Fantasies, Hoaxes and Misrepresentations of the Ancient World

ANT 210H5S (2019)

Wednesday 5:00 - 7:00 PM, IB 110
Instructor: Prof. Gary W. Crawford Office: HSC 356
Email: g.crawford@utoronto.ca Office Hours*: Open and/or Wednesdays 10-11
Web Site: https://q.utoronto.ca
Prof. Crawford’s web site: http://profgarycrawford.ca

* I will be available after class in IB110 for consultation. You may drop by my office any time. If I’m in, I’ll be happy to
meet with you. Otherwise, contact me and set up an appointment.

Required Resources:
1. Feder, Kenneth L.
2018 Frauds, myths, and mysteries: science and pseudoscience in archaeology (9th
Edition). Oxford University Press.

2. iClicker (at UTM Bookstore). (see page 3, No. 4)

You may be tempted by a great price on the 7th and 8th editions of the text. Do NOT succumb. The 9th
edition is significantly revised. Hard copies are available at the UTM bookstore (and elsewhere such as
Chapters/Indigo). If the bookstore is sold out (they always order fewer than the course enrolment), simply
speak to the staff/manager of the UTM Bookstore and they will order a copy for you --no need to tell me that
they are sold out. It is also available as an ebook for a significant discount at https://www.vitalsource.com/en-
ca/; just enter the book title in the search window and go from there. I may assign additional readings in the
form of articles or web pages. If so, you can find them, or their links, on Quercus.

COURSE RATIONALE

Our society today, more than ever, needs more citizens who can critically evaluate the many competing
claims of scientists and pseudoscientists. It’s not just “fake news” but fake science too. The pseudoscientists
dominate internet content related to ancient human history simply because they can, much like the way “fake
news” tries to fool us with what seems to be authentic-looking stories. One need not know everything about
science to critically assess various claims. Using archaeological hoaxes and misrepresentations of the ancient
world as a focus, this course examines the scientific method and how to rationally examine claims that may, at
least superficially, seem reasonable but quirky (I’m being polite). The course also introduces the fascinating
reality of what archaeologists can teach us about the ancient human past. ANT210 is not meant to be a
gateway course for students who wish to minor, major or specialize in archaeology (part of Anthropology at
UTM). However, if you wish to learn more about archaeology and anthropology in general, a number of
options are available here. I’d be happy to discuss them with you.

OBJECTIVES
After taking this course you should be able to:
I.evaluate popular interpretations about the ancient human past;
II.offer alternative arguments to pseudoscientific claims about the ancient human past;
III.apply scientific reasoning to understanding the past;
IV. explain the difference between a properly formulated explanation of archaeological
discoveries and an explanation that is based on misrepresentations and suspect motives;
V. appreciate the real mysteries of the ancient human past.

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

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 Date Topic Feder Chapter
Jan. 9 Course Introduction; Begin Pseudoscience and Archaeology
1

Jan. 16 Science, Epistemology and Archaeology 2

Jan. 23 Why People Believe Strange Stuff; The Cardiff Giant book excerpt*, 3
Jan. 30 Fujimura's Hoax & The Piltdown Case 4

Feb. 6 Who Really Discovered the Americas? 5

Feb. 13 Midterm test; Vikings in Ontario? 6
Feb. 20 READING WEEK
Feb. 27 One Lost Continent: Atlantis 8
Mar. 6 Ancient Astronauts 9
Mar. 13 Monuments and Complexity 10
Mar. 20 Psychics and Archaeology** 11
Mar. 27 Noah's Ark; Shroud of Turin 12, see Quercus
April 3 Crystal Skulls; Loose ends and wrap-up 12

April 5: Exam Jam

*For week 3: http://www.michaelshermer.com/weird-things/excerpt/

Last day to withdraw from S course from academic record: March 17, 2019.

EVALUATION
% Date
1. Mid-term test....………….……………………………… 30 Feb. 13
2. Final Exam.………….…………………………………...40 TBA
3. Short On-line assignments (2, @10 marks: total) ...……..20 March 6 & 27
4. Participation………….………………………………… .10 (see 5 (below)

1. The mid-term test covers lectures and reading assignments through Feb. 6. It will not be multiple
choice. It will be a mixture of question types, and you will have 50 minutes to write it.

