Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology (Bryn Mawr)
Department Website:
https://www.brynmawr.edu/archaeology
The Department of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology trains undergraduates and graduate students in the archaeology of the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern worlds. The program is interdisciplinary and encourages students to take advantage of related offerings in Departments of Anthropology, Classics, Geology, History, History of Art, and the Program in the Growth and Structure of Cities.
In collaboration with the Departments of Geology, Biology and Anthropology, a concentration in Geoarchaeology is offered together with coursework and laboratory training in Geographic Information Systems. The Ella Riegel Memorial Collection of over 6,000 artifacts is used in instruction. Students are encouraged to study material for research and to volunteer with the College Collections staff, who manage the collection.
Curriculum
The curriculum of the department focuses on the cultures of the Mediterranean regions and the Near East in antiquity. Courses treat aspects of society and material culture of these civilizations as well as issues of theory, method, and interpretation.
Major Requirements
The major requires a minimum of 10 courses. Core requirements are two 100-level courses distributed between the ancient Near East and Egypt (either ARCH B101 or ARCH B104) and ancient Greece and Rome (ARCH B102), and two semesters of the senior conference (ARCH B398 and ARCH B399). At least two upper-level courses should be distributed between Classical and Near Eastern subjects. Additional requirements are determined in consultation with the major advisor. Additional coursework in allied subjects may be presented for major credit but must be approved in writing by the major advisor; such courses are offered in the Departments of Anthropology, Geology, Greek, Latin and Classical Studies, Growth and Structure of Cities, and History of Art. In consultation with the major advisor, one course taken in study abroad may be accepted for credit in the major after review of the syllabus, work submitted for a grade, and a transcript. Credit will not be given for a course that is ordinarily offered by the department. Students can also take courses at the University of Pennsylvania in consultation with the major advisor.
The writing requirement for the major consists of two one-semester Writing Attentive courses offered within the department.
Each student’s course of study to meet major requirements will be determined in consultation with the undergraduate major advisor in the spring semester of the sophomore year, at which time a written plan will be designed. Students considering majoring in the department are encouraged to take the introductory courses (ARCH B101 or ARCH B104 and ARCH B102) early in their undergraduate career and should also seek advice from departmental faculty. Students who are interested in interdisciplinary concentrations or in study abroad during the junior year are strongly advised to seek assistance in planning their major early in their sophomore year.
Requirements for Honors
Honors are granted on the basis of academic performance as demonstrated by a cumulative average of 3.5 or better in the major.
Minor Requirements
The minor requires six courses. Core requirements are two 100-level courses distributed between the ancient Near East and Egypt and ancient Greece and Rome, in addition to four other courses selected in consultation with the major advisor.
Concentration Requirements
Concentration in Geoarcheology
The geoarchaeology concentration allows students majoring in Anthropology, Archaeology, or Geology to explore the connections among these fields with respect to how our human ancestors interacted with past environments, and how traces of human behavior are preserved in the physical environment. In Geology, the geoarchaeology concentration consists of 13 courses: GEOL B101, GEOL B202, GEOL B203, GEOL B204, GEOL B205, GEOL B208, GEOL B270, and GEOL B399; two semesters of chemistry; two semesters of math, statistics, or computational methods; either ARCH B101 or ANTH B101; and one 200- or 300-level elective from among current offerings in Anthropology or Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology. Paperwork for the concentration should be filed at the same time as the major work plan. For course planning advice, consult with Don Barber (Geology), Casey Barrier (Anthropology) or Peter Magee (Archaeology).
Independent Research
Majors who wish to undertake independent research, especially for researching and writing a lengthy paper, must arrange with a professor who is willing to advise them, and consult with the major advisor. Such research normally would be conducted by seniors as a unit of supervised work (403), which must be approved by the advising professor before registration. Students planning to do such research should consult with professors in the department in the spring semester of their junior year or no later than the beginning of the fall semester of the senior year.
