This course is an introduction to Classical archaeology, the archaeology of the ancient Mediterranean world. With reference to major monuments, art works, and archaeological evidence, this course investigates the peoples and material culture of the Mediterranean from the Bronze Age (ca. 3,000 BCE) to the Late Antique (ca. 5th century CE). Additionally, the course considers how the field of Classical archaeology has been constructed historically and how these processes have determined the ways in which the ancient Mediterranean world is perceived today. By the end of this course, students should be able to identify, compare, and contrast ancient Mediterranean archaeological objects and monuments within and across different historical periods, to write about archaeological material, and to recognize the impact and legacy of ancient Mediterranean archaeology in the modern world.

Each of you is responsible for researching and writing about a topic related to the archaeological site of Poggio Civitate (Murlo). You will then reorganize/update/expand the Poggio Civitate (Murlo) Wikipedia article with respect to your topic, providing a vital contribution to open source and digital archaeology practices. This work will be done in concert with contributions made by graduate students at Brandeis University. Some class time is devoted to the completion of this project, but you are also expected to work on it outside of class.