Introduction to Archaeology (Spring 2002; Fall 2002; Fall 2003; Fall 2004; Fall 2005; Fall 2006)

Comments from Fall 2006 Semester:

Professor Cline was excellent! I have already recommended him to friends and I look forward to taking another class with him in the future. He is extremely engaged in the material, he has a great sense of humor, and he is obviously very knowledgeable about the field.

He was great. I was told to take the class because of him, and he lived up to my expectations. smart, entertaining, interesting.

I am not a history or archaeology major, but I loved this class and most of all, I loved the professor. Cline has a way of bringing history alive and making it interesting, even if the subject of the lecture has been dead for thousands of years. This is a unique talent, and he was my favorite professor in my two years at GW for his lectures, accessibility, and enthusiasm!

Cline is amazing. Best professor ever. So wonderful and a true scholar in his field.

Prof. Cline's presentations were very effective during lectures. He also posted the powerpoints from lectures on blackboard. He was always very responsive to my emails.

Professor Cline is great! The course was organized very well between logistical archaeology and case studies. He always applied the archaeological techniques we learned to the digs that have actually been done. Everything we learned is applicable to real life.

I loved Professor Cline and I have recently found a great interest in the antiquities through which I am looking to pursue some sort of career.

I absolutely loved the course and would recommend it to anyone!

I think this instructor was extremely fair regarding all aspects of the course, including what was expected of the students and helping us if we ran into any difficulties.

This class taught me so much about the subject matter, and yet was still engaging and fun.

Since it was such a large class, we didn’t get to know our professor on a closer level. However, I will say, that despite the large class size, I rarely caught myself dozing off or day-dreaming. Cline did an excellent job of keeping my attention and being interesting. It really helped that he loved what he was teaching us.

The professor was why I loved the course so much! He was passionate and knowledgeable about the material and made it fun and interesting.

Best professor I've had at GW in my 3 semesters.

Instructor very knowledgeable, very excited about it, taught in a well-organized manner.

So interesting.  The professor made it so fun because he was knowledgeable and could talk forever about cool archaeology stuff.  Instructor was so smart, funny, approachable, clear, organized, on top of everything, human, fair, appropriately challenging; he’s amazing.  Strengths of the course were the professor’s enthusiasm, commitment to class and to the subject.

While it was challenging, the level of difficulty was not high since the material was presented very well.  Instructor organized, well-learned, available for discussion.

Fascinating topic, good case studies, interesting introduction.  Instructor funny, approachable, knowledgeable, passionate about subject.

The course was intellectually challenging because it really made you think of what you would have done if you were in the position of the archaeologists.  Was not difficult though very enjoyable.  The lecture and slides were my favorite parts; it made me wish the class would never end.  Professor very smart and a great speaker.  One of my best professors by far.

Keeps student’s attention — presents material in a clear, organized way — makes learning fun and interesting.

I enjoy Cline’s teaching style — his slides are great and I enjoy his readings.  A great lecturer: funny, intelligent.

It was challenging but do-able.  I felt that when I put in the studying effort, it actually paid off.  Professor is passionate, not boring, interesting.  Very knowledgeable.

The course gave a great base for learning archaeology.  You had to keep up with the reading.

Very clear during lectures.  Ability to keep students from daydreaming in a class of more than 100 students by frequent jokes related to the topic and with interesting pictures of his own archaeological projects and video clips.

Challenging intellectually; level of difficulty was appropriate.  Very engaging and entertaining.  Really knows his stuff and was very enthusiastic about what he was teaching.  My favorite teacher thus far in my time at GW.

This class was somewhat challenging, but it was interesting enough to make it worthwhile.  The teacher (Cline) was amazingly smart, intelligent, and passionate about the subject; he cares about learning for his students.  He is top notch; best in this entire school!

He’s an expert in archaeology.  It was cool that he was able to teach us about a famous archaeological site and then show us pictures of when he was there.

Extremely nice, very approachable, exceptionally knowledgeable; overall excellent professor.

Nice balance of theory and site lectures.

Extremely knowledgeable; passionate about topic.

This course was intellectually challenging and the level of difficulty was appropriate.  Archaeology does require a vast amount of knowledge and memorization, but the concepts are relatively straightforward.  The professor is extremely knowledgeable and he makes concepts fun and interesting, which the book simply cannot. 

Interesting topic with an interesting and knowledgeable instructor; knew subject well, interesting lectures.

Good lecturer; put together items that were easy to do well on if you came to class.

Lively and interesting lectures, providing a vast array of information about each subject.  Lots of info to take in and learn for tests.  Professor very knowledgeable about course, easy to listen to, presented material in a way that made it easy to understand.  One of the best professors I’ve had so far.

