Aims

The objective of this course is to provide an initial overview of Art and Archeology both in the Ancient Orient (Egypt and Mesopotamia), from the earliest times to the conquest of Alexandria, the Mediterranean, from the Prehistoric period to the late Roman Empire and in North-West Europe, from the Prehistoric period to the post-medieval period. Particular emphasis will be laid on showing the crucial role of these civilizations in constructing Western culture.

Main themes

The course is a general presentation of the Art and Archeology of ancient Oriental, Greek and Roman civilizations, paying particular attention to the link between the functionality of Art (architecture, painting and sculpture) and the public context. The course also examines north-west European archeology, and a special section is devoted to the development of archeology in Belgium. Students will be made familiar with the most important civilizations and periods involved, the key trends in Art and the most significant archeological finds. Students will also be introduced to some of the methodologies and disciplines contributing to the development of Archeology at a national and regional level.

Content and teaching methods

The course is divided into three parts. Part one is an introduction to the major archeological finds made in Egypt and Mesopotamia and the defining features of each of these civilizations: in Egypt, these include the particular conventions used in drawing, the techniques employed, the symbolic meaning of the images, the founding principles of architecture etc. In Mesopotamia, they include the predominance of mud-brick architecture, the relative scarcity of sculpture, the scattering of centres of Art, caused by the existed of isolated and temporary States. The second part of the course aims to provide an overview of the Greek and Roman civilizations which form the basis of today's Western society. A number of topics are addressed, including the establishment of settlements, the appearance of urbanism, public architecture, burial customs, the role of religion and ritual in the Roman and Greek way of life and the role played by artistic production in these different areas. The aim of the third part of the course is to provide an introduction to the archeology practised in Belgium and its neighbouring countries. The chronological framework incorporates the entire Prehistoric period and extends to the post-medieval period.

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