Making the Middle Ages: Objects and Meaning Then and Now (FRENCH 130, GERMAN 160, GERMAN 360)

3 credits · Undergraduate

This course invites students to explore the Middle Ages through the objects it left behind - illuminated manuscripts, reliquaries, jewelry, textiles, weapons, domestic tools, and more. Through these material traces, we will uncover how medieval people made sense of their world, expressed their beliefs, and shaped their identities. Students will learn to analyze objects in their historical, cultural, and artistic contexts, while also reflecting on how the meanings of these artifacts resonate in the present. The course includes a creative component: students will design and produce their own objects inspired by medieval materials and practices. These hands-on exercises will help deepen understanding of how medieval things were experienced. No prior experience with medieval history or art is required - just curiosity and a willingness to learn by doing. This course is ideal for students interested in history, literature, art, material culture, or storytelling through objects.