Historians and archaeologists try to make sense of the same past (in our case: Antiquity) but differ in the use of their primary sources to do so: historians focus on texts, archaeologists on material culture. This division is not without tensions. Some consider archaeology as a handmaiden of history; others do the opposite and see archaeology as better equipped to tell what happened in Antiquity because of the longue-dur?perspective it would be able to provide. In this MA course, a joint venture between an ancient historian and a classical archaeologist, we will first discus this theoretical issue before turning towards Alexandria as a case study. Historical and archaeological reconstructions concerning this ancient cosmopolitan metropolis will be discussed and confronted. The course will provide the student with food for thought on the text versus archaeology-debate as well as with an in depth knowledge of Alexandrian history and archaeology. Guest lectures on Alexandria by international specialists will be part of the program.
Admission requirements
BA degree (or equivalent) in Archaeology or a relevant discipline.
SAP and exchange students: admission after approval by the Graduate School of Archaeology.
Learning objectives
*Knowledge of Hellenistic Alexandria in particular, and of acculturation issues of that period in general. *Acquaintance with the text-archaeology discussion and the formulation of a point of view in this discussion. *Enhanced performance in the following areas: research skills, composition skills, ability to evaluate the findings of other researchers.
Method of instruction
Lectures, written exam on required reading material, final paper.
Some basic literature (to be specified) all participants are required to read. Every participant carries out research on a topic of his/her own choosing and will be asked to present some preliminary results at various stages in the course. The participants will also be asked to comment on the preliminary findings obtained by fellow-students.
Examination
Every student will be expected to present several short presentations of preliminary findings (20%). Final paper (80%).