Annual Field Trip
Since 2015/16 the department has organized an annual field trip for registered majors in good standing in their Junior Year. This voluntary trip involves a city (e.g., Athens or Rome) which features in our teaching program, or a city which contains relevant museums (e.g., London, Paris, Berlin). The airfare and lodging expenses are covered by the Department. Details for the upcoming trip will be made available at the beginning of the Fall Semester.
Languages
Majors who contemplate graduate study in Classical fields should incorporate Greek and Latin into their programs. Those who plan graduate work in Near Eastern or Egyptian may take appropriate ancient languages at the University of Pennsylvania, such as Middle Egyptian, Akkadian and Sumerian. Any student considering graduate study in Classical and Near Eastern archaeology should study French and German.
Study Abroad
A semester of study abroad is encouraged if the program is approved by the department. Students are encouraged to consult with faculty, since some programs the department may approve may not yet be listed at the Office of International Programs. Students who seek major credit for courses taken abroad must consult with the major advisor before enrolling in a program. Major credit is given on a case-by-case basis after review of the syllabus, work submitted for a grade, and a transcript. Credit will not be given for more than one course and not for courses that are ordinarily offered by the department.
Fieldwork
The department strongly encourages students to gain fieldwork experience and assists them in getting positions on field projects in North America and overseas. The department is undertaking several field projects in which undergraduates may be invited to participate.
Professor Peter Magee conducts a for-credit field school at Muweilah, al-Hamriya and Tell Abraq in the United Arab Emirates. Undergraduate and graduate students participate in this project, which usually takes place during the winter break. He sends an announcement about how to apply for a position in the fall of each year. Students who participate for credit sign up for a 403 independent study with Professor Magee.
Professor Astrid Lindenlauf is also beginning a new excavation project at the ancient Greek trading post of Naukratis in Egypt, and the opportunities for work there will expand as the project gets under way.
Additional Major Experiences: Fieldwork and Museum Internships
The department strongly encourages students to gain fieldwork experience over the summer and assists them in getting positions on field projects in North America and overseas. The department is undertaking several field projects in Egypt, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates. Further field projects in Greece or the Near East are foreseen for the future. There will be opportunities for advanced undergraduates to participate in these projects.
Museum internships, either during the summer or during the term, also constitute valid major experiences beyond the classroom. The department is awarded annually one fully paid summer internship by the Nicholas P. Goulandris Foundation for students to work for six weeks in the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, Greece. An announcement inviting applications is normally sent by the department Chair in the spring.
Opportunities to work with the College’s archaeology collections are available throughout the academic year and during the summer. Students wishing to work with the collections should consult Marianne Weldon, Collections Manager for Art and Artifacts.
Funding for Summer Learning Opportunities
The department has two funds that support students for summer internships, summer fieldwork projects, and archaeological summer projects of their own design. One, the Elisabeth Packard Fund for internships in Art History and Archaeology is shared with the Department of the History of Art, while the other is the Anna Lerah Keys Memorial Prize. Any declared major may apply for these funds. An announcement calling for applications is normally sent to majors in the spring, and the awards are made public at the annual college awards ceremony in April. To help cover expenses related to archaeological learning opportunities, which can be expensive, the department encourages majors to consider applying for funding offered by Bryn Mawr College and external funding sources.
Faculty at Bryn Mawr
Jennie BradburyAssistant Professor and Department Co-Chair of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology
Shannon Dunn
Visiting Assistant Professor of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology
Astrid Lindenlauf
Associate Professor and Co-Chair of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology
Rocco Palermo
Assistant Professor of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology
Wu Xin
Assistant Professor of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology
Courses
ARCH B101 INTRODUCTION TO EGYPTIAN AND NEAR EASTERN ARCHAEOLOGY (1.0 Credit)
Jennie Bradbury
Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)
A historical survey of the archaeology and art of the ancient Near East and Egypt.