Policy for Missed Test. Students who miss the term test will be assigned a mark of zero
for that test unless they are granted special consideration. If the term test was missed for
reasons entirely beyond the student's control, you must submit your request online according
to the UTM Anthropology departmental process for collecting medical notes and other
university-approved documentation for missed tests (e.g., Verification of Student Illness or
Injury form, Verification of Extenuating Circumstances form, etc.). You MUST complete the
online documentation process through this system before the test date, or if this is not possible,
within 72 hours of the missed test, or your documentation will not be accepted. Details and
instructions are on the UTM Department of Anthropology website: >Undergraduate >
Submitting Documentation for Missed Work at
https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/anthropology/undergraduate/submitting-documentation-
missed-work

Important note regarding documentation for missed assignments and tests. Holidays
and pre-purchased airplane tickets, family plans (unless there is a critical issue such as a death
in the family), lack of student preparation, or the amount of work in other courses, are NOT
acceptable excuses. Your supporting documentation (e.g., Verification of Student Illness or
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 Injury form, Verification of Extenuating Circumstances form, etc.) must state that you were
unable to write the test on the date of the test, or complete an assignment on the assignment
due date. The Verification of Student Illness or Injury form must show that the doctor was
consulted within 72 hours of the test date or assignment due date. A statement that only
confirms a general illness is not sufficient evidence. Your Verification of Student Illness or
Injury form must have the official stamp that includes the clinic's address. More information is
available on the UTM Department of Anthropology website on the UTM Department of
Anthropology website: >Undergraduate > Submitting Documentation for Missed Work
at:https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/anthropology/undergraduate/submitting-documentation-
missed-work

One makeup test will be given. Time and Location TBA

2. The final exam will be written during the exam schedule.

Missed Final Exam. Students who cannot write a final examination due to illness or other
serious causes must file an online petition within 72 hours of the missed examination to the
Office of the Registrar (NOT the Anthropology departmental process). Original supporting
documentation must also be submitted to the Office of the Registrar within 72 hours of the
missed exam. Late petitions will NOT be considered. If illness is cited as the reason for a
deferred exam request, a U of T Medical Certificate must show that you were examined and
diagnosed at the time of illness and on the date of the exam, or by the day after at the latest.
Students must also record their absence on ROSI on the day of the missed exam or by the day
after at the latest. Upon approval of a deferred exam request, a non-refundable fee of $70 is
required for each examination approved. If you would like to see your final exam after it is
written, then you must contact the Office of the Registrar.

3. Policy for Late Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted with a late penalty of 10% per
day (including weekends). No assignments will be accepted after 10 days. If you have a
legitimate excuse for a late assignment, this course will be using the UTM Anthropology
departmental process for collecting medical notes and other university- approved documentation
for missed work (e.g., Verification of Student Illness or Injury form, Verification of Extenuating
Circumstances form, etc.). You MUST complete the online documentation process through this
system before the assignment date, or if this is not possible, within 72 hours of the missed
assignment. Please refer to the important note below on what constitutes an acceptable document.
Details and instructions are on the UTM Department of Anthropology website: <Undergraduate
>Submitting Documentation for Missed Work at:
https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/anthropology/undergraduate/submitting-documentation-missed-
work.

4. iClicker: Your device must be registered. Registering your iClicker unit will make sure that your
responses are recorded accurately.Please see http://teaching.utoronto.ca/ed-tech/teaching-
technology/iclickers/registering-your-iclicker/. You should register through the course website:
https://q.utoronto.ca. It is your responsibility to make sure that your clicker is properly registered.

NOTE: As of December 31, 2014, students who register their used iClicker remote online
through the registration web page on the iclicker.com website will be charged a one-time
fee of $6.99. A used clicker remote is identified when neither the student name nor the
student UTORid have been previously registered with the remote ID. This means that
students will be able to register multiple times and only pay the fee once.

** iClicker regularly deletes registration information. You must re-register your iClicker
unit AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH SEMESTER.
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 ** iClickers may only be registered to one student in each course. Your responses will not
be recorded if another student in your course has registered the same iClicker unit.

5. The participation mark will be based on the discussion board (5 marks) and participation in iClicker
questions (5 marks). This is not an exact calculation because I will exercise some discretion with your
final participation mark. Quality counts too. You must respond to the primary questions (we tabulate
your frequency of activity of these responses). You are expected to participate in 70% of the primary
discussion questions (if we have 10 discussion questions, to get full credit for them you’ll need to
participate in 7 of them with more than just a sentence or two). If you want to do well, participate in
the discussion board and respond to iClicker questions regularly. In that way, you don’t have to worry
about what minimal effort is acceptable. We will pay close attention to the quality of your activity on
the discussion board too (including civility and generosity).

