Archaeology of Classical and Hellenistic Greece

In this course, you will be introduced to the key techniques for recognising and dating Greek pottery, painting, sculpture and architecture of the Classical and Hellenistic periods, with a focus on the late 6th-3rd centuries BC. For the first part of the course, you will become familiar with the origins of the Classical Style that was to have a lasting effect upon western views of art, firstly via Roman enthusiasm for it in antiquity, and again upon its rediscovery in the Romantic era. You will also look at the important role that Athenian painted pottery plays in dating archaeological sites. By the end of the course, you should be familiar with at least one dated artefact, sculpture and building from each quarter-century from the late 6th to early 3rd centuries. Excavations at sites such as Athens, Aigai and Verghina in Greece and Pergamon in Asia Minor (modern Turkey), provide case-studies for you to explore the material culture of Greece during its most influential period in ancient history.