Mad Dogs and Englishmen: Archaeology and the Modern History of the Ancient Near East

The decades between the early-nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries saw substantial change in the region Europeans referred to as the Near East, characterized by the decline of the Ottoman empire, the disarray of World War I, and the establishment of modern national borders. You will learn to analyze, interpret, and critically evaluate archaeological data and the ways in which that data is used to construct an historical narrative. Readings include ancient texts in translation; archaeological field records and reports; travelogues, personal letters and autobiographies; and scholarly articles on the art and archaeology of the Near East.