(Offered: Fall 2024)
ARCH B102 INTRODUCTION TO CLASSICAL ARCHAEOLOGY (1.0 Credit)
Rocco Palermo
Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)
A historical survey of the archaeology and art of Greece, Etruria, and Rome.
(Offered: Spring 2025)
ARCH B203 BUILDING THE POLIS: ANCIENT GREEK CITIES AND SANCTUARIES (1.0 Credit)
Shannon Dunn
Division: Humanities
A study of the co-development of the Greek city-states and their sanctuaries. Archaeological evidence is surveyed in its historic context. The political formation of the city-state and the role of religion is presented, and the political, economic, and religious institutions of the city-states are explored with a focus on regional variations in timelines of development, building styles, and connectivity. The logistics of building construction, religious travel, and interregional influences will also be addressed.
(Offered: Fall 2024)
ARCH B204 ANIMALS IN THE ANCIENT GREEK WORLD (1.0 Credit)
This course focuses on perceptions of animals in ancient Greece from the Geometric to the Classical periods. It examines representations of animals in painting, sculpture, and the minor arts, the treatment of animals as attested in the archaeological record, and how these types of evidence relate to the featuring of animals in contemporary poetry, tragedy, comedy, and medical and philosophical writings. By analyzing this rich body of evidence, the course develops a context in which participants gain insight into the ways ancient Greeks perceived, represented, and treated animals. Juxtaposing the importance of animals in modern society, as attested, for example, by their roles as pets, agents of healing, diplomatic gifts, and even as subjects of specialized studies such as animal law and animal geographies, the course also serves to expand awareness of attitudes towards animals in our own society as well as that of ancient Greece.
ARCH B210 DAILY LIFE IN ANCIENT EGYPT (1.0 Credit)
In this course, learn about life growing up and getting old in ancient Egypt through their everyday food and drink including ancient recipes and massive factory installations for brewing beer, their clothing and adornment, education, household religion and the real beliefs of your average Egyptian often quite different from the religion sponsored by the pharaoh and the state. Learn about their illnesses and their medical treatments, types of jobs and complaints about lazy coworkers, life in the workmen's village of the great pyramid and the valley of the Kings, curses against enemies, disowning misbehaving adult children and even their leisure and playtime through games, sports, toys, and pets. This course will assess the diverse lives of a laborer, slave, foreigner, high-ranking official, pharaoh and more throughout Egypt from 2600 BC- 1080 BC in the village Lahun, the Egyptian capital Tell el-Amarna, the temple town in South Abydos, and the workman’s village for the Giza pyramids and the Valley of the Kings. It will examine Egyptian life through artifacts including ivory wands and birthing bricks for childbirth, children's toys, weapons and tools, amulets, and more; tomb scenes of daily life; and societal values through fairy tales, love poetry, legal documents, letters, scribal training practice texts, work attendance rosters, and ostraca.
ARCH B212 VISUAL CULTURE OF THE ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN (1.0 Credit)
Shannon Dunn
Division: Humanities
This course explores the visual culture of the ancient Mediterranean world from the second millennium BCE to early Roman times. Drawing from an extensive variety of extant evidence that includes monuments, sculpture, paintings, mosaics, and artifacts deriving from culturally and geographically distinct areas, such as the Minoan world, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Phoenicia, Cyprus, Greece, Macedonia, Italy, Tunisia, and Spain, the course explores how such evidence may have been viewed and experienced and how it may have, in turn, shaped the visual culture of the well-interconnected ancient Mediterranean world. Focusing on selected examples of evidence, including its materials, style, and methods of production, the course will also consider how past and current scholarly attitudes, approaches, and terminology have affected the understanding and interpretation of this evidence.