It wasn’t very challenging, but it was very interesting.  I love the case studies.

The case studies on Thursdays were extremely interesting.

It was a good mix of science and human studies that was interesting and intellectually challenging.  It was not an especially difficult course.  The presentations/lectures were very good and conveyed relevant information in a clear manner.  Instructor was eloquent, knowledgeable, and animated.

Clear and straightforward expectations and lectures.

It was not particularly hard, but extremely informative.  Always enjoyable to come to class!  Instructor charismatic and very knowledgeable.

It may have been challenging, but since I liked it, that made it easier.  Instructor able to captive the class: kept us interested.  Only class I am not bored with.

Strengths of the course were incorporation of pictures, movies, professor’s own observations, research of the professor, and general information.

The teacher was fair and engaging.  His own enthusiasm made the course more interesting.

Instructor extremely knowledgeable, interesting, enthusiastic.

The visual presentations, both videos and photographs, greatly enhanced my understanding.  Professor Cline is very knowledgeable and personable.  He brought humor and relevance to each class.

Instructor charismatic, interesting, knew a lot about subject, approachable.

Lecture is awesome and especially important for material.  Best teacher I’ve had — extremely interesting, very knowledgeable, wish he taught more classes!

It was challenging, but if you came to class and did the readings, it was manageable.  Instructor very lively and excited about discussions.

Lectures were interesting and packed with information; also didn’t usually just lecture but also showed movie clips.

Enjoyable, fascinating topic. 

I found this course challenging but do-able.  The level of difficulty was appropriate.  Professor Cline was a great teacher.  His lectures were exciting and his tests were very fair.  Also, taking attendance encouraged everyone to come!  Very good speaker, very clear slides, very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the topic.  I honestly thought he was amazing.

Lecturer knew the material first-hand; made subject interesting and exciting.

This course was challenging because it covered very new and different material than I’ve learned before.  Very interesting material, knowledgeable and interesting professor, interesting and engaging lectures.

It was interesting and Prof. Cline was both enthusiastic and passionate.  He is funny (archaeology-wise) and intelligent, thoughtful and clear, with passion for his subject.

Instructor was able to lead the class in discussion, good examples, organized, good lecture notes, funny.

Course was well-organized.  Reading correlated directly with matter of study for a given class period.  Instructor very knowledgeable about topics, passionate about the subject matter, relates well to students.

Instructor very enthusiastic about work and gave clear notes; continue teaching in the manner, it’s very effective.

It wasn’t that challenging, but was extremely interesting and taught me more than most courses I have taken at GW.  The teaching techniques and lectures were given in a way that made them stick.  Instructor was super knowledgeable, teaches archaeology in a VERY interesting way.

Cline was the major strength of this course: super knowledgeable, tons of previous experience.

Curriculum was interesting but required a lot of studying to master.  Difficulty was appropriate to workload.  Cline was a good professor and knew what he was talking about; knew archaeology well, humorous, had stories that applied to lectures.

It was not a very difficult course, but you had to study to do well.  Humor helped a lot; instructor seemed to really love the course.

Professor was excellent and engaging, knowledgeable and approachable; made class worth going to.  Course material was interesting.

Instructor knowledgeable, enthusiastic, well-prepared and thoughtful lectures.

The information wasn’t difficult, but it was intellectually intriguing.  Everything was perfect!  Loved the class, loved the professor, loved it!  Professor funny, interesting, approachable, fair, no weaknesses, perfect.

Professor Cline’s presentations were great!  Great speaker and incredibly knowledgeable.  Obviously passionate about what he does.

The instructor effectively made the material interesting with humor and genuine passion for the subject.

The course was not extremely difficult, but the amount of material gained from it was high.  Cline is knowledgeable and good at teaching.

Interesting lectures; tests actually correspond to material presented.  Instructor knowledgeable, good lectures.

Instructor smart, funny, entertaining, and interesting.  Difficult exams.

Great speaker; very knowledgeable about topic from personal experience.

Incorporated real world examples.  Instructor’s strengths were general knowledge of information and life experience.

It was captivating.

It was a very moderate intro-level class, perfect for the designation.  Professor Cline is very good at what he teaches; very intelligent, knowledgeable, and friendly; makes me avid to learn.

The difficulty was appropriate for an intro class. It was my favorite class this semester.  Instructor was incredibly knowledgeable on the subject, but sometimes went off on tangents.

The professor taught well and got the class excited about the material; was able to show interest and intelligent opinions on the material as well as having experience in the field.

