GREA ARAN 311 - Art & Archaeology of Ancient Greece

Institution:

Arcadia University

Subject:

Description:

In this class we will examine some of the archaeological remains of ancient Greece from the geometric to the Roman period. Our goal is to come to an understanding of the culture that produced the Parthenon, that was concerned with the place of humans in the cosmos and that invented democracy. Because we are situated in Athens, and because ancient studies tend toward the Athenocentric, we will concentrating on Athens and Athenian monuments but we will have the opportunity to examine greater Greece during the four-day trip to the Peloponnesos. In class you will be expected to contribute your learned opinions, opinions developed as much from your readings as from the accumulated experience of what you have seen. The required readings of ancient and modern authors will help you acquire some contextual information of the sort necessary to interpret the politics, religion, drama and philosophy of the ancient Greeks. By the end of the semester, you will have acquired both a broadly based knowledge of ancient Greek culture and the ability to look critically at its physical expression. Even art history can, at times, erupt in controversy. Walter Benjamin wrote "There is no document of civilization that is not simultaneously a document of barbarism, "and there is significant discussion now revolving around the question of whether the great museums which house many of the objects we examine in this class are to be seen as storehouses for cultural appreciation or as depositories for plunder. We will conclude our examination of ancient Greek art and archaeology with a look at the ethics and politics of the curation of cultural property.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.arcadia.edu

Phone Number:

(215) 572-2900

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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