(Offered: Fall 2024)
ARCH B214 THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTIONS IN WESTERN ASIA (1.0 Credit)
Jennie Bradbury
Division: Humanities
This course examines the archaeology of one of the most fundamental shifts to have occurred in human society in the last 12,000 years, the origins of agriculture. Via assigned readings, class work and lectures we will consider the varied factors which led (or did not lead) to the adoption of agriculture, questioning what the core building blocks of agricultural life were across Western Asia and exploring societies that did not experience these changes. We will also discuss the impacts these developments have had, and continue to have, on modern society and culture in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. Themes covered will include societal organization, identity (gender, ethnicity, culture, personhood etc.), communication, and the relationships between humans, animals, and the environment. The class will also begin to address the relationships between colonialism and archaeology in Western Asia and explore what the future of a post-colonial and anti-racist archaeology looks like in this region.
ARCH B222 ALEXANDER THE GREAT (1.0 Credit)
Staff
Division: Humanities
This course examines the life, personality, career, and military achievements of Alexander the Great, as well as the extraordinary reception of his legacy in antiquity and through modern times. It uses historical, archaeological and art-historical evidence to reconstruct a comprehensive picture of Alexander’s cultural background and examines the real and imaginary features of his life and afterlife as they developed in the Hellenistic and Roman worlds, Late Antiquity, the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and succeeding periods in both Europe and Asia. Special attention is also placed on the appeal that Alexander’s life and achievements have generated and continue to retain in modern popular visual culture as evidenced from documentary films and motion pictures.
ARCH B233 TOPICS IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES AND METHODS (1.0 Credit)
Rocco Palermo
Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts); B: Analysis of the Social World
This topic course explores methods used in Archaeology. Course content varies.
(Offered: Fall 2024)
ARCH B235 DEATH AND BURIAL IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST (1.0 Credit)
Jennie Bradbury
Death is a shared human experience; however, it provokes a huge variety of responses; from the ad hoc and hasty burial of the deceased through to elaborate and lengthy funerary rituals. One of the most direct forms of evidence we have as archaeologists for the people who lived thousands of years ago are burials. The Ancient Near East also offers a rich corpus of textual and visual material, which can be used to explore the ways in which ancient societies conceptualized and thought about death, from the nature of the afterlife to the role of malevolent or helpful ghosts.
ARCH B237 ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY OF CENTRAL ASIA (1.0 Credit)
Wu Xin
Exploring the rich and vibrant cultural heritage of Central Asia, this course delves into the region's history, art, and archaeology spanning from the third millennium BCE to the eighth century CE. Central Asia, constituting the territory between western China and eastern Iran, served as the heartland of the ancient Silk Road. Despite its significance, the region's history and culture often remain shrouded in mystery, largely unknown to the academic community. This course sheds light on topics related to Central Asia, such as state formation, nomadism, religious beliefs, trade, and arts and crafts production of Central Asia, while emphasizing the region’s interconnectedness with the broader world.
ARCH B240 ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORY OF ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA (1.0 Credit)
Wu Xin
Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)
A survey of the material culture of ancient Mesopotamia, modern Iraq, from the earliest phases of state formation (circa 3500 B.C.E.) through the Achaemenid Persian occupation of the Near East (circa 331 B.C.E.). Emphasis will be on art, artifacts, monuments, religion, kingship, and the cuneiform tradition. The survival of the cultural legacy of Mesopotamia into later ancient and Islamic traditions will also be addressed.
(Offered: Spring 2025)
ARCH B242 COLONIES AND COLONIZATION IN THE ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN (1.0 Credit)
This course focuses on the character and consequences of colonization, colonialism, and imperialism in the ancient Mediterranean. Using archaeological and textual evidence, we will examine the history, practice, and physical manifestations of colonization from the earliest Phoenician and Greek colonies through the imperial world of the Roman Empire. We will discuss a variety of approaches and frameworks used to explore the intersection of migration and mobility, colonization and colonialism, and imperial states and identities in the Classical world, and will explore the impact of these processes on the development of wider Mediterranean networks, identities, and histories.