The course was challenging but the level of difficulty was very appropriate.  The instructor is very knowledgeable about the topic and he makes it extremely interesting.

Very approachable, funny, and knowledgeable.

Very clear, very interesting, kept my attention in a huge classroom, always available, great at responding to emails.

Professor uses interesting case studies and engages the class, even though it’s in a huge lecture hall.  He is very nice, understanding, and explains things really well.

It was challenging, interesting, and informative.  The instructor was fun and obviously educated and passionate about archaeology.

Professor Cline was extremely knowledgeable about the course and was able to make it entertaining as well in order to keep us interested.  Professor Cline did an exceptional job.  He was one of my favorite professors this semester.

So interesting!  Each lecture is like story time…case studies are very engaging. Instructor is extremely knowledgeable!  Very casual and relatable, makes all material interesting.

I really enjoyed the case studies; they’re very interesting.  I liked learning about the digging techniques and finding sites.  Nothing we studied was overly technical.  I would vary the case studies a little more — include more different studies such as something from North America, Australia, and Asia.  Include an essay on the test with more controversial archaeology questions, such as digging graves, publishing in a magazine that has ads for antiquities, etc.

Professor Cline is very knowledgeable and approachable.  He answered questions very well and seems to have a lot of great experience!

It wasn’t terribly challenging, but it was interesting, and I thought it was the appropriate level for an intro class.  Instructor was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic about archaeology.

Instructor very respectful when I (and others) gave obviously wrong answers without knowing it.  Class attracts students to the department as potential majors.

The professor is well traveled and knows the sites, subject, and profession firsthand, therefore the course felt real.  He is knowledgeable and always willing to gain knowledge.  Incorporated ancient sites/facts with current events.

This class would be better if the size was smaller, because then more debatable topics could be covered and discussion would be more effective. Prof. Cline was very responsive to student input and he answered questions well.

The material is very interesting. Professor Cline did ask us debatable questions during the class that we would discuss. However, the class is very big, so it was hard to debate. I would have liked smaller assignments learning more about the debatable parts of archaeology and really been challenged intellectually by having to prove a point.

Amazing class.

The text book is very readable and engaging. The book on archaeological discoveries is fun to read.

Cline was really into the subject and caused his students to want to learn everything about the subject.

Professor Cline is a brilliant and passionate professor. I am looking for other classes of his to take if I have time.

Very organized course. easy to follow and straight forward.

He was very well organized and clear.

It was SO NICE to have a professor that is so computer literate!!

Awesome powerpoints!

Prof. Cline is a great professor and made class very interesting and enjoyable. I would definitely take another course taught by him.

Loved the class!

“I thought it would suck and be a waste of my time.  It is my favorite class!  I was so wrong.  I love archaeology and Cline!”

“I chose to take the course for personal interest and [because I] saw Professor Cline speak @ Accepted Students Day and liked him very much, so expected an interesting class — absolutely did enjoy the class very much.  Professor Cline definitely carried the course; made it fun/interesting, included students in discussions…really enjoyed how he kept us up on modern archaeological events and new discoveries.”

“I expected this course to be an interesting way to satisfy a requirement, but it went above and beyond my expectations — it made me want to major in the subject.  Professor Cline takes the time and effort to make the information relevant and interesting, and he is very helpful in class and out.  Best teacher at GW so far!”

 “Eric H. Cline is the best teacher I have ever had! He is enthusiastic and completely knowledgeable about the subject matter. This causes an increase in class participation. Often, after class, several students remain to discuss the lecture. This is the only time I have ever seen this. I feel that this occurs because of Cline's jovial, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic nature.”

“Professor Cline really has the ability to stimulate and captivate his students. He shows a genuine love for teaching and for his students. He also demonstrates an immense knowledge of the subject.”

“Professor Cline was amazing as an instructor. I hoped to take another class he is teaching next semester, but no spaces remained — a sign that I am not alone in my high opinion of his teaching ability. ”

“Cline is a wonderful professor and an asset to the university.”

“Dr. Cline is far and away the best professor I've had in my entire time here. He's fair, knows vast amounts about his subjects, is always well prepared and is extremely enthusiastic. He's a major asset to GWU, and his classes are very interesting, well paced, and lots of fun.”

“Professor Cline is a truly interesting professor with extensive knowledge about archaeology.”

“Cline is the best professor I have had at GW so far. He is very knowledgeable about the topic, and he really tries to make the lectures as interesting as possible. He is very helpful both in and outside of class.”

“The professor is amazing. I wanted to come to class and learn more about archaeology.”

“The professor was very engaging. He was able to draw upon his own experiences in the field and enhanced my learning by doing so.”

