Late Antique/Early Medieval Material Culture and the Making of Europe

The purpose of this course is twofold. First, the course will serve as an historical and cultural introduction to the making of early medieval Europe, from the decline of the Roman Empire to the year 1000. Second, by focusing on the structural and social change experienced in Western Europe, the course will center on the development of new forms of wearable objects such as jewelry, dress, and ceremonial textiles. This change will be examined within the larger context of the development of the early medieval habitus. Here we will study the advances in architecture, monumental decoration, and furnishings as the background for the production of jewelry and garments. Finally, both the development of Christianity as the predominant religion of Europe and the development of Islam and the Byzantine Empire will improve understanding of the role of Art and culture in early medieval Europe. 3 credits. satisfies pre-1800 requirement