ESSAY
INSTRUCTIONS
ANT310:
Prehistory of Complex Societies
Heather M.-L. Miller
University of Toronto at Mississauga
Fall 2005
Read
these instructions before you begin.
Read
them after you begin.
Read
them before you turn the paper in!
Many
students lose marks because they do not follow directions.
Your major assignment for this
course will
be to write a 5-6 page essay based on a theme from one of your assigned
readings. This is not a
full-fledged research paper, but a concise, directed essay. You will choose a section from your
readings about a topic that interests you, and extend your information
about
this topic through finding and reading a journal article (or two). You will summarize both the in-class
and external readings, and then concisely discuss the authors’Äô and your
own
views about the topic covered. In
other words, you will write two summaries plus an academic ’Äòargument’Äô. (See Essay Format section below for
more information.)
This assignment will consist of
several stages
of work to be turned in and marked.
ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE TYPED, double-spaced, 12 point font with
1 inch
margins; the maximum length for the final essay is 6 pages.
Topic
You will write a researched essay
on a theme
from one of the readings assigned for this course.
Begin by looking through all of the readings -- you might
want to write on a topic we will not cover till the end of the course. Chose a topic that interests you!
Thoroughly read any chapter or section
of a book that you may want to use.
Once you have chosen a potential topic, take notes on the
section
dealing with that topic. Outline
the section dealing with the topic.
Make up a list of keywords relating to the topic to help you in
the next
stage of library research.
If there is a particular topic on
ancient
states that you wish to research that is NOT covered by any assigned
readings,
please come to my office hours as soon as possible to discuss possible
alternative arrangements.
Research
Refer to the lectures presented
by Pam King
from the UTM Library.
Using the resources available
within your
texts and through the University of Toronto Library system, locate at
least one
article published in a scholarly journal (a refereed
publication) or in
an edited volume that extends your knowledge of your topic. It
should NOT
be by the same author as your assigned reading. You
may use a chapter or two from a single-authored book,
but this should be cleared with me first.
You are encouraged to use
electronic
journals, but do not limit yourself to this source. You may NOT
use a
website as a major source, although you may find that a search of
websites will
help you with background material, or provide lists of possible
published
bibliographic sources (particularly academic websites).
Remember that I will be marking
you on your
choice of research materials, so please check with me if you are unsure
of the
suitability of an article.
You may choose to extend your
knowledge
about your topic in one of two ways.
(1) You may look for an article
on the same
topic (e.g., trade as an aspect of state formation, or environmental
disaster
as a contribution to the collapse of a state, or the role of religion
in an
ancient state), but for a different state.
(2) Or you may look for an
article on the same
topic for the same state (e.g., the palace economy in Uruk Mesopotamia
or the
role of the military in the Inka state), but from a different
perspective,
perhaps disagreeing with your first author.
Consider your own interests, and
try to
think of multiple options for topics -- you may not find an appropriate
article
for your first choice.
You may use two or three other
minor
sources, such as introductory textbooks, encyclopedias or atlases,
especially
if you need a map, definition, or illustration. Use
archaeological
sources for definitions of archaeological terms, such as the texts used
in
class or a basic archaeology textbook.
Do not use general dictionaries or encyclopedias -- although the
use of
an archaeological or anthropological encyclopedia or atlas is fine.
Check
the library for such sources, which should be used as supplemental
sources, not your main outside article.
This assignment is NOT intended
to result in
a full-scale research paper; be sure to keep this in mind. Limit
yourself
to one or two major source(s) in addition to the assigned
reading. Please
come to my office hours if you have any questions or hesitations.
SHORT
questions may be sent by email, but I may ask you to come to my office
hours to
discuss your question, so don't wait until the last minute.
Assignments
&
Deadlines
You are strongly encouraged to
have your
choice of outside article approved by Dr. Miller BEFORE the Thesis
&
Outline is due.
ESSAY THESIS & OUTLINE
--
DUE IN CLASS Thursday October 27
This assignment is intended to
make certain
that you have thought out your entire paper BEFORE you begin writing it. That is the purpose of the
Outline. The Thesis Statement is
intended to clarify (for you as well as me) exactly what topic you are
focused
upon for this short paper. The
more precise your thesis statement, the better your essay will be, if
your
outline faithfully follows and supports this thesis statement.
(1) Finding a Topic &
Outside Articles. First, select two or three
possible topics. Then search for possible
outside
articles in the references given in your texts and using the Library
search
resources. You might also try looking up your state or topic in
an
archaeological encyclopedia or atlas for additional information and
sources. Be
sure to have one good outside article before making your choice of
topic; check
the article with me ahead of time if you have any questions. Once you have a topic, you are ready to
begin.