“The professor is the strongest point in the course. He takes a potentially dry and boring subject and makes it interesting and fun for the class. He maintains the class's interest for the full period and is very open to discussion.”

“He is great at teaching; however, he is a bit tough when it comes to grading his essays/short answers.  Great stories and presentations!”

“With this course, I expected a general overview of the field of archaeology, and my expectations were met.  The major strength of the course was the case studies we did of actual sites.  They made the course really fun.  Dr. Cline was really good at telling stories about the places he’s been, which made the lectures more interesting.”

“Clearly excited about material; interested in students’ opinions; effort to make it interesting.”

“I heard that Professor Cline was an awesome professor.”

“Professor Cline was enthusiastic and I’m really happy that he teaches at this school, since he probably should be at Penn or Stanford or similar.  But he should stay here because we love him.”

“I had heard that Prof. Cline was an excellent professor and made this course/topic really interesting.  I would completely agree.”

“Knows everything; knows he knows everything.”

“Passionate about what he’s teaching and very knowledgeable.”

“Course is fantastic!  No weaknesses, one of the best profs I’ve ever had.”

“Great professor.  Great class.”

“Very engaging; humorous; fun to go to class and talk to him outside of class.  Best professor I’ve ever had!” [from a senior majoring in Political Science]

“I was very excited about this class — my expectations were definitely met.  I learned a lot about ancient sites and archaeology…Overall, great class — good discussions and engaging lectures.”

“Great lecturer — engages the class; definitely knows a ton about the subject.”

“Fascinating stories of experiences in the field.”

“The course was harder than I expected, but very interesting and informative.”

“Prof. Cline is interesting and fun.  Really enjoyed the lectures; can tell he is passionate about archaeology.”

“The strengths were greatly brought on by Prof. Cline — he is experienced, has inside knowledge, etc.  I also liked the class discussions very much.  His vast experience, inside knowledge, affable personality, and facilitating manner are all strengths.”

“Dr. Cline, in his first lecture, explained that Archaeology was not like Tomb Raider.  I thought it would be like that, but archaeologists have a lot of work and responsibility, which surprised me.”

“Very interesting; funny (good funny, not weird funny); informative lectures.”

“Very well organized presentations and very interesting input by the professor based on his personal experiences in the field of archaeology.”

“Very smart and funny, well organized, had first hand experience of excavating.”

“Professor Cline made the course fun and interesting.”

“I had no idea what to expect for this course, but was pleasantly surprised.”

“Good Prof, interesting material, taught well, funny, approachable, enthusiastic.”

“I had heard good things, so I had high expectations.  Foolishly, I thought we would talk about dinosaurs.”

“Humorous, clearly presented material; professor is a prominent figure within his field, so he knew a lot.”

“Was clear and friendly, with a great sense of humor.”

“Interesting lectures.  He actually made archaeology fun to learn.”

“I was basically just expecting to learn about archaeology techniques and how each helps understand cultures.  My expectations were definitely met; in fact, they were exceeded due to the quality of the teaching and material.”

“The teacher was very, very good.  His enthusiasm for the subject made the material interesting and relatable, and while the material was challenging, it was never impossible.”

“The major strengths were the site studies.  It was nice to see techniques in practice and to learn about the history of the case studies.”

“Added humor was good.  Very knowledgeable; fun to see him on Discovery Channel/Nat Geo.”

“Prof. Cline is the biggest strength [of the course].  He is amazing!  He loves archaeology and teaching and runs his class and tests very fairly.”

“Interesting, funny, smart, all around great guy!

“Good lecturer; most interesting when he talked about his personal experiences.”

“I liked how he went back and forth between sites and theory; it was more helpful to gain an overview of archaeology as a general subject.”

“He was entertaining throughout the course, which kept [our] attention — used a variety of media to teach, such as videos and slideshows.”

“Prof. Cline really was interested and excited about archaeology, which makes the students interested; he keeps the class lively and is a good lecturer.”

“I expected to get an interesting and exciting class and got an amazing teacher who loves what he does — really cool guy.”

“Prof. Cline is an amazing teacher who keeps the course really interesting.”

“Give this professor tenure before another university steals him from GW!”

“He should have tenure.”

“The professor was the best part [of the course] — so passionate and really knew his stuff.  Made it fun.”

“Passionate, educated, excited about teaching.  Give him a raise.”

 “Better than excellent.”

“Intelligent and captivating.”

“This was the most organized and well-put-together class I have taken.  Everything was laid out ahead of times.  There were no surprises.”

“Cline was amazing with his students. He always had time to talk to you after class and was quick to return emails. I guarantee that there is not a single student on campus who dislikes Cline. The course was very clear and organized.”

