Excavation-Conservation-Display
This special Mellon seminar will introduce
students to the practice of archaeology, the science of archaeological
conservation, and techniques of display. The course will examine the way an
archaeological site is chosen and how it is dug, how the site is preserved, how
artifacts are conserved after their excavation, and what the objects undergo on
their way to display. The role of funding will be considered, as well as
regulations imposed by source countries governing the excavation process. Case
studies on the sites of Gordion and Çatalhöyük as well as the Pratt ivories
from Acemhöyük in Turkey will address issues relating to methods of
excavation, complemented by visiting the Andean objects we are studying in
local museums. Field trips are scheduled to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and
other local museums offering the opportunity for close study of actual objects
and to engage with conservators and curators about the technology,
conservation, and presentation of these objects. As part of the course students
will have the opportunity to create digital conservation projects through a
virtual exhibit of Andean objects. 3 credits. Satisfies the non-Western
requirement.