Face-to-face , second term, 30 hours of theory.

Second term
Monday from 15:45 to 17:45 at 119 Marais 2300

French

By the end of the course, the student should master the knowledge of the main lines of archaeology and history of cultural heritage from the Ancient Mediterranean World. He should also be able to identify and replace in their geographical, historical and cultural context, reference monuments and works of art.

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The course will first present the essential characteristics of archaeology as a scientific discipline, before studying the main sites, buildings, artefacts and artworks of the great civilizations of Ancient times in the Middle East (Egypt, Mesopotamia and Anatolia) and in the Mediterranean basin (mainly the Greek and Roman worlds).

The lecture is based on commentary of illustrations. The students are allowed to ask questions during the lecture.
Archaeology, often associated by the general public with images of adventure and exoticism, is first and foremost a scientific discipline. This course will first introduce the Sciences of Antiquity in general, then archaeology in particular, its history, its methods (very diverse, since it can use literary texts as well as modern analytical techniques, such as carbon 14 dating), its contributions to our knowledge of antiquity, but also its limits.
In a second phase, the course will present the material culture of the main ancient civilizations that developed in the Middle East (Sumerians, Acadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians and Persians mainly), and in the Mediterranean basin (with a focus on the Greek and Roman worlds). The material culture, an important part of the heritage bequeathed by ancient civilizations, will be approached via several themes (for example ceramics, statuary and bas-relief, architecture, objects and artifacts of everyday life, etc.). For each, a selection of the most representative elements will be made.
Finally, a visit of the Royal Museums of Art and History will be scheduled.

Oral examination based on the images presented during the class. The student should identify the objects/sites/monuments on the drawn images and place them in context.

The volumes of the collection «Univers des formes» (Paris, Gallimard) as well as «Manuels de l'École du Louvre» are the reference books for the illustrations. A bibliography by field is provided in the syllabus.