“Cline was amazing. The strong points were definitely the case study days. There was no way to take this class and not want to switch to an archaeology major, at least for a couple of days.”

“This was the best class I've had all semester. I would encourage anyone to take it, if only to have the experience of being taught by Professor Cline.”

“Aside from my interest in the topic, I chose to take the course because of the good things I'd heard about Professor Cline. He absolutely made the topic very interesting and definitely increased my understanding and appreciation of archaeology even though I do not plan in pursuing it as my major. His class is fun and up to date. He introduces concepts and ideas that I did not consider as part of archaeology before taking the class and demonstrated its importance as a social science.”

“I am looking forward to taking more classes from Professor Cline! I've told friends that, if they are looking for a social science class to take, they should take Anth003 with Professor Cline because he's the best!”

 “I thought the expectations of the professor were very clear. What I learned and the grades that I received are reflective of that. The professor was fun, doing his best to make lectures interactive and was very accessible for questions or extra help.”

 “I thought the textbook was very helpful and easy to read/understand. I also enjoyed the "100 Great Archaeological Discoveries" book as an additional source for the case studies. I plan on keeping both books as future references.”

“Loved the segues to current events or personal experiences. really makes me interested in the subject. plus, dr. cline clearly loves his subject. which is great.”

“I found the readings very engaging and at an appropriate level of difficulty.”

“Great text, awesome lectures.”

“The reading were fascinating and relevant. I could barely put down the books.”

“Very interesting subject and useful information to have in the back of your head.”

“There was a great variety of subject matter covered, but the syllabus was well organized and clear.”

“Teacher made the course great.”

 “Hard to engage class in a large lecture, but Professor Cline did.”

“Professor Cline used power point to present lectures. They were very well organized and always made available after class via Blackboard.”

“Professor Cline is obviously an expert in the field and he expressed his passion and interest for archaeology. He was always finding recent articles from newspapers or magazines, etc about recent discoveries or happenings in archaeology.”

“Loved the professor. By far the strongest asset to the course because otherwise the lectures could have been very mundane. Liked use of powerpoint and examples from his experience in the field.”

“Amazing professor. one of the best I've had. deserves a raise.”

“Cline is amazing. I would take another class of his just for fun. He incorporated his own experiences and opinions. Great professor, nice guy!”

“Dr. Cline's enthusiasm and personal stories/experiences in the field of Archaeology not only from the volunteer perspective, but also as site manager made the class much more engaging and fun!”

“Extremely knowledgeable with first hand experience Enthusiasm for subject carries over to students.”

“Professor Cline did post his Powerpoint slides from lecture, which was very helpful when I couldn’t write fast enough in class and for studying! He also used videos sometimes that pertained to the subject matter. It was cool because he was in most of them.”

“Liked use of powerpoint. Makes notes and expectations clear and nice that they were posted later on to study from.”

“Cline was the best professor I've had at GW!”

“Very fun course, glad I took it.”

“Really enjoyed the class, Dr. Cline, and cannot wait for my class with you next semester!”

“Give Cline a raise!!! (no, he didn't tell me to write that!)”

“Professor Cline really made the class. He was inspiring, interesting, and kind.”

“Professor Cline's expertise makes every class enjoyable; I even attended class when I was very sick because I didn't want to miss it.”

“This is a great course. I love it!”

“Very interesting lectures and stories to go along with them. Professor Cline is my favorite professor so far.”

“Professor Cline knows a great deal about archaeology and has a great enthusiasm for it which is nice. He is also very helpful to the freshmen in the class...He is very organized, has lots of videos, and uses PowerPoint very well.”

“Well organized mid-term. Very thought provoking. Lessons have clear themes and objectives.”

“Professor very approachable, helpful, easy to talk to, knowledgeable.”

“Professor Cline is the best instructor I have. I was thrilled to be given the opportunity by him to attend lectures outside of class, and to learn about contemporary information about archaeology as well as that which was in our textbook.”

“Exams tested the concepts we were to have learned throughout the course. They were fairly graded. The objectives of the course were laid out at the beginning of classes and adhered to for the entirety of the semester.”

“Analytic and critical thinking was a major facet of this class. Looking at the remains of previous cultures and making conclusions about them helped to focus my mental skills.”

“Such a great teacher!!!!!!!!!!”

“Everything was done fairly and in a timely manner. The exam was a fair test of what we had learned in the semester. The professor was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about his profession, which aided in making the class an enjoyable experience.”

“Great lectures. I'm never bored. I love the stories he has to tell.”

