Introduction to The Archaeology of Classical Antiquity

Course goals

By the end of this course you will have acquired the following knowledge and skills:

• Basic knowledge of the material culture of the Greek world, including an overview of the most essential artistic styles and developments.
• Basic knowledge of the development of Classical Archaeology as an independent field of research.
• Basic knowledge of handling ancient objects and the proper instruments.

Content

From the giant Mycenaean tombs, to the Athenian Acropolis and its Hellenistic and Roman legacy, this course introduces you to the highlights of Greek monumental architecture and fine-arts. You will study the catastrophic consequences of the collapse of the Bronze Age civilizations and the emergence of the Greek polis in the final stages of Iron Age. We examine the impact of the introduction of democracy on the iconography and architecture of Classical Athens and the profound consequences of the conquests of Alexander the Great and following dissemination of Greek artistic forms in the Hellenistic world.
 
In this course, you will not only study these cultural developments through the textbook and seminars, but experiment with first-hand research on objects in archaeological collections. Practical classes (either on campus or, when possible, at the Utrecht University Museum) will bring you in direct contact with ancient objects from domestic, funeral and religious contexts. You will learn how to perform an archaeological autopsy on such objects. And finally, you will showcase your skills in a short knowledge clip in powerpoint, highlighting an ancient object, monument or building.

Additional information

This is the third course of the minor Archaeology (taught in English) and the first course of the minor Antieke Cultuur. This particular course is taught in English. If all students are native Dutch speakers, the course will be taught in Dutch. Students may complete their assignments, papers and tests in either Dutch or English.

LAS and TCS students who follow this course as part of the core curriculum of their major, need to complete a compulsory preparation course/assignment. See for more information: https://tcs.sites.uu.nl/