AAMW520 - Topics in Aeg Bronze Age: the Architecture and Frescoes of Akrotiri, Thera

Topic varies from semester to semester. This Fall 2019 seminar will discuss The Architecture of Akrotiri, Thera. Around 3,500 years ago a culture thrived on the small island of Thera in the Cycladic islands of Greece. Excavations have revealed a portion of a sophisticated town with multi-storied buildings decorated with elaborate fresco programs and equipped with all the necessities to support a cosmopolitan community with trade contacts reaching throughout the Mediterranean, Egypt, and the Ancient Near East. Due to the Bronze Age eruption of the volcano at the center of the island, Akrotiri is known as the best-preserved Late Cycladic site in the Aegean. In this class, we will examine the architecture and frescoes, or wall paintings, of Akrotiri and explore what they reveal to us about this unique group of people. Students will write and present two research papers to the class.