“Professor Cline was knowledgeable and interested in the material he was teaching. It made it easier to enjoy class.”

 “Professor Cline communicated greatly through the use of the latest technology, i.e. biweekly PowerPoint lectures, and blackboard. By using Blackboard, my access to quizzes and lectures, as well as outside reading assignments, made it much easier to prepare for tests and decipher what exactly was important in the book.”

“We could not have had class without Professor Cline's PowerPoint lectures and videos about archaeology. Also, when the class asked for more graded work, Professor Cline created BlackBoard quizzes for us to complete online to hopefully bump up poor grades.”

“Wonderful class!”

“AWESOME Class!!!! Professor Cline made the class.”

“Awesome professor.  I would be excited to take another course he is teaching.”

“The class was great; I highly recommend the class and Professor Cline.”

“Very interesting. I took it on a lark and I've learned a lot. Probably my favorite class of the semester.”

“I really enjoyed the course and although I am not majoring in archaeology the professor sparked my interest enough for me to want to take more classes in the area. I learned more than I expected I would.”

“Overall very good class. Engaging, fun, interesting. Would recommend further courses with this professor.”

“This has most definitely been my favorite course this semester.”

“This class is so intriguing; everything is presented in a lively and humorous fashion; all the material is fascinating.  Professor Cline is superb — so easy to learn from.”

“He’s very engaging, grades fairly, respects the students.  Knowledgeable, experienced.  Great!”

“I expected to learn the basics of archaeology and what it would take to become an archaeologist.  I also expected to learn about famous sites.  Yes, all my expectations were met.”

“Prof. Cline is fun and informative; a rare combination.”

“Dr. Cline’s passion for the subject is obvious and he’s incredibly engaging and intelligent.  His enthusiasm only increased my own for the subject matter!”

“Wonderful speaker; approachable; mastered subject matter; wanted us to LEARN!”

“He was interesting, kept us engaged, made us laugh.  His passion for the subject was contagious.”

“Professor Cline is very knowledgeable and engaging.  He is my favorite instructor by far.”

“Cline is amazing.  He’s very informative and knows the subject well.  He is approachable, funny, and made me want to be in class all the time.  He made me want to learn a lot.”

“The instructor had a great sense of humor, while still being informative.  I enjoyed hearing his real life experiences.”

“He’s funny, nice, approachable, not pretentious.”

“The strengths include having a professor who is world renowned and digs all over the world.  Very interesting lectures.”

“It’s nice that he actually listens to his students.  Very funny and nice and obviously knows and cares a lot about archaeology; very realistic about archaeological field.”

“The lectures were the best part of the course.  Funny, intelligent, made you want to come to class.”

“Great speaker; kept class engaged; comical and informative lectures.”

“The instructor had the knowledge and experiences to keep class extremely interesting.  The atmosphere of the class was open and friendly, which stimulated learning.  He is amazing!”

“Professor Cline – he’s great!  Best teacher I have had at GW.  Very enthusiastic, friendly, and knowledgeable.”

“Professor Cline is truly an expert in every sense of the world.  Wonderful broad range.  He used many forms of media very appropriately.  This is what I expect a class at GWU to be!!”

“My expectations were blown away.  This course was so much more fun and interesting than I thought it would be.  [Professor was] hilarious, incredibly knowledgeable, cares about course material and students.”

“The professor himself was by far the highlight of this course.  He loves his subject, respects his students, and was an example of what all professors should try to be.”

“Dr. Cline is the best college professor I have ever had.  He uses visual aids, is organized, and very knowledgeable.”

“This was the best intro course I have taken at GW.  Really increased my interest in the subject.  Usually, intro classes are not this good!”

“Thought-provoking and interesting; very organized; very enthusiastic; well prepared; great personality; overall one of my favorite professors.”

“Sooo interesting.  I wanted to grab a cup of tea every day and just sit and listen.”

“I expected a well-rounded intro to archaeology and definitely got it.  One of my two favorite classes in my college career.”

“Very engaging and lively; kept the class interested with anecdotes and easygoing lectures; made me not want to miss a class.”

“The course exceeded my expectations — I found it to be very interesting and it encouraged me to pursue archaeology even after this.”

“Instructor has a vast working knowledge of subject, enjoys teaching, has sense of humor, very approachable.”

“Professor Cline is extremely interesting to listen to.  He is really into the subject and makes learning fun.  I really enjoyed this class.”

“Instructor was well informed on subject material, made the course very interesting, and expressed a down-to-earth view of archaeology almost literally!”

“I enjoyed the class very much.  Dr. Cline is a great lecturer who has a great passion for his field; that made the class enjoyable.”