(2) Thesis Statement.
Now write
a short,
one-paragraph explanation of what your paper will be about. Summarize
the
thesis you will address in two or three sentences.
Be sure to include the name of the state, region of the
world, and approximate time period, as well as the essentials of the
thesis you
wish to investigate.
So what is a Thesis?
Your thesis (topic) statement expresses
succinctly and specifically what you intend to accomplish in your paper
or what
interesting insight you will support with your evidence. It is
the main
point of your essay, the one thing you want your reader to understand
and
remember. It DOES NOT include vague generalizations such as "to
learn more about...", "to gain a greater understanding of...",
etc. In the final essay, the
thesis statement should be located in your essay introduction, and
should be
referred to in the body of the essay, and re-stated in the conclusion
(see
’ÄúFinal Essay’Äù section below for more information). For this
assignment,
you should just turn in the thesis statement itself.
Here is a clearly stated thesis
for a paper
on the role of religion in the Indus Civilization:
"I will show that a shared religion or philosophy
focusing on communal unity is the best explanation for the cultural
uniformity
of the Indus Civilization across its large region and long time depth."
And a thesis for an essay on the
importance
of population density in the rise of Mesoamerican states: "The debates
presented in this essay between Blanton, Feinman, and associates,
working in
the Valley of Oaxaca, and Sanders and associates, working in the Valley
of
Mexico, are centred on whether a rise in population density was
essential to
the development of Mesoamerican states.
I present both sides of the debate and my own conclusions as to
which
argument is more convincing."
Note that the thesis statement
can be more
than one sentence! It is best to have a single sentence thesis,
but do
not try to present a long complex statement in one sentence, if two are
needed.
(3) Outline.
Next,
provide an outline of what you plan to write in your final essay.
Be sure to follow the
instructions below
under Organization of Essay for your outline. In other
words, don't
turn just in an outline of the topic, or a summary of the articles -
you will
lose substantial marks for this. Your outline should be
hierarchically
arranged, with each section labelled as to its function and
content. Any
section that is subdivided should have at least two sub-parts. You may
use
words and phrases instead of complete sentences, but the information to
be
covered in each section of the outline must be clear!
This outline should allow me to follow the basic structure
and argument of your essay.
If you do not know how to write
an outline,
be sure to get outside help on this ahead of time!
(4)
List of References. Your list of references should be
included
as the last section of this assignment, using the format given below
(References Cited) and in the American
Antiquity Style Guide
(http://www.saa.org/Publications/Styleguide/styframe.html). You will lose 2 marks if the references are not in the
proper
format.
Your list of
References must include the following:
(a) the section of the course
readings you
will use for this paper; be sure to give exact page numbers; and
(b) the outside article or edited book reference you will use. If you have not previously had your
outside article approved, I suggest that you list several articles so I
can
recommend which one might be best for your essay.
**You
MUST also submit a photocopy of the abstract for
your primary outside article(s), or lose 2 marks (out of a possible 5). If
the
article does not have an abstract, submit a photocopy of the
introduction AND
conclusion. (It is NOT necessary to submit this information for
additional sources or for the assigned course material.)
You may also list
any additional references (encyclopedia entries, websites, etc.) that
you will
use for supporting material (definitions, dates, etc.)
***Be sure to give the full
citations for
the source(s), using the American Antiquity format required for the
final essay
(see below). 2 marks will be deduced if you do not use this
format -- no
exceptions!
(5) Other Requirements. You must type this
assignment, paying attention to
spelling, grammar and clarity of writing for the topic paragraph.
The
outline portion can be in point form, but it should be checked for
spelling.
The Thesis Statement and Outline
will be
worth a total of 5 marks (5%). This assignment will allow me to
give you
feedback on your essay topic and structure, before you turn in the
final essay,
and to prevent any of you from starting down the wrong track. It
is to
your advantage to summit a well thought out, well-researched thesis
statement
& outline.
EDITING / CRITIQUE EXERCISE
’Äì
CONDUCTED in TUTORIAL Thursday, November 17
You must bring your own
final draft to
participate ’Äì no exceptions!
In tutorial on Nov. 17, each
student will
edit and critique another student’Äôs final essay draft.
This exercise will give you helpful
feedback on your paper from a fresh perspective, and will help you
learn how to
edit and critique your own writing in the future.
Your mark for this exercise will
be based on
your editing skills, not on your own essay.
In
tutorial on Nov. 3, a representative from Academic Skills will talk
about
how to read your articles, summarize them, and create an argument. This lecture will help you write your
own draft.