ARCH B244 GREAT EMPIRES OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST (1.0 Credit)
Division: Humanities
A survey of the history, material culture, political and religious ideologies of, and interactions among, the five great empires of the ancient Near East of the second and first millennia B.C.E.: New Kingdom Egypt, the Hittite Empire in Anatolia, the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires in Mesopotamia, and the Persian Empire in Iran.
ARCH B246 CLASSICAL ANTIQUITY IN MOVIES (1.0 Credit)
Rocco Palermo
This course explores the visual representations and the narratives of the Graeco-Roman times on screen. From silent films to modern Hollywood productions through Netflix, Amazon, and other streaming services productions, students will discuss the impact of classical antiquity in the film-making industry. We will be looking into how the depiction of different aspects of the Greek and Roman past (literature, history, art, archaeology) are used (and misused) on screen and in which way these productions influence the way we understand the ancient world.
ARCH B247 THE WORLD OF GILGAMESH (1.0 Credit)
Wu Xin
This course explores how the people of ancient Mesopotamia perceive and comprehend the fundamental questions of human existence, such as the intricacies of life and death, gender and sexuality, the relationship between humans and the divine, and the definition of self-identity in relation to the outside world, through an examination of the literary works and archaeological remains from the ancient Near East. Guided by the epic tale of Gilgamesh, the legendary king of Uruk in Mesopotamian mythology, we will journey back to the mesmerizing world of the fourth and third millennium BCE, when human civilizations first emerged and thrived. This course offers an immersive experience, enabling students to unleash their intellectual creativity through dramatic performances and curation of a digital exhibit showcasing early Mesopotamian civilization.
ARCH B249 THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF URBAN REVOLUTIONS IN WESTERN ASIA (1.0 Credit)
Jennie Bradbury
This course examines the archaeology of one of the most fundamental developments to have occurred in human society in the last 6,000 years, the origins of cities. Via assigned readings, class work and lectures we will consider the varied factors which led (or did not lead) to the emergence of cities, questioning what cities were (and are) and how they functioned in the ancient world. We will explore different trajectories towards urbanism that can be identified in the archaeological record and consider societies that did not experience these changes. By exploring processes and practices over the long-term, students will address issues of inequality in the earliest urban societies, developing an understanding of how axes of power and difference interacted to produce inequalities and hierarchies. We will also discuss the impacts these developments have had, and continue to have, on modern society and culture in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. Themes covered will include the ‘urban revolution’, rurality and urbanism, urban planning and growth, houses and households, communication and mobility, climate and environment, power and inequality.
(Offered: Spring 2025)
ARCH B250 DIGITAL ARCHAEOLOGY (1.0 Credit)
Rocco Palermo
This course covers the innovative changes that have been brought about in Archaeology and Heritage Studies by new technologies and methodological approaches. Remote sensing data analysis, augmented reality, machine learning software, online collaborative platforms, and 3D tools are revolutionizing the way in which data is collected, managed, conserved, and disseminated. A combination of a survey of cutting-edge digital methods and applications, select case studies from Eurasia, and hands-on sessions enables students to gain a good understanding of the potential of digital tools. Prerequisite: ARCH B233.
(Offered: Spring 2025)
ARCH B252 POMPEII (1.0 Credit)
Staff
Division: Humanities
Introduces students to a nearly intact archaeological site whose destruction by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 C.E. was recorded by contemporaries. The discovery of Pompeii in the mid-1700s had an enormous impact on 18th- and 19th-century views of the Roman past as well as styles and preferences of the modern era. Informs students in classical antiquity, urban life, city structure, residential architecture, home decoration and furnishing, wall painting, minor arts and craft and mercantile activities within a Roman city.
(Offered: Spring 2025)
ARCH B253 GENDER ARCHAEOLOGY IN PRE-ISLAMIC WESTERN ASIA (1.0 Credit)
Wu Xin
This course explores the intersections of gender and archaeology in Western Asia during the pre-Islamic periods. It examines how diverse social groups use multiple means to construct, perform, and negotiate gender, sex, identities. The course discusses gender's intricate relationship with class, sexuality, and religion through analysis of texts, visual representations, spatial organization, and other material traces of the past. Grounded in the tradition of gender archaeology, this course draws on various discourses and interpretive frameworks to offer new archaeological approaches for understanding and discussing gender dynamics in both past and present societies.
