CLAS117 PO - Archaeology and Society

When Offered: Last offered fall 2020.
Instructor(s): J. Valentine
Credit: 1

Who owns the past? What are the aims of archaeology? How have the motivations and methods of early archaeologists and collectors defined what we know now? Could current projects radically transform our understanding of the ancient world? In this course, we will work together as an intellectual community to deepen our understanding of ethical issues raised by the practices of archaeology, museology, and the collection and display of material culture. We will begin by studying several archaeological projects and artifact collections from the ancient Mediterranean, including Troy, Knossos, the Parthenon Marbles, and the antiquities collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu. Students will then identify, research, and present relevant case studies of significant interest to the students themselves. By applying diverse theoretical models, including actor-network modeling, thing theory, decoloniality, and feminism, we will develop our own methodologies for the study of archaeology in social context.

Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
Speaking Intensive