This course is designed to provide you with an understanding of the precontact cultures of North America, from the first peopling of the continent to the arrival of Europeans. The course has three major objectives: to foster an appreciation for the dynamic field of North American archaeology, particularly the gathering of information and interpretation of past cultures; to furnish an understanding of the general historical sequence of North America’s past and an appreciation for the diversity of the peoples and cultures that thrived here; and to provide the ability to evaluate the ways in which contemporary archaeologists consider and communicate with other stakeholders in North America’s past.