(Offered: Fall 2024)
ARCH B254 CLEOPATRA (1.0 Credit)
Staff
This course examines the life and rule of Cleopatra VII, the last queen of Ptolemaic Egypt, and the reception of her legacy in the Early Roman Empire and the western world from the Renaissance to modern times. The first part of the course explores extant literary evidence regarding the upbringing, education, and rule of Cleopatra within the contexts of Egyptian and Ptolemaic cultures, her relationships with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, her conflict with Octavian, and her death by suicide in 30 BCE. The second part examines constructions of Cleopatra in Roman literature, her iconography in surviving art, and her contributions to and influence on both Ptolemaic and Roman art. A detailed account is also provided of the afterlife of Cleopatra in the literature, visual arts, scholarship, and film of both Europe and the United States, extending from the papal courts of Renaissance Italy and Shakespearean drama, to Thomas Jefferson’s art collection at Monticello and Joseph Mankiewicz’s 1963 epic film, Cleopatra.
ARCH B260 DAILY LIFE IN ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME (1.0 Credit)
Staff
Division: Humanities
The often-praised achievements of the classical cultures arose from the realities of day-to-day life. This course surveys the rich body of material and textual evidence pertaining to how ancient Greeks and Romans -- famous and obscure alike -- lived and died. Topics include housing, food, clothing, work, leisure, and family and social life.
ARCH B301 GREEK VASE-PAINTING (1.0 Credit)
Astrid Lindenlauf
Division: Humanities
This course is an introduction to the world of painted pottery of the Greek world, from the 10th to the 4th centuries B.C.E. We will interpret these images from an art-historical and socio-economic viewpoint. We will also explore how these images relate to other forms of representation. Prerequisite: one course in classical archaeology or permission of instructor.
ARCH B304 ARCHAEOLOGY OF GREEK RELIGION (1.0 Credit)
Staff
This course approaches the topic of ancient Greek religion by focusing on surviving archaeological, architectural, epigraphical, artistic and literary evidence that dates from the Archaic and Classical periods. By examining a wealth of diverse evidence that ranges, for example, from temple architecture, and feasting and banqueting equipment to inscriptions, statues, vase paintings, and descriptive texts, the course enables the participants to analyze the value and complexity of the archaeology of Greek religion and to recognize its significance for the reconstruction of daily life in ancient Greece. Special emphasis is placed on subjects such as the duties of priests and priestesses, the violence of animal sacrifice, the function of cult statues and votive offerings and also the important position of festivals and hero and mystery cults in ancient Greek religious thought and experience.
ARCH B312 BRONZE AGE INTERNATIONALISM (1.0 Credit)
Jennie Bradbury
Division: Humanities
This course explores the rise and fall of the first international age in the eastern mediterranean. We will focus on the cultural and diplomatic connections between Egypt, Syria, Anatolia and the Aegean during the Bronze Age, c. 2000-1200BCE.. Prerequisites: ARCH B101 and 102; ARCH B101 and a 200-level ARCH course; or ARCH B102 and a 200-level ARCH course; or two 200-level ARCH courses; or permission by instructor.
(Offered: Spring 2025)
ARCH B314 ANCIENT GREEK SEAFARING AND SHIPWRECKS (1.0 Credit)
Staff
Division: Humanities
This course examines the diverse evidence for ancient Greek seafaring and shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea from prehistory to the beginning of the Roman Empire. By focusing on archaeological, literary, iconographic, and epigraphic evidence, the course explores ancient Greek, Phoenician, Etruscan, and Roman interconnections in the Mediterranean Sea, through special attention to trade routes, commerce, colonization, economy, naval and maritime technology, cultural interactions, sea exploration, and piracy.
