FALL 2007 HONORS COURSES

HONR 299P Classical Objects in the Modern World: Who Owns the Classical Past?
Tuesday/Thursday, 3:30-4:45 p.m.
Dr. Elizabeth Marlowe, Department of Art History & Archaeology

The meaning of ancient artifacts, artworks and monuments is a notoriously slippery thing, often determined as much by present needs as by empirical, historical data. This course will examine the remarkable range of political interests that have been served by claiming a direct link to Greco-Roman antiquity, and the role played by the ancient relics themselves in making those claims. We will begin with a handful of historical case studies of appropriations of classical objects, in the newly-founded Christian capital at Constantinople in the fourth century, in Renaissance and Baroque Rome, and in Fascist Italy. We will then turn our attention to more recent appropriations of classical remains and the controversies surrounding them. We will consider topics such as the Elgin Marbles and the competing claims of major museums and the various small nations who want their patrimony back; the modern antiquities market and the arguments for it (discovery, dissemination and appreciation of new objects) and against it (loss of archaeological context and historical data; the generation of forgeries); and controversies surrounding the purpose and management of archaeological sites, where the interests of scholars, locals and tourists often clash.

Students will be asked to complete weekly reading assignments, take a midterm exam, prepare one-page position papers on key topics and present their positions during in-class debates, perform independent research on a topic of their choosing and present their findings both in oral form (as a 15-minute in-class presentation to their peers) and in written form (as a 10-12 page paper).

Readings will draw from (but are not limited to) the following:
S. Bassett, The Urban Image of Late Antique Constantinople (2004)
L. Barkan, Unearthing the Past: Archaeology and Aesthetics in the Making of Renaissance Culture (2001)
P. L. Kohl, C. Fawcett, Nationalism, Politics, and the Practice of Archaeology (2004)
C. Renfrew, Looting, Legitimacy and Ownership (2000)
P. Watson, The Medici Conspiracy: The Illicit Journey of Looted Antiquities--From Italy's Tomb Raiders to the World's Greatest Museums (2006)
K. D. Vitelli and C. Colewell-Chanthaphonh (eds.) Archaeological Ethics (2nd edn.) (2006)
M. de la Torre (ed.), The Conservation of Archaeological Sites in the Mediterranean Region (1997)

CORE: History or Theory of the Arts [HA]