Winter Semester, Core module, 10 ECTS

Instructors: Giorgos Vavouranakis & Ioannis Voskos

Summary

The course is an introduction to both the archaeological remains and the key-debates of Bronze Age Aegean. After short introductions on the Stone Age, emphasis is placed upon the societies of the Cyclades, Crete, and mainland Greece. Τhe course is structured through themes, such as the history of prehistoric research in the Aegean, the main archaeological sites, houses and households, the emergence of power phenomena, subsistence and agropastoral economy, craft production with emphasis on pottery, trade and connections with other areas in the east Mediterranean, funerary customs, cult practices. The course includes short presentations and in-class discussions and also museum visits.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students should be able to

• understand and deal with different problems of archaeological information
• exercise a productive critique on various interpretative approaches of the material record
• participate in an open dialogue expressing their own views on key-issues of the prehistory of the Aegean
• study and work individually and in groups
• know the basic information about the main prehistoric sites of the Aegean
• know the basic information about different classes of prehistoric material evidence from the Aegean

Syllabus

• Introduction: Georgraphy and history of archaeology
• The main archaeological sites
• The main archaeological sites
• Houses and households
• Houses and households
• The architecture of power
• Subsistence and agropastoral economy
• Craft production with emphasis on pottery
• Craft production with emphasis on pottery
• Funerary customs
• Cult practices
• Museum visit
• Museum visit

Assessment

*Essay: 70%

Oral presentation: 20%

Written work: 10%

*Essay (3.500-5.000 words). A list of indicative topics is provided, but students are strongly encouraged to discuss and personalize the essay topic with the course instructor. In addition students are asked to study select research papers from the existing bibliography on the Aegean Bronze Age and to discuss them in class.

Student’s study hours

Lectures:16

Educational visits: 4

Interactive teaching: 6

Study and analysis of bibliography: 80

Cooperation with the instructor: 34

Tutorials: 10

Independent study (incl. project): 20

Essay writing: 80

Course total: 250

Recommended bibliography

Cline, E.H. (ed.) 2010. Oxford Handbook of the Aegean Bronze Age. Oxford.

Cullen, T. (ed.) 2001. Aegean Prehistory: A Review (AJA Supplement 1). Boston.

Mee, C.B. 2011. Greek Archaeology: A Thematic Approach. Chichester.

Preziosi, D. and L.A. Hitchcock 1999. Aegean Art and Architecture. Oxford.

Shelmerdine C.W. (ed.) 2008. The Cambridge Companion to the Aegean Bronze Age. Cambridge.