ARCH B316 TRADE AND TRANSPORT IN THE ANCIENT WORLD (1.0 Credit)
Staff
Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)
Issues of trade, commerce and production of export goods are addressed with regard to the Bronze Age and Iron Age cultures of Mesopotamia, Arabia, Iran and south Asia. Crucial to these systems is the development of means of transport via maritime routes and on land. Archaeological evidence for traded goods and shipwrecks is used to map the emergence of sea-faring across the Indian Ocean and Gulf.
ARCH B317 CULTURAL HERITAGE AND ENDANGERED ARCHAEOLOGY (1.0 Credit)
Jennie Bradbury
This course will examine how and why archaeological sites are ‘endangered’. Primarily focusing on the Near East and North Africa (the MENA region), we will examine the different types of archaeological and heritage sites found across this broad region, and some of the threats and disturbances affecting them. We will consider how different interest groups and stakeholders view, value and present historical and archaeological sites to the general public, as well as the success of modern initiatives and projects to safeguard the heritage of the MENA region. Our research will consider the ethics of cultural preservation, as well as the issues and problems encountered by heritage specialists working in areas of modern conflict. Whilst not all damage can be prevented, the course will consider how different threats and disturbances might be mitigated. Prerequisite: Upper level 300-level course. Students should have completed at least two 100 level/200 level courses in either classical or near eastern archaeology.
ARCH B328 THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN SOUTH WEST ASIA (1.0 Credit)
Rocco Palermo
This course examines the impact – or lack thereof – the Roman Empire had on the visual and material culture in the Eastern Mediterranean and South-West Asia from the 2nd century BCE to the 5th century CE. To understand the local response to Rome’s expansion, we study the complex political and social structures that were in place in these regions long before the arrival of Rome as well as the agents that continuously negotiated between Rome, local polities, and external factors (i.e., nomadic tribes). We will explore the multi-faceted world of the easternmost provinces of the Roman Empire with reference to archaeological, visual, and textual sources and adopt counter-narrative approaches to critically discuss the nature of colonial and imperial encounters. The completion of ARCH B101 (Egyptian and Near Eastern Archaeology) or 102 (Classical Archaeology) is a prerequisite for this course.
ARCH B329 ARCHAEOLOGY AND NATIONAL IMAGINATION IN MODERN GREECE (1.0 Credit)
Staff
This course explores the link between archaeology, antiquity and the national imagination in modern Greece from the establishment of the Greek state in the early nineteenth century to present times. Drawing from a variety of disciplines, including history, archaeology, art history, sociology, anthropology, ethnography, and political science, the course examines the pivotal role of archaeology and the classical past in the construction of national Greek identity. Special emphasis is placed on the concepts of Hellenism and nationalism, the European rediscovery of Greece in the Romantic era, and the connection between classical archaeology and Philhellenism from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries. Additional topics of study include the presence of foreign archaeological schools in Greece, the Greek perception of archaeology, the politics of display in Greek museums, and the importance and power of specific ancient sites, monuments, and events, such as the Athenian Acropolis, the Parthenon, and the Olympic Games, in the construction and preservation of Greek national identity.