In tutorial on Nov. 10, we
will discuss how to edit papers for grammar, content, analytical
clarity, and
the structure required (summarizing the two articles and creating an
argument). This lecture will help
you improve your own draft, and also will help you edit another
student’Äôs essay
the following week.
You will turn in your essay draft at
the beginning of class on Nov. 17.
See the
next section
(WRITTING YOUR ESSAY) for a description of the required content and
format of
your draft essay.
DO NOT put your name on this
draft; it
must be anonymous. Only write the
identifying number assigned to you by the instructor in tutorial on
Nov. 10.
You must turn in a reasonable
draft. If your draft is too rough, so that
your student editor cannot follow your essay at all, you will be
heavily
penalized in your mark for this exercise.
In tutorial on Nov. 17, you
will edit and critique the final draft of another student’Äôs essay, or
as much
of it as you can get through in 45 minutes. You
will not be allowed to participate if you do not submit
your own final draft, and so will lose 12%.
You will be marked on how
thoroughly,
thoughtfully, and constructively you edit the other student’Äôs
essay. The
instructor will mark your edits/critiques, and will hand the comments
back to
the original student on Nov. 24, for incorporation in the final
polishing of
their own essay before submission on Dec. 8.
The student will not know who
edited their
paper, but the instructor will heavily penalize any editor who writes
rude or
insensitive remarks. You must be
honestly critical, so you will be penalized if you are ’Äútoo easy’Äù on
the
original essay writer (that doesn’Äôt help either!), but you can do this
tactfully.
WRITING YOUR
ESSAY
Organization of the Essay
The essay must be written in the
following
way, or significant marks will be deducted.
(1) Write a short summary of the
topic you
will discuss in the essay. It
should be no more than a few sentences.
This thesis statement should be located in your essay
introduction, and
should be referred to in the body of the essay, and re-stated in the
conclusion.
(2) Write a summary in more
detail of the
treatment of your topic in the assigned reading. Establish
why it is interesting and/or significant.
(3) Write a summary in more
detail of the
treatment of your topic in your outside article.
(4) Explicitly discuss the two
perspectives
on your topic--the one in the assigned article and the one from the
outside
article(s). The exact questions
you address will depend on your topic.
Some possibilities: Does your outside article explain in greater
detail
or present an alternative interpretation?
Why do two authors disagree?
What might make them agree?
Do you see similarities in the development of states in two
different
regions? Do you see contrasts, and are these attributable to
environment,
culture, time, contact, or some other variable? Try
to define whatever questions you plan to address BEFORE
you begin writing!
(5) Write a summary/conclusion.
This
should simply reiterate your main points and restate the topic. The conclusion is NOT the place to
introduce new information, facts, perspectives, sources, etc. -- if you
think
of things now, insert them in the proper place above.
This closing statement should not be a broad generalization
or sweeping statement, but a precise summary of your main topic and
conclusion.
Re-read this first draft to be
sure that
it will be clear to anyone who has not read the texts or articles.
Ask your roommate or your family to read it.
In other words, do not "write for the instructor",
but expect that your reader will need basic explanations and
information ’Äì your
student editor will also edit you for this. This
essay must convince me that you read the material
cited.
Be sure to:
Writing Style
Now that you have a draft of your
paper, you
can focus on writing style.
Please carefully review the
logical flow of
your ideas, from your introduction, through the body of the paper, to
the
conclusion. This is often the main difference between an
excellent (A)
paper and a good (B) paper. You
will be marked on writing style, grammar and spelling as well as
content.
NOTE: Final Essays must
be
double-spaced, 12 point font with 1 inch margins, maximum 6 pages
Citations
Be sure to say where your
information comes
from. You must cite your source
whether or not you directly quote the words of that source. In academic writing, anything that is
not general knowledge, but rather comes from your reading (in this
course or
outside of it), and everything/idea that is distinctively the
work of a
particular person gets a citation.
The citation is placed in the
text
immediately after the material used. This is the case whether an actual
quote
is given, or whether you are just giving credit to an author for
information or
an idea. The citation should
include the author and date, and in many cases, a page number. You always need the page number if you
are using a quote or specific data. You can use just the author and
date if you
are referring to a general idea that occurs throughout the work.
The citation is
part of the
sentence, so the punctuation comes after, like this (Smith 2001:370). Or you can move the author's name
to the front and just enclose
date and page in parentheses. For
the Style Guide we will use, always put the date & page immediately
after
the author's name. Do not use a
comma. For example:
Smith (2001:370) provides new data about the origins of
agriculture in
Ontario.
If you actually quote material
from a
source, be sure to use quotation marks. Quotes longer than two
lines must
be block indented and single spaced, and in that case no quotation
marks are
used.
