BREVARD COLLEGE

Brevard, NC

 

AH 323 Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece                                          Fall 2005

 

Dr. A. Chapin                                                                                        Class meets in Fine Arts Media Room            

Office: 216 Sims Art Building                                                             MW 2:30 – 3:45 pm             

Email: chapin@brevard.edu                                                               Tel. 883-8292 ext. 2329

http://www2.brevard.edu/chapin/annewebpage/

Office Hours: TTh 9:00-11:00, Tuesdays 2-3 pm, and by appointment.

 

Prerequisites: Sophomore status, or permission of the instructor.

 

Description

 

        This course offers an introduction to the artistic, architectural, and archaeological monuments of ancient Greece from c. 3000-31 BC.   This span of time–approximately 3000 years–traces the rise of Greek culture from the Bronze Age (Minoan and Myceanean cultures) through the Dark Age and the so-called “Archaic” period into the Classical era of Perikles, Aristotle, Socrates, and Plato, with its legendary artists and enduring masterpieces of sculpture and architecture.  The course also traces the spread of Greek art and culture across much of the Mediterranean world after the conquests of Alexander the Great and concludes with the enchantment of the Romans with Classical Greek culture, thereby spreading Classical Greek-style art and architecture over most of Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa.

 

        This course assumes limited prior knowledge of art history and archaeology.

 

Goals and Objectives

 

        Major monuments of ancient Greek art and archaeology are presented in class as representative of the culture that produced them and reflective of the major historical, social and philosophical developments of the era that still impact on our lives today.  Though AH 323 is primarily a lecture course, it is designed to have strong discussion and question-and-answer components.  Individual objects are presented to the class in a lecture setting, but students are frequently asked questions that promote group discussions about the objects themselves.  In addition to the study of monuments from art history and archaeology, students are asked to research and present oral reports on a variety of topics related to Greek art, culture and history.  The goal is to produce a broad but varied look at Greek art and archaeology within its extended cultural context.

 

        The goals of this course are achieved through a variety of means.  First, class attendance is critically important and is rewarded by points earned for every class attended.  Participation in class discussions is also a vital component of the course.  From consistent attendance and class participation, students will develop the skill of visual analysis—the process of analyzing what is seen in a work of art—that is the foundation of art history.

 

        Additionally, regular quizzes test knowledge and understanding of the monuments.  Learning to recognize the art objects and archaeological monuments provides a working visual “vocabulary” while memorizing their dates provides the students with a lasting grasp of historical periods.  Testing develops skills to think and analyze quickly while being able to put those thoughts into written form, and paper writing offers the student the opportunity for greater reflection into the meaning of a monument while further practicing writing skills.

 

Teacher's Education: This course meets the following requirements for Art Education Majors. 

  •  Standard 1 (Teachers know the content they teach)

 

Course Requirements

 

1. Class attendance (100 pts.).

        Class attendance is mandatory, and students are expected to attend all classes.  Accordingly, attendance will be calculated into your final grade.  Attendance will be taken at every class starting in the second week of class.  Each class is worth 4 points; the total attendance grade is 100 points.

 

2. Reading assignments.

 

        Text:

Greek Art and Archaeology, 3rd ed., by John Griffiths Pedley (2002), available in the King’s Creek Bookstore.

               

3. Paper (50 pts.)

                                                                                                               

        There is one written assignment worth 50 points in which the student measures and makes a scale drawing of a real fragment of Greek pottery.  In addition, the student provides a written description (1-2 pp.) of the fragment in which the student attempts to identify the type of vase from which the fragment came and proposes an estimated date for the fragment.  The project is designed to develop the student’s skills of visual analysis and deductive reasoning in both its visual and written forms. 

 

4. Report (50 pts)

 

        Each student will research and present a short report (10-15 minutes) on a topic relating to Greek art, history, and/or culture.  Possible topics will be given to the class.  Reports may be supported by slides or by PowerPoint presentations.

 

4. Quizzes and Exams.

 

        There are 3 quizzes, each designed to test students on identifications and terms.

 

        Additionally, there are two midterms and a final exam. Each exam consists of slide identifications, testing on factual information, and one essay. The monuments for slide identifications will be drawn from those available to the students as photographs in the textbook and class handouts.  A list of images that could appear on exams is given to the students before the exams.

 

Grading Summary.

 

                Attendance                           100          pts

                Paper                                        50

                Report                                      50

                Quizzes                                    90

                Midterm I                               100         

                Midterm II                             100         

                Final Exam                             150         

 

                                Total                       640          pts

 

Grading Scale.

 

        The grades are determined on a curve before any potential extra credit points are added to the individual totals.

 

 


 

POLICIES:

 

Missed exams and quizzes will be counted “0”.  No make-up exams or quizzes are given without compelling reason and without documented proof.

 

Missed classes will be counted “0” except for documented absences due to Brevard College-sponsored events or illness.

 

Written papers may not substitute for a missed exam.

 

Exams not picked up in class on the day that they are handed back can be picked up during the professor’s office hours.

 

Papers are due on their due date.  Any papers turned in late will be lowered one letter grade for every 24 hours (or part thereof) that the paper is late.

 

Students with learning disabilities or special needs (including emergency medical information) should speak with the professor as soon as possible about any special arrangements that are necessary.  The student with a learning disability should go to the Learning Enhancement Center to obtain an accommodation letter.