ARCH B345 THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF INEQUALITY (0.0 Credits)
Rocco Palermo
Domain(s): B: Analysis of the Social World
Archaeology offers a unique perspective to study and analyze how past inequalities developed over time, how they were maintained, negated, or transformed, and how societies responded to them or rejected them. Drawing upon different sets of data- including visual and material culture as well as bio-archaeological remains – and employing anthropological, social, and critical theory approaches, this course explores inequalities with reference to society, ethnicity, gender, and economy. We will use a wide range of case studies across the ancient Mediterranean, from Prehistory to Late Antiquity, to explore different trajectories of inequality and their manifestations in large-scale and long-term phenomena of war, economic crises, environmental transformation, and colonialism. Prerequisite(s): ARCH B101 and 102; or ARCH B101 and a 200-level ARCH course; or ARCH B102 and a 200-level ARCH course; or two 200-level ARCH courses
(Offered: Fall 2024)
ARCH B347 ANCIENT ARTIFACTS IN THE BRYN MAWR SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (1.0 Credit)
Staff
Domain(s): B: Analysis of the Social World
Centered on the question, how we can learn from and through objects, this course explores a selected corpus of artifacts from the ancient Mediterranean in the Bryn Mawr Special Collections with the aim to uncover how these objects were made and used and what they might have meant to their ancient users. Students will handle, study, and interpret a variety of artifacts made of clay, metal, stone, and glass, ranging from vessels, mirrors, and statuettes to mosaics and frescoes used originally in a variety of contexts of ancient Mediterranean daily life and spanning now their second-life as constituents of the Bryn Mawr Special Collections. Through close observation and analysis of the procurement and trade of the raw materials of these objects and their manufacturing techniques and decoration, including its themes, which extend from daily scenes and mythological tales to colorful abstract motifs and intriguing inscriptions, students will examine the use and function of these artifacts as evidence of meaningful ancient Mediterranean cultural thought, behavior, and experience. Interpretation will be based on close observation and active and experiential learning, through tactile engagement with these objects, comparing and contrasting them, studying their conservation, and inquiring, through deep critical thinking, archival work, and reflexivity, about their provenience, collecting, and digital itineraries. Prerequisites: ARCH B101 and B102.
(Offered: Fall 2024)
ARCH B352 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ARCHAEOLOGY (1.0 Credit)
Division: Humanities
This course will examine two aspects of ancient Egyptian Archaeology. This first is the history of archaeological work in Egypt: tracing methodological developments, the impact of imperialism, colonialism, and race-based theories of the 19th and early 20th centuries on the development of archaeological thought, and where the field of archaeology in Egypt stands today. The second will examine settlements in ancient Egypt - from workmen's villages to planned "temple towns" to "lost cities" - in order to understand the built environment inhabited by the ancient Egyptians. Although the material that the ancient Egyptians used to build their homes, as well as their location in the flood-plain, often makes finding and studying settlements difficult, there are sources of evidence that can help us to rediscover where and how the ancient Egyptians lived, and allow us to reevaluate older theories about ancient Egyptian culture and society.
ARCH B355 THE ACHAEMENID EMPIRE (1.0 Credit)
Wu Xin
Division: Humanities
This course explores the art, history, and archaeology of the Achaemenid Empire. Between 550 and 330 B.C., the Achaemenid kings of Iran controlled the largest and greatest empire the world has seen up until that time. By studying the art, architecture, politics, religion, burial customs, administration, economy, and warfare of Achaemenid Persia, the course offers a unique insight into the wealth, splendor, and diversity of one of the most powerful empires of the ancient Near East. Because the Achaemenid Empire exerted great influence on the ancient Mediterranean world, the contacts and conflict between ancient Greece and Persia will be also examined, from an ancient Greek perspective, in order to understand how this perspective contributed to the misapprehension of the Achaemenid Empire in modern Western thought.
ARCH B398 SENIOR SEMINAR IN NEAR EASTERN ARCHAEOLOGY (1.0 Credit)
Jennie Bradbury
Division: Humanities
A weekly seminar on topics to be determined with assigned readings and oral and written reports.
(Offered: Fall 2024)
ARCH B399 SENIOR SEMINAR (1.0 Credit)
Wu Xin
Division: Humanities
A weekly seminar on common topics with assigned readings and oral and written reports.
(Offered: Spring 2025)
ARCH B403 SUPERVISED WORK (1.0 Credit)
Jennie Bradbury, Rocco Palermo, Wu Xin, Staff
Division: Humanities
Supervised Work
(Offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2025)
ARCH B425 PRAXIS III: INDEPENDENT STUDY (1.0 Credit)
Jennie Bradbury