“Makes even the most boring matter interesting.”

“Enthusiastic; very knowledgeable; it was interesting for an intro class!”

“Very knowledgeable; great speaking skills; humorous; obviously loves archaeology; this makes the class very interesting.”

“Smart; knowledgeable; great.”

“Presented clear and well organized lectures.”

“Professor Cline is funny and well spoken.”

“Humorous; good speaker; organized.”

“The teacher was great and taught well about numerous sites.”

“I was glad we had the greatest hits (looking at specific famous sites) which put an example with what we learned.”

“Easy to listen to and personal stories that actually apply.”

“I thought it would be interesting and it was.  The lectures were very intriguing.”

“Very skilled at lecturing and keeping interest.”

“Had a lot of personal experience to add to lectures.”

“Very approachable; good lectures.”

“He doesn’t take himself too seriously.”

“Got a great intro plus more.”

“Professor Cline used many personal experiences to illustrate a point, which made remembering material easier.”

“Lots of experience, humor, and passion for the subject; realistic in thinking the class is not full of future archaeologists.”

“Professor Cline is awesome.”

“Very knowledgeable; answered all questions very thoroughly.”

“Very friendly; good story teller; humorous; helped discussions.  An awesome professor, one of my best.”

“Professor Cline is a great teacher.”

“Engaging and knowledgeable; easy-going while he’s lecturing and logical in choice of subject.”

“I got a very interesting, well-rounded intro to archaeology; definitely increased my interest.”

“Combined theory and case studies well; anecdotes and personal pictures brought it to life.”

“I wouldn’t change or improve the course; it was great; best class this semester.”

“Engaged students; flexible; always there to help.”

“Enthusiastic; knowledgeable; encourages participation even though it’s a large class.”

“This intro to archaeology course was very enjoyable and interesting; it was a great introduction and I am excited to take more courses in the field.”

“Professor Cline was very good at keeping everyone interested in the subject matter.”

“Very well spoken and intelligent.”

“I learned more about real excavations than I thought I would.  I [also] learned more history than I was expecting.”

“The professor made everything interesting and exciting.”

“Made even the most boring material interesting; professor was wonderful.”

“It was a good course compared to other introductory classes I’ve had; interesting; good balance between theory and specifics.”

“He was great; couldn’t be any more effective.”

“I think a major strength of the course is that it provides a good understanding of what it is like to be an archaeologist.”

“He is a very friendly man and teaches very well.  He also is a great storyteller.”

“Only way class could have been stronger was if we had actually been on a dig.  In other words, no complaints; great class.”

“No weaknesses; made clear effort to engage the class and provide comprehensive view of the subject matter.”

“He is “a pleasure to have in class.””

“No changes necessary, although a rocket ship in some manner would be cool.”

“Great professor; very knowledgeable; takes time for detail.”

“Instructor was excellent overall; interesting, knowledgeable, and organized.”

“Very entertaining lecturer.  Topics were fascinating.  Cline has a good sense of humor.”

“Such a great instructor!  Dr. Cline really got me interested in archaeology.”

“I liked how he put in his own experiences to explain things…Good presentations.”

“Very knowledgeable.”

“Professor Cline’s enthusiasm and love of the subject matter makes this course highly enjoyable.”

“He’s a cool funny guy.”

“Used humor to make lectures more interesting.  Valued students’ opinions, comments, [and] questions.”

“Very knowledgeable; loves archaeology; great lectures; humorous.”

“He is very funny and easy going.  He made the class fun.”

“He was extremely respectful of students’ ideas and very knowledgeable about the topic.”

“Cline kept the class interesting the whole semester.  I have learned a lot and loved the class.”

“Professor Cline was an excellent speaker who kept class lectures interesting.  Kudos.”

“He knew a ton about the material.”

“Approachable; fair grades; entertaining.”

“Great speaker; fun to listen to; got students involved; listened to what students said; tests were fair but challenging.”

“Smart teacher who kept our interest and made everyone enjoy class.”

“The course had no weakness and the professor’s lectures were its strengths.”

“He’s good at what he does; interesting and knowledgeable.”

“Really approachable and kept what could be boring lectures very interesting.”

“Prof. Cline did a good job balancing specific case studies with methods.”

“Knowledgeable, funny, good lecturer.”

“Excellent course.  [Professor was] very knowledgeable, very funny, and very inspirational.”

“It was a great overview of general archaeology and touched on many sites I was interested in.”

“It has made my interest in archaeology even greater and made me want to pursue it further.”

“It wasn’t as boring as I thought it could possibly be.”

“This course was more interesting than I expected.”

