The Early Bronze Age was an age of invention. Writing and literacy, the war cart and pottery wheel, sculpting stone and smelting metal, all have their origins in the Early Bronze Age. These advancements did not slowly emerge out of the mists of time but exploded onto the scene with the speed and brilliancy of a supernova. The Egyptians did not just begin building with stone, they built giant pyramids, the size and quality of which were never to be rivaled in Egypt again. Likewise, the gold and silver vessels, jewelry, and musical instruments discovered in the Royal Cemetery of Ur rivalled even the finest luxuries produced by the Persian court several millennia later.
This course will look at the architecture, art and literature of the Early Bronze Age with the goal of situating them in a historical framework. We will not confine our study to the most famous works, but will also look at some lesser known ones too, that add color to the period. My goal for the course is that by the end of it, you will be able to walk through a major museum and see details of an artifact’s construction that you did not see before; you will know its historical and geographical context and the archaeologist who discovered it, and you will understand some of the important controversies surrounding its interpretation.
There will be a review at the end of each entry and a quiz at the conclusion of each chapter and period. Here is a breakdown of how much each is worth and the number of redos allowed in total for each type of quiz or exam.