Mediterranean and Near Eastern Archaeologies: Research Traditions and Practices

This course offers an overview of the history and practice of archaeology in and of the Mediterranean and Near East for the past two centuries. What impact have national and linguistic boundaries, foreign schools, and colonialism had on the archaeology of the region? Through surveys of research and analysis of original publications (site reports, syntheses, autobiographies, etc.) and primary documents (personal letters, diaries, photographs, sketches, notes, etc.), students will be exposed to the theories, methods, and purported goals of archaeological endeavors in the Mediterranean, as well as to the major academic and political debates that have shaped the field.