 

Cell phones and other electronic devices should turned off during classes, quizzes and exams.

 

All students will follow the Honor Code and adhere to its guidelines.  Any student who has not signed the Honor Code pledge may get a form at the office of the Registrar.  All students should be particularly aware of the rules in the Honor Code regarding plagiarism and cheating.  Plagiarism is the submission of another person’s work or thought as one’s own, either by direct copying or by insufficient acknowledgment of the source.  Copying includes unacknowledged use of material from web sites and other electronic resources. Cheating is the use of any form of assistance while taking a quiz or examination.  No cell phones or other electronic devices are allowed in the class room during exams and quizzes. Brevard College takes the infringement of these rules very seriously and carries out the appropriate academic and disciplinary actions.

 

The professor will attempt to adhere as closely as possible to this syllabus but details are subject to change.

 

 

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF LECTURES AND ASSIGNMENTS

 

Week  1

W

8/24

Introduction

Read: Pedley 10-25

 

 

Week  2

M

 

 

W

 

8/29

 

 

8/31

 

The Aegean in the Third Millennium, c. 3000-2000 BCE

Read: Pedley chapter 1

 

The Rise of Minoan Crete, c. 2000-1550 BCE

Read: Pedley chapter 2

 

 

Week  3

M

 

W

9/5

 

9/7

Electronic Resources Workshop: Meet in the library

 

Minoan Crete and the Isles of the Aegean, c.1550-1375 BCE

Read: Pedley chapter 3, pp. 63-89

 

 

Week 4

M

 

 

W

9/12

 

 

9/14

Mycenaean Greece, c. 1550-1100 BCE

Read: Pedley chapter 3, pp. 89-105

 

Bringing Order Out of Chaos: The Dark Age and Geometric Greece c. 1100-700 BCE

Read: Pedley chapter 4

 

 

 

 

QUIZ 1

Week 5

M

 

W

9/19

 

9/21

POTTERY WORKSHOP

 

The Orientalizing Period, c. 700-600 BCE.

Read: Pedley chapter 5

 

 

Week  6

 

M

 

 

 

W

 

9/26

 

 

 

9/28

Archaic Greece c. 600-480 BCE:

Development of Greek Sanctuaries and Temples

Read: Pedley chapter 6, pp. 152-174

 

Archaic Greece c. 600-480 BC: Sculpture and the Rise of the Heroic Nude.

Read: Pedley chapter 6, pp. 174-192.

 

 

 

 

 

PAPER DUE

Week  7

M

 

 

W

10/3

 

 

10/5

Archaic Greece c. 600-480 BC: Pottery and Painting

Read: Pedley chapter 6, pp. 192-207

 

MIDTERM EXAM 1

 

 

 

 

EXAM

Week 8

M

 

 

W

10/10

 

 

10/12

The Mouse that Roared: The Greeks Defeat the Persians.

Guest lecturer: Prof. Bauslaugh.

 

Early Classical Greece: Olympia and the Olympic Games

Read: Pedley chapter 7, pp. 207-225

 

 

Week 9

M

 

W

 

 

10/17

 

10/19

FALL BREAK - NO CLASS

 

Early Classical Sculpture and Vase Painting, c. 480-450 BCE.

Read: Pedley chapter 7, pp. 225-243.

 

 

Week 10

M

 

 

 

W

 

10/24

 

 

 

10/26

The High Classical Period c. 450-400 BCE: The Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens.

Read: Pedley chapter 8, pp. 244-262

 

The High Classical Period c. 450-400 BCE: The Architecture of Athens, continued, South Italy and Sicily

Read: Pedley chapter 8, pp. 262-275.

 

 

 

 

QUIZ 2

Week 11

M

 

 

 

W

10/31

 

 

 

11/2

 

The High Classical Period c. 450-400 BCE: Sculpture and Painting.

Read: Pedley chapter 8, pp. 275-285.

 

The World Beyond Control: The Later 5th century, c. 430-400 BCE.

 

 

Week 12

M

 

W

11/7

 

11/9

MIDTERM EXAM 2

 

The Late Classical Period c. 400-300 BCE: Architecture and the Development of Healing Sanctuaries

Read: Pedley chapter 9, pp. 287-305

 

EXAM

Week 13

M

 

 

 

W

11/14

 

 

 

11/16

The Late Classical Period c. 400-300 BCE: Sculpture, Painting, and Mosaics.

Read: Pedley chapter 9, pp. 305-326.

 

Alexander the Great in Art and History

Read: Pedley chapter 9, pp. 326-335.

 

 

 

Week  14

M

 

 

 

W

11/21

 

 

 

11/23

The Hellenistic Period c. 323-31 BCE: The Architecture of Athens and Asia Minor.

Read: Pedley chapter 10, pp. 336-349

 

THANKSGIVING BREAK - NO CLASS

 

QUIZ 3

Week 15

M

 

 

W

11/28

 

 

11/30

The Hellenistic Period c. 323-31 BC: Hellenistic Sculpture

Read: Pedley chapter 10, pp. 350-374

 

The Hellenistic Period c. 323-31 BC: Pottery, Painting, and Mosaics.

Read: Pedley chapter 10, pp. 374-385

 

 

Week 16

M

12/5

 

Greek Art and Culture in the Roman Era

 

 

T

12/13

 

 FINAL EXAM

Tuesday, December 13 @ 8:30 a.m.