Archaeologies of Art
The course will provide an introduction to the field of the archaeology of art. It will also provide an historical overview of prehistory and early history, and a special focus on theory and methods, particularly how new digital techniques are used in the field.
The course addresses questions about how and why early human societies created, used, and responded to visual objects, and what the study of early visuality can teach us about how early societies lived in and perceived their worlds. The course will present case studies to introduce students to the different ways of studying art (for example, iconographic, agency- or affect-based, aesthetic, and cognitive). The course will compare anthropological and art historical approaches, in order to outline a distinct archaeological perspective to art based on material analysis. The course will focus on a range of different types of material evidence such as cave art, rock art, figurines, beadwork, murals, sculptures, and architecture. Furthermore, human engagement with visual objects will be discussed, with a focus on creating, visualising, and seeing the world differently. The course covers examples from the Stone Age to the historical period from a European perspective.
Teaching Format
The teaching consists of compulsory lectures and practical exercises. Teaching is in English.
Learning outcomes
For a successful outcome, the student should be able to:
- account for the basics of art archaeology.
- account for interdisciplinary methods used in art archaeology for various material remains and research questions.
- critically review published works and be able to account for recent research in the subject of archaeological art.
- discuss and reflect on how questions about human engagement with visual things inform the study of archaeological remains, material culture, and written texts.
Assessment
The course is examined through written assignments.
