Course : Key Themes in Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology

Description/Objectives

This course is an introduction to the archaeology of the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age in the Eastern Mediterranean. It surveys the major archaeological  sites in Anatolia, Egypt, and the Levant from the 3rd millennium to the middle of the 1st millennium BCE. An emphasis is also placed on the textual evidence, as well as the historical and socioeconomic developments through that period.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course students should be familiar with the main sites and types of the archaeological record.

 They should also be able to

• read primary sources critically and interpret visual images, assessing how well they function as evidence, and which kinds of sources seem biased or more straightforward
• work with different types of archaeological information
• compare different methods of archaeological data analysis
• critically compare contrasting interpretations of the same material evidence
• understand the ways in which the archaeological record facilitates the building of arguments about the past
• work in groups
• make and express their own opinions about the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age in the Eastern Mediterranean both orally and in writing.