Study Abroad Courses
EXPLORE THE ANCIENT WORLD
Each year, Prof. Geoffrey E. Braswell and other personnel of the Mesoamerican Archaeology Research Laboratory offer a 16-day study abroad program focusing on ancient cultures of the world. The program is held during Summer Session, and provides eight to 12 upper division units in Anthropology. Undergraduate and graduate students from all UC campuses, non-UC students, and even family members are welcome to enroll in any of our programs. The purpose of these programs is to get students out of the classroom and into the rainforests, high mountains, and desert environments where ancient civilizations thrived.
We currently offer three programs in alternating years: Art and Cities of the Ancient Maya, Ancient Mesoamerica, and Egypt of the Pharaohs.
Art and Cities of the Ancient Maya
Visit 28 ancient Maya sites in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize! Our itinerary includes such spectacular cities as Tikal, Palenque, Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Caracol, Calakmul, Yaxchilan, Bonampak, and many, many more. At each site, Prof. Braswell provides a special lecture and tour, and explains the meaning of the art and architecture of the ancient Maya. We also visit five important museums and spend the nights in beautiful colonial cities and the rainforest of Central America.
Photos
Ancient Mesoamerica
This program concentrates on the northern half of Mesoamerica, beginning in the steaming swamplands of the Olmecs and progressing into the highlands of central Mexico: home of the Aztecs, Zapotecs, Toltecs, and many other cultures. During the 16 days of the course, we visit 24 sites such as Teotihuacan, Monte Alban, El Tajin, Tenochtitlan, Mitla, San Lorenzo, Xochicalco, Cacaxtla, and many more. We also tour seven museums, including Mexico City’s National Museum and the Xalapa Museum. Finally, we visit stunning colonial cities such as Oaxaca, Cuernavaca, and Puebla, and even take a day to visit Acapulco.
Photos
Egypt of the Pharaohs
Our most adventurous and ambitious program provides a thorough examination of ancient Egypt from Cairo to Nubia. Among the more than 50 archaeological sites we visit are the Pyramids at Giza, Abu Simbel, the Temple of Karnak, the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, Saqqara, and the Temples of Edfu, Philae, Abydos, and Dendera. Along the way, we sample home cooked meals, enjoy local music, visit important Coptic and Islamic sites, and camp with Bedouins in the exotic White Desert. We tour distant sites on camelback and even swim behind our sailboat in the crystal-clear Nile at Aswan.
Photos
More Information & How to Apply
Please visit the Undergraduate Programs section of the UCSD Department of Anthropology website to learn more about our next offering. Applications are due each March for the following September, so please plan ahead. These three college programs are the ones you will never forget!