• Archaeology is the academic discipline within the field of anthropology that seeks to understand ancient human culture through the excavation of the remains of its ancient civilizations. Archaeologists analyze the data found on-site during excavations and attempt to reconstruct an accurate picture of that culture as it probably existed in the ancient past. The study of archaeology is a highly-specialized discipline that requires a degree in the field. There are a number of colleges that offer degrees in anthropology that allow you to emphasize archaeological studies, but only a few are recognized as the top programs in the nation.
  
  

University of Texas

• The Society for American Archaeology conducted a survey in 1993 with those in the archaeological field to determine which program was the top in the nation. Their list used a number of different statistical categories to determine their choices. Of the top-rated programs, the Universities of Michigan, Arizona, and California-Berkeley emerged as the top three. Since that time, budgets have changed, new faculty research has been conducted, and overall, the entire landscape of archaeology has changed substantially. Education-Portal.com places the University of Texas at the top of its list of programs. Home of the Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory (TARL), the University of Texas-Austin is one the nation's top programs. The TARL is the largest archaeological repository in the state of Texas and houses one of the best state of the art research facilities in the nation. (http://www.utexas.edu/research/tarl/). Prominent faculty members within the Department of Anthropology who work closely with TARL are James Denbow, Maria Franklin, Thomas Hester, James Neely, Fred Valdez, Michael Bever and Sam Wilson. (http://www.utexas.edu/research/tarl/about/default.php) The University of Texas specializes in Native American archaeological study but also works outside of the American southwest, especially in western China and Tibet. (http://www.utexas.edu/research/tarl/research/default.php) The university is also the home of the Institute of Classical Archaeology which specializes in the Greco-Roman world and as its website notes, its "publications and research have brought it international recognition as a leader in the study of rural populations in the Greek and Roman world." (http://www.utexas.edu/research/ica/)
  
  University of Texas
  Department of Anthropology
  1 University Station, C3200
  Austin, TX 78712
  512-471-4206
  http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/anthropology/
  
  

Penn State University

• The Department of Anthropology at Penn State University offers a concentration in the field of archaeology. The department sponsors a field school located on a nineteenth-century farmstead in Pennsylvania's Stone Valley forest. This gives students an excellent opportunity to learn the techniques of archaeological discovery on a first-hand basis. The department also offers studies abroad to enrich the educational experience of its students. Penn State faculty members in the Department of Anthropology are among the best in the world. The department is probably best known for its study of the evolution of societal complexity. (http://education-portal.com/archaeology_colleges.html) Among its most prominent faculty members is Dr. Dean Snow who also serves as the President of the Society for American Archaeology. (http://www.anthro.psu.edu/faculty_staff/snow.shtml)
  
  Department of Anthropology
  409 Carpenter Building
  University Park, PA 16802
  814-865-2509
  http://www.anthro.psu.edu/index.shtml
  
  

New York University

• New York University (NYU) is a third university with a world-renown anthropology department whose scholars in archaeology are a cut above the rest. NYU is probably best known for its research in the study of prehistoric hunters and, like Penn State, is also well-known for its innovation in the study of societal evolution and complexity. (http://education-portal.com/archaeology_colleges.html) The university houses major research facilities for the study of protohistoric and prehistoric archaeology. (http://anthropology.as.nyu.edu/object/anthro.grad.archaeology) Because of the school's location in New York City, students have ample opportunity to work closely with many of the city's world-famous museums along with laboratories and agencies from other countries around the world. Top faculty members include the likes of Pamela Crabtree, Christian Tryon, Randall White, and Rita Wright.
  
  New York University
  Department of Anthropology
  Rufus D. Smith Hall
  25 Waverly Place
  New York, NY 10003
  http://anthropology.as.nyu.edu/page/home