In this course we will examine the material culture of Ancient Greece and its historical and social context, from the end of the Neolithic period through the domination of Greece by Rome (ca. 3500-168 BCE), concentrating on an array of settlements, cemeteries, and ritual sites. We track the development of the Greek city-state and the increasing power of the Greeks in the Mediterranean, culminating in the major diaspora of Greek culture accompanying the campaigns of Alexander the Great and his followers. Our approach will be broadly chronological, and we will focus on sites that have been selected for the variety of archaeological remains recovered and for their importance in the history of Greece (for example, Athens, Olympia, etc.). The emphasis of the course is on the contextual examination of Greek material culture, and how this changed over the course of the period under consideration. We will also stress the interconnections between the disparate parts of the Greek world and the idea of a unified Greek culture. Ongoing and recent archaeological work in Greece is also integrated into this course.
The goals of the course are as follows:
1.) To introduce the history, character, and purpose of archaeological work in the Greek world.
2.) To become acquainted with the material culture of Bronze Age through Hellenistic Greece and its influence on the Mediterranean, and especially Roman, world.
3.) To consider the ongoing significance of this archaeological material for issues of Greek identity, national identity, and modern global society.
4.) To engage critically with archaeological and art historical topics.