Houses of The Ancient Mediterranean
3.0
creditsAverage Course Rating
In the ancient world the house was not merely a private space for interacting with family and close friends, but the setting for a diverse array of social rituals and activities. This course will examine the houses of the ancient Mediterranean, from the Bronze Age through Late Antiquity, in order to better understand how they acted as medium through which culture is passed down and transformed. There will be a particular focus on the architecture and décor of such residences and we will draw on methods and readings from the History of Art, Classics, and Archaeology. This course will take advantage of Baltimore’s museums and together we will visit the collections of ancient art at the Johns Hopkins Archaeology Museum, the Walters Art Museum, and The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA). We will also visit the BMA’s current installation, “Imagining Home,” whose exploration of home as a universal theme is directly related to the goals of this course. There will be a final paper.
Fall 2014
Professor: Stephen Campbel
Students praised this course for covering interesting subject matter. They also liked the way the instructor peppered lectures with interesting personal stories and anecdotes. Perceived issues with the course focused on a belief that the course lacked a bit of structure; some students said the instructor wouldn’t cover what was discussed in the syl abus because he had fal en behind. In addition, students said they felt that midterms and papers were graded harshly and points were taken off assignments for unexplained reasons. Suggestions for improvement included a belief from multiple students that the course needed additional structure; some students wanted the instructor to update the course’s syllabus as changes occurred while another student wanted clear expectations for graded assignments. Prospective students should know that students felt the course had a fair workload and that it was a great introduction to Michelangelo and the Renaissance. While students felt a background in history would aid success in the course, it wasn’t required.