Art and Archaeology of the Prehistoric Aegean

Harvard FAS

When did Greek-speakers first arrive in the Aegean? Was Minoan Crete ruled by peace-loving, nature-worshipping matriarchs? Did the Trojan War really happen? This course introduces students to the material culture of the Aegean, from the first traces of human habitation to the appearance of the Greek alphabet. We will consider the earliest inter-island networks, the emergence of powerful polities in a hyperconnected and fractious Mediterranean, and the aftermath of their collapse at the end of…