Collecting Ancient Americas

4.0 credits

A history of the Americas in collections of objects. Topics discussed include the role and aesthetics of archaeological illustrations; the invocation of the past in the formation of national identities; contemporary artists responding to Indigenous history; the techniques used in the faking and restoration of ancient objects; the aesthetic, didactic, and ethical considerations of museum display and exhibition design; the reconstruction of ruined cities into tourist destinations; and the deployment of Indigenous cultures of the Americas in spiritualisms, conspiracy theories, and popular entertainments.