The Archaeology of Democracy: Social Transformations in Ancient Greece, ca. 900-323 BCE

Between 900 and 600 BCE, profound social transformations took place in Greece, setting the stage for a revolution in political form: by 500, Athens was collectively goverend by its citizen body. This course engages with the everyday materialities underlying Greek democracy of this era. Focusing on relationships among people and things, students will reassess the composition of the demos from the ground up.