
Transfers to: CSU, UC

Student Learning Outcomes: Identify archaeological theories, methods, and techniques for investigating the human past. Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry and its application to archaeological analysis. Summarize topics such as: societal organization, subsistence strategies, trade and exchange, urbanization, art, and religion.

General Education: CalGETC: Transfer General Education Requirements ( 4- Social and Behavioral Sciences )

Course Duration (Weeks): 18

Archaeology, one of the sub-disciplines of anthropology, is the study of human, biological, material, and non-materials remains for the purpose of reconstructing past societies and cultures. Introduction to Archaeology is a course which explores the concepts, theories, data and models of anthropological archaeology at an introductory level to contribute to our understanding of the human past. The course explores the history and nature of archaeological research; dating techniques; methods for excavation, survey, analysis and interpretation; professional ethics in the field; cultural resource management; and cultural and chronological sequences. Worldwide case studies will be emphasized on regional and temporal scale.

Not on the Fall 2026, Spring 2027 schedules.

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