Archaeology and Art: Contexts and Controversies

Catalog description

The course focuses on the archaeological context of selected objects usually described as examples of Greek art. It examines where they were found, what significance they had in the culture that produced them, how they were excavated, how they have been conserved and what ethical issues surround the modern conservation and acquisition of them. Each object has its own story yet also fits into a larger context. Above all, this is a course that emphasizes the importance of establishing clear methodologies and its purpose is to provide students with tools to explore the contexts of objects, ultimately on their own. What questions do they need to ask? To what types of sources can they reliably turn for information? How might they interpret the ethical arguments raised by the excavation and acquisition of some objects? The core material for the course will comprise twenty objects. Chronology will provide the organizational principle for the study of the objects. The focus of each class will be a single object; readings will discuss some aspects of its context and part of the in-class presentation will provide comparative material/objects.