CULTURAL HERITAGE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PAST

Course Objectives:

This course introduces students to the world of cultural heritage and the history of its development. The focus will be the Middle East and archaeology, but students will be provided with basic information and questions about various issues related to cultural heritage. Students will explore different relationships humans establish with the past and its material remains. It is a history course in which students gain significant historical knowledge about the development of the concept of cultural heritage and its uses. It is also an active course in which students will learn about contemporary trends and practices of the field. This course has 5 objectives. The first one is to teach the basic concepts, questions, and institutions of cultural heritage. The second objective is to understand why people care about cultural heritage and learn about potential uses and abuses of the past. The third is to introduce students to the history of cultural heritage (especially archaeology) in the Middle East. The fourth is to discuss global issues related to cultural heritage, from destruction of cultural heritage to its repatriation. Lastly, this course aims to improve academic and