Classical archaeology (900 BCE- 200 CE)

This course introduces the study of Classical archaeology within its Mediterranean context, with particular reference to the Greek people and culture. It provides a general overview of the most important developments within the Greek world over a large period (9th century BCE to roughly the 2rd century CE) looking at themes such as art and society; landscape; urbanism; and city-states.  We will include thematic case studies, such as the imprint of urban and civic developments on important cities in Greece, the phenomena of expansion and colonisation,  the world of private living and family and, finally, religion and burial.

Aims

This course aims to: 

• introduce the study of the Classical World within its Mediterranean context with particular reference to the Greek people
   
• provide a general overview of the most important developments within the Greek culture over a long period of time by closely examining themes such as art and society; landscape; urbanism; and city-states
   
• provide a hands-on approach to ancient Greek material culture and demonstrate how important phenomena such as Greek colonisation or the emergence of Greek city states were created and evolved 

Content

This course will provide a concise thematic and chronological overview of the world of the ancient Greek people and their culture, from a perspective that includes both an archaeological and art-historical approach, looking at the physical and cultural landscape of the Greek world and its transformations over time. You will also learn to distinguish material culture categories of this period, their context and discovery, their function, distribution/diffusion, and reception, as well as ways of interpreting them today. Issues of continuity and change within the Greek cultural horizon will also be discussed, through specific paradigms, as well as the definition of ‘identity’ in material culture studies.

After introducing the history and current state of the study of the ancient Mediterranean world, we will present thematic cases in the Greek world, such as the Greek landscape(s) and territories, urban and civic developments, and their imprint in the creation of important cities in Greece, the phenomena of ancient Greek expansion (colonization), the world of private living and family in religion and burial and their associated material cultures in both worlds.

Through the wealth of the material culture presented and the examination of case studies, you will develop your own critical thought over a varied corpus of material, understand changes through time and assess how these reflect changes in society, politics, economy, or in religious and funerary practices of the ancient Greek world. The course will also familiarise you with current scholarly approaches and the limitations of the archaeological evidence when it comes to interpreting ancient cultures. 

Presentation of the course 

Learning on the course will be achieved through lectures, discussions, and practical exercises, as well as through students’ own reading and assignments. Participants will be encouraged to take part by presenting evidence and argument in both discussion and writing. You will be guided to readings appropriate both to the course’s general principles and the students' own respective interests. Study will be supported by means of illustrated lectures and discussion.

Course sessions

1. Introduction to the study of the ancient Mediterranean world. This session will include an extensive review of the development of the scholarship in the field of Mediterranean Archaeology and the Ancient Greek world, and methodological tools we will be employing in the course.
    
2. The Land of the Ancient Greeks: Geography, landscape, and territories. In this lecture we discuss the geographical context of ancient Greece, how the land was used and divided throughout the period of our study (900 BCE - 200 CE) and major influences occurred by neighbouring landscapes and their people.
    
3. Growing communities: From Early Iron Age Greece to the birth of the Greek City States: communities, material culture and urban and civic developments. This lecture surveys the early Greek material and elucidates the creation and function of early communities in Greece, through a variety of evidence.
    
4. The archaeology of the living and the dead: domestic architecture and family life, burial customs, and funerary architecture from the Archaic to the end of the Hellenistic period. This lecture looks at Greek society at the level of households, families, women, and children and on how to move from material culture evidence to understanding social phenomena.
    
5. Locating the late Greek world: people, expansion, transformations, and the legacy of the Greek world. With this lecture we examine the fascinating transformations occurring across the late Classical and Hellenistic period in Greek societies, as well as the influence of the Greek world in the making of the Roman cultures. 

Learning outcomes

You are expected to gain from this series of classroom sessions a greater understanding of the subject and of the core issues and arguments central to the course. 

The learning outcomes for this course are:

• to be able to demonstrate the ability to analyse material culture and associate it with major ideas and principles of the ancient Greek societies
   
• to develop skills to assess how and why the classical world has contributed to ideas, perceptions, and aesthetics in the modern world
   
• to be able to demonstrate an understanding of change over time, the characteristics and development of chronological, and socio-political phases of the ancient Greek world 

Required reading:

Note: no need to bring to class, please consult online or in paper format

Bintliff, J L, The Complete Archaeology of Greece: From Hunter-gatherers to the 20th Century AD (Wiley-Blackwell 2012)
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781118255179

Palagia, Olga, Ancient Greek and Roman Art and Architecture. Volume 1, Handbook of Greek Sculpture (Berlin: De Gruyter 2019) 
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781614513537/html 

Picón, Carlos, A, et al, Art of the Classical World in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art 2007)
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/Art_of_the_Classical_World_in_The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art_Greece_Cyprus_Etruria_Rome

Typical week: Monday to Friday 

Courses run from Monday to Friday. For each week of study, you select a morning (Am) course and an afternoon (Pm) course. The maximum class size is 25 students.   

Courses are complemented by a series of daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to your learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events. 

Evaluation and Academic Credit  

If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses.  

Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £75 per essay. 

For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit. 

Certificate of attendance 

A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically after the programme.