Anthro 419

ANTHROPOLOGY 419 - Archaeology of Mediterranean Civilizations

This class examines the archaeology of the Mediterranean from Neolithic times to the Iron Age. The focus of the class is to comparatively analyze the rise of civilizations in the Mediterranean basin by examining the archaeological record of the last 6000 years. We will discuss several key issues, including: (1) Neolithic agriculture, society, and ritual, (2) the spread of metallurgy, (3) political formation, and (4) urbanism. The Mediterranean is an important cradle of civilization, and therefore plays an important role in our ancient history.

Lectures and class discussions will examine the following principle topics:

The Pre-pottery Neolithic

Neolithic ritual and burials

The spread of metallurgy

The rise of Egyptian economy

The great pyramids

Phoenician society and economy

The rise of the Greek city state

Greek and Phoenician colonization

Etruscan society and economy

Agrarian settlement and society

Burial, ritual and display

The spread of coinage

Roman expansion

Monumental architecture

Proto-urbanism

Late Iron Age developments