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ANTH
3370/HONR 4303 Prof.
Karl Petruso
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CONSPECTUS
In this course we will examine the evidence for the origins, development and decline of the first two high civilizations in Europe, namely the Minoans on the island of Crete and the Mycenaeans in mainland Greece. We will survey the Stone Age background in the eastern Mediterranean first, examining the evidence for the earliest human presence in the region and the rise and impact of agriculture. This will be followed by a consideration of Early Bronze Age colonization and seafaring in the Cycladic Islands. The emphasis of the course will be on Late Bronze Age society, economy, and religion, the best evidence for which are the art and architecture of the Minoan and Mycenaean palaces, settlements and burials, and the Linear B clay tablets. The course will end with a survey of evidence and theories for the collapse of Mycenaean civilization. The historicity of the Trojan War and archaeological glosses on the "Homeric Question" will also be considered.
The course has no prerequisites, but Principles of Archaeology (ANTH 2339) taken previously or concurrently will enhance the student's understanding of the material.