2017-2018 Academic Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2017-2018 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

ARTH 219 - Special Topics in Art History


Introduces specific topics in Art History and focuses on student research, oral presentation, and writing skills. Qualified students from other disciplines are welcome. Course may be taken for credit more than once. May be repeatable for credit.

Spring 2017 Topic: Making Ancient Art: Technology and Production in Antiquity

Have you ever wondered how monuments and engineering projects as large as the Great Pyramids of Giza or the Pont du Gard aqueduct in France were constructed? How about how intricate black figured Greek vases and bronze sculptures were crafted? This course investigates the technology, engineering, and production processes used to create everything from monumental buildings to intricate jewelry in the ancient Mediterranean world. We will learn how materials were extracted, produced, and distributed in antiquity through an examination sites, buildings, objects, and texts. We will focus on the ancient Mediterranean broadly considered, including Egyptian, Near Eastern, Greek, and Roman cultures. Topics include pottery and glass production, mining and metallurgy, quarrying and sculpting, building construction, weaving, and woodworking, among others. Finally, we will learn not only on how ancient art was made but who made it by examining the lives of artisans, craftspeople, laborers, slaves, and traders. This seminar will include lectures, discussions, hands-on classroom activities, and visit to the Worcester Museum. Ultimately, our goal will be to learn about the role that technology and production played in larger social and economic process in the ancient Mediterranean world, as well as their legacies in our modern world today.

May be repeated for credit

 

 

 

Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year