“Very informative and a good introduction to the topic and major.  [Professor was] personable, well-experienced with topic, great public speaking skills.”

“An all-inclusive introduction to archaeology…Very interesting, very informative.”

“Dr. Cline makes class fun….learned lots and was interesting.”

“Professor made material interesting.”

“Gained a solid general knowledge of archaeology – learned much – and enjoyed professor’s lectures.”

“Professor Cline is an excellent professor – interesting lectures, use of multi-media, good readings.”

“Fantastic lectures; [Professor has] knowledge of field, vibrant personality, and enthusiasm.”

“This class is pretty sweet.”

“His lectures were always interesting and informative.  Dr. Cline is the man.  He really leaves little room for improvement.”

“ [Professor was] one of the best ever.  He’s both knowledgeable and personal.”

“Great lecturer; very engaging and knowledgeable.”

“Great sense of humor; really good at keeping our interest; great one on one.”

“I came into this class hoping to gain a deeper understanding of archaeology and all that it entails; this class exceeded my expectations.”

“ [Instructor’s strengths are] his absolute passion and love for the field!  He is very relatable [sic] and works well with the students.”

“This course exceeded my expectations as I developed an unforeseen enthusiasm for archaeology.”

“I liked that we studied the sites as well as theory; it was more interesting that way.”

“It was fun, interesting, and highly educational.  I loved it.”

“Funny, makes subject interesting, knowledgeable about subject matter.  Lecture style, grading, etc, was very good.”

“He made this class fun to come to.”

“Is the instructor God’s gift to archaeology?  He thinks so…BUT…He may be right.”

“This course was always interesting and I loved going to every class.”

“He is the best teacher because Dr. wants his students to be interested and love archaeology.”

“I didn’t know what to expect but Prof. Cline made the class interesting and enjoyable.”

“I expected to learn about neat archaeological finds and about what archaeology is all about and I did.”

“Prof. Cline makes class enjoyable and is very enthusiastic.”

“Enthusiastic, funny, and very well educated in the field.”

“Very enthusiastic, funny, kept students active and alert.”

“Professor’s lectures were very interesting; online quizzes very helpful.”

“This course exceeded my expectations – I learned a lot because Cline was informative, enthusiastic, and a great teacher.”

“Great overall – smart, funny, interesting.”

“I learned a lot and found the class very interesting.”

“Professor Cline is very knowledgeable about the subject; he is funny and teaches clearly and effectively.”

“It was a very informative and interesting introductory course.  The instructor was extremely knowledgeable and very helpful…He was extremely intelligent and communicated with us very well.”

“We explored sites and learned method enough to whet my palate.”

“Excellent intro course.”

“Practical; a real archaeologist; spoke from experience.”

“It was a fun and interesting course that covered interesting topics.  Great lectures, knowledgeable about the topics, made class fun.”

“I took this class as a requirement and I ended up enjoying it and finding it interesting.”

“The most positive thing was how enthusiastic Dr. Cline is when he teaches, especially since he is giving such a broad overview of archaeology.”

“The professor's sense of humor and passion for archaeology [was the most positive aspect of the course].  The course material was fascinating;  I enjoyed learning about different sites on Thursdays.”

“Cline is an excellent professor.  He is extremely knowledgeable and has an excellent teaching style.”

“Dr. Cline's enthusiasm in the course increased my interest in archaeology.  I liked how he used the variety of media.”

“Breaking up the week into theory days and site days was good to break things up and keep the interest there.  Also, Cline's enthusiasm was contagious, to me anyway.”

“The teacher's enthusiasm for the course and therefore his ability to interest students in it [was the most positive aspect of the course].  Studying specific sites helped, at least for me, to hold interest.”

“I liked how Professor Cline was very organized and available.  It (the course)/he increased my interest in archaeology.”

“Dr. Cline is a funny, enthusiastic, and engaging professor.  His lectures were always interesting and entertaining.”

“Thanks for the great class!  I wish I was not graduating, so I could take your Seven Wonders of the [Ancient] World class next Spring!”

“It was very interesting and enhanced my love for the subject.  Offer [this class] in the afternoon, because I always hated when I overslept and missed some.”

“Covered a range of topics, great intro course, interesting; Dr. Cline is a wonderful professor who is enthusiastic and makes the material interesting.”

“The case studies were very interesting and more exciting than the practical [material] (although it's necessary).”

“He is enthusiastic, funny, and extremely knowledgeable about the subject.”

“Very knowledgeable and presented the material in a humorous enjoyable way.”

“Dr. Cline is excellent.  The subject material was good too.”

“The professor was engaging, intelligent, and encouraged discussion.”