Archaeology of Greece and Rome

Catalog description

The monuments and material remains of ancient Mediterranean civilizations have shaped a discourse about western civilization for centuries. From the so-called Tomb of Atreus at Mycenae to the colosseum in Romel, the physical remains of the past have been seen as signs of social sophistication, of overweening hubris, of imperial exploitation, of lost greatness. This course introduces you to the material remains of the ancient Mediterranean and their contested significance today. Chronologically organized, it will explore both great monuments and humble dwellings, using material remains to examine the religions, economies and social structure of the Bronze Age through the late Roman empire. In doing so, it will challenge the notion of "western" civilization by probing the constant connections between the Mediterranean and the east, and the myriad of ways that ancient social practices, as evident through archaeology, challenge our own values and assumptions. The course will also ask how archaeology has been itself shaped by national politics and national identity, and how these monuments continue to exert a powerful impact today - as economic drivers, as contested symbols, and as part of a fragile heritage increasingly under threat.