The Wonders of the Ancient Mediterranean

Catalog description

Provides a broad overview of the archaeology of the Mediterranean world from the time of the Old Kingdom in Egypt (3rd millennium BC) to the early Byzantine period (6th century AD). Organized around iconic structures from the main cultures and time periods covered. Each site will be used individually as a vehicle for studying broader aspects of the society that produced it. Explores why it is particularly significant and representative of that society. Questions include: Why were lists of “wonders” made in the first place? What was the political significance of creating a “wonder”? What effect did the original Seven Wonders have on the monuments that came later? What effect did the wonders have on the modern imagination and the archaeologists devoted to rediscovering them?