6. Final marks are tentative until approved by the Department Chair and Dean's Office and recorded in the
Registrar's Office.
OTHER IMPORTANT NOTES

1. Academic Honesty: The University treats cases of cheating and plagiarism very seriously. The
University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters (http://www.governingcouncil.
utoronto.ca/policies/behaveac.htm) outlines the behaviours that constitute academic dishonesty and the
processes for addressing academic offences. Potential offences in papers and assignments include using
someone else’s ideas or words without appropriate acknowledgement, submitting your own work in
more than one course without the permission of the instructor, making up sources or facts, obtaining or
providing unauthorized assistance on any assignment. On tests and exams cheating includes using or
possessing unauthorized aids, looking at someone else’s answers during an exam or test, misrepresenting
your identity, or falsifying or altering any documentation required by the University, including (but not
limited to) doctor’s notes. It is an academic offence to use someone else’s iClicker (“impersonation”
or pretending to be someone else).

2. Assignment Submission Policy. All electronic assignments will be submitted electronically through
Quercus to Turnitin.com. Turnitin.com is a tool that will assist in detecting textual similarities between
compared works. An originality score determines the percentage of the text of the paper that appears
similar to other sources. This score will appear with your graded paper. Normally, students will be
required to submit their course essays to Turnitin.com for a review of textual similarity and detection of
possible plagiarism. In doing so, students will allow their essays to be included as source documents in
the Turnitin.com reference database, where they will be used solely for the purpose of detecting
plagiarism. The terms that apply to the University's use of the Turnitin.com service are described on the
Turnitin.com web site – https://www.turnitin.com . If students prefer not to submit their essays to
Turnitin.com, they must meet with the professor or TA before the assignments' due dates (i.e., at least
two weeks before).

Students who choose to opt out of using Turnitin.com must do so in writing by email to the course
instructor before [insert month, date, year]. Assignments without Turnitin.com submission must be
accompanied by an outline, first draft and an annotated bibliography to demonstrate the originality of the
paper. Students are responsible for ensuring that the correct assignment has been submitted and is
present online.

3. Re-grading Policy For term work worth less than 20% of the final grade: A student who believes that
their term work has been unfairly marked must make any inquiries about the mark on a graded piece of
work within one month of the return date of the work. Regrade requests for term work worth less than
20% of the final mark may be submitted to the person who marked the work for re-evaluation. The
student must submit: (1) the original piece of work; and (2) a written explanation detailing why they

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 believe the work was unfairly/incorrectly marked. If a remarking is granted by an instructor, the student
must accept the resulting mark as the new mark, whether it goes up or down or remains the same. For
term work worth 20% or more of the final grade: Only term work worth at least 20% of the course mark
may be appealed beyond the instructor. Such appeals must first follow the same guidelines as those
mentioned directly above for work worth less than 20%. Again, the student must accept that the mark
resulting from the appeal may be higher or lower or the same as the original mark. For more information
about the appeals process refer to the UTM Academic Handbook:
https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/dean/academic-handbook .

4. UTM has an Accessibility Resource Centre http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/accessability/.

Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you have a
disability/health consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to approach me and/or
the AccessAbility Resource Centre as soon as possible.

The UTM AccessAbility Resource Centre staff are available by appointment to assess specific needs,
provide referrals and arrange appropriate accommodations (905) 569-4699. The sooner you let us know
your needs the quicker we can assist you in achieving your learning goals in this course.

Many accessibility letters indicate that students with accessibility issues need to discuss
accommodations with their professor. This is not optional. If you need issues resolved (more time, etc.)
then you need to involve the AccessAbility Resource Centre staff. I cannot make ad hoc
accommodations. Allow yourself lots of time because the staff may be overwhelmed with appointments.
Everyone has plenty of time to complete the two short assignments so time should not be an issue.
Consider this if you are asking me for an extension. The due date is not the date to turn them in but the
last day when you can submit without a penalty. Why not do the assignments early?

5. Email policy (this is a large class and emails can get complicated so I may be able to answer all
emails personally, but I’ll try):

a) Most questions can and should be asked in class, on the discussion board, or in person outside class.
Email should NOT be seen as an alternative to meeting with me. Nor should email be used as a
mechanism to receive private tutorials (especially prior to tests) or to explain material that was
covered in lectures that you missed.

b) Questions that are not personal in nature should be posted on the discussion board.

c) Please make sure you consult the course syllabus, other handouts, and the course website BEFORE
submitting inquiries.

d) Questions specific to you (e.g. about marks, personal issues) should be brief (no more than a couple
of sentences) and in a form that I can answer briefly (ideally “yes” or “no”). I cannot respond to
lengthy questions in writing.

e) I (or a TA) will endeavour to answer these personal questions within 2 days (3 days if it’s a weekend).

f) Emails and discussion board postings are a form of professional communication so be polite and
relatively formal. Consider that everything you do here at UTM is an audition for your work life after
graduation. Everything you write leaves an impression so make sure it’s a good impression. For
example, avoid “Dear Professor” (a favourite), “Hi there,” “Hey,” or “Hey Prof.” Instead “Dear Prof.
Crawford” can’t miss. My Chinese and Japanese colleagues (my research takes me to China and
Japan regularly) often call me Prof. Gary. That’s ok too.