Use quotes sparingly, limiting their use to
particularly apt
statements that are ideal for the point you wish to make.
For the most part, you should be
paraphrasing the materials you read; that is, you should re-state the
points in
your own words. This involves more
than just changing a few words or omitting portions of a sentence. Such changes are tantamount to
plagiarism -- see the guide to plagiarism at http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/plagsep.html. However, even well-paraphrased material
should be cited, as indicated above.
Here's an example of a quote:
"Digging
these tombs would have required massive co-ordinated labor, and since
many of
the individuals buried in the tombs are elites bedecked with exotic
ornaments
and surrounded by fineware ceramics and figurines, it seems clear that
these
were built to house elites who were capable of amassing and controlling
a large
labor pool" (Peregrine 2003:230-231).
And a paraphrase:
These tombs were likely built for elites who controlled a
large labour pool, as a great deal of labour would have been needed to
dig the
tombs, and to supply the exotic ornaments and fineware ceramics and
figurines
found in them (Peregrine 2003:230-231).
I still cite Peregrine, even
though I don't
quote him directly, because this was not my own conclusion -- I got
this idea
from reading his textbook. I
provide the page numbers so that it will be easy for the reader to find
this
reference, if desired. Note that
when I directly quote Peregrine, I leave the American spelling (labor),
but
when I paraphrase, I use the Canadian spelling (labour). Also
note that
quotes that are 2 lines or longer are indented, while paraphrases are
not.
References Cited
It is very important to provide
the
necessary information so that other people can find the sources of your
information. This usually includes
the authors, dates, titles, publishers, and places of publication.
For
this paper, I only want you to provide a list of References Cited; that
is,
only the references you actually cite in your paper, not all of the
materials
you may have found or consulted.
Many conventions exist for the
way
references are formatted, and most publishers specify the model they
want. In
North American archaeology, the format developed by the journal American
Antiquity is
frequently
used. I provide some examples
below, and you can look at the American Antiquity Style Guide (http://www.saa.org/Publications/Styleguide/styframe.html)
for more details. If you have
trouble with particular sources and don't know what to do with them,
ASK ME!
References Cited
Kamp, Kathryn
1998
Life in the Pueblo:
Understanding the Past Through Archaeology. Waveland Press,
Inc.,
Prospect
Heights, Illinois.
Thomas, David Hurst
1999
Archaeology. Down to Earth. Second Edition. Harcourt Brace
& Company, Orlando, Florida.
Smith, Robin
1998
Citing Sources in Anthropology Papers. Journal of Academic
Skills 27(4):20-29.
Miller, Heather M.-L.
1997
Pottery Firing Structures (Kilns) of the Indus Civilization
During the
Third Millennium B.C. In
Prehistory & History of Ceramic
Kilns, edited by
Prudence
Rice and W. David Kingery, pp. 41-71.
Ceramics & Civilization Series, Volume VII.
American Ceramic Society, Inc.,
Columbus, Ohio.
Tamakoshi, Laura Zimmer
1997 Fieldwork: The
Anthropologist in the Field. Electronic document,
http://www.truman.edu/academics/ss/faculty/tamakoshil/index.html,
accessed March 8.
(Ask the instructor or a
librarian for help
with the citation of web sites.)
Checklist: I will look for
the following
strengths in your essay (note that these are NOT of equal weight in
marking!):
______
Topic is clearly defined
______
Incorporates a relevant article published in a
scholarly archaeology or anthropology journal
______
Reflects a thoughtful & complete reading of
articles
______
Discussion/analysis uses archaeological concepts
and insights
______
Includes definitions of terms and examples in
support of major points
______
Work of others is cited appropriately in text
______
Carefully organized and written, spell-checked,
and edited; pages numbered
______
Conclusion restates main points and reiterates
topic or thesis
______
Interesting, convincing, worthwhile, insightful,
and/or moving
______
References Cited contains complete information
in American Antiquity
form
FINAL ESSAY -- DUE IN CLASS
Thursday,
December 8
See above (’ÄúWriting Your Essay’Äù)
for the
exact format and content of the essay, citations, and references. This final essay is worth 25 marks
(25%). I will be grading on style (spelling, grammar, clarity of
expression) as
well as content, so give yourself time to re-write the essay after you
receive
the edits/critiques.
I will accept your complete paper
in class
on December 8 ONLY. You may not bring it by my office later, and
you may
NOT email it. Of course you may
give it to me earlier, and I urge you to do so, for no late
papers will
be accepted without penalty except with
a doctor's excuse, etc. (See "Late
Assignments" on the main Syllabus.)
Many thanks to Dr. Robin
Smith, Anthropology,
Western Oregon University, for the use of a modified version of her
essay
instructions.