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Academic Year 2005/2006


The Aegean Bronze Age
CCIV 201 FA

Crosslistings:
ARHA 201
ARCP 201

An introduction to the prehistory of the Greece and the Aegean islands, beginning with the later Stone Age (or Neolithic period) and concentrating on the Cycladic, Minoan and Mycenaean cultures of the Aegean islands and mainland of Greece from ca. 3300-1000 B.C.E. (i.e. the Bronze Age). The Bronze Age saw the development of pre-classical civilizations in the Aegean, and some of the great monuments of the Old World, including the palace of Minos at Knossos on Crete, the Shaft Graves of Mycenae, and the walls of Troy. It is the background for the Archaic and Classical period of Greece, for the Homeric poems (Iliad and Odyssey) and legends of the Trojan War.

We will examine some major debates currently raging concerning the reality of the Trojan War, the relationship of Greece in this period to Egypt and other major civilizations, and the role of the Thera volcano in the demise of Minoan culture (and its connection to the Atlantis legend).

MAJOR READINGS

E. Vermeule, GREECE IN THE BRONZE AGE
W. Taylour, THE MYCENAEANS
M. Wood, IN SEARCH OF THE TROJAN WAR
J. Chadwick, THE MYCENAEAN WORLD

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Three hourly exams, short paper (3-5 pp.)

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: HA CLAS    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-30-2006


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