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 g) If you do need to email me, do not send attachments with your email unless approved ahead of time.
Please put “ANT210” in the subject line of your email. I filter my course email based on the
subject line.

h) All U of T students are required to have a valid U of T email address. Use it for your communication.
Email from Gmail or similar accounts may be filtered as spam, so don’t use them. Forwarding your
utoronto.ca email to one of these providers is not advisable.

i) Any email communication from me is specifically for you and not to be forwarded to anyone else. If
you think something is important for the whole class to know, then let me know and I will post it on
the discussion board.

6. Attendance: Attendance is in your best interest. You are responsible for all the material through the last
class. Announcements relating to the final exam will be made in the last few weeks of class. This is
when I usually reveal the meaning of life and expose other secrets.

7. Equity and Diversity. The University of Toronto is committed to equity and respect for diversity. All
members of the learning environment in this course should strive to create an atmosphere of mutual
respect. As a course instructor, I will neither condone nor tolerate behaviour that undermines the dignity
or self-esteem of any individual in this course and wish to be alerted to any attempt to create an
intimidating or hostile environment. It is our collective responsibility to create a space that is inclusive
and welcomes discussion. Discrimination, harassment and hate speech will not be tolerated. If you have
any questions, comments, or concerns you may contact the UTM Equity and Diversity officer at
edo.utm@utoronto.ca or the University of Toronto Mississauga Students' Union Vice President Equity at
vpequity@utmsu.ca.

8. Set all personal electronic communication devices in class to silent mode. If you are expecting an urgent
communication, sit near an exit and take the communication outside. You should be taking hand-
written notes. Recent studies confirm that laptop use in the classroom impedes learning for the user
(even if just taking notes) as well as for non-users in the immediate area because your classmates will be
checking out your screen. Here’s an article you should read:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/22/business/laptops-not-during-lecture-or-meeting.html.

I am also well aware that many of you are on social media, YouTube, etc. when your laptop is open.
Please stay on task if you choose to use laptops or other mobile devices during class. Besides annoying
your more classmates sitting near you, you cannot learn when you are socially and mentally engaged
elsewhere. This class is great, so why not stay engaged with it? I can’t police how you use your laptop so
I expect you to be mature about it. The majority of your classmates, in my experience, do not use laptops
in class in order not to interfere with their learning. I ask that people who use laptops sit around the
perimeter of the class, including the back but not the front four or five rows. I want to have a laptop free
zone in the middle and front few rows of the class (dark pink zones in the diagram below.

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 See:
Ravizza, Susan M., David Z. Hambrick and Kimberly M. Fenn
2014 Non-academic internet use in the classroom is negatively related to classroom learning
regardless of intellectual ability. Computers & Education 78:109-114.

Sana, Faria, Tina Weston and Nicholas J. Cepeda

2013 Laptop multitasking hinders classroom learning for both users and nearby peers.
Computers & Education 62:24-31.

9. Recording / Photographing Lectures is not allowed. Any material prepared by the instructor is
considered by the University to be an instructor's intellectual property and is covered by the Canadian
Copyright Act. The university policy on recording classes is unequivocal: “If a student wishes to tape-
record, photograph, video-record or otherwise reproduce lecture presentations, course notes or other similar
materials provided by instructors, they must obtain the instructor’s written consent beforehand. Otherwise
all such reproduction is an infringement of copyright and is absolutely prohibited. In the case of private use
by students with disabilities, the instructor’s consent will not be unreasonably withheld.”

I will make my presentations (visuals only) available through Quercus ahead of time (whenever possible)
so that you can use them as a basis for note taking. Many students prefer not to take notes and do well
simply by paying attention and keeping up with readings.

10. If you need assistance with your academic proficiency (e.g. writing skills, note taking, time management,
study techniques etc.) please do not hesitate to contact the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre for
assistance at https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/asc/

11. If you have any trash (coffee cups, paper and the like) dispose of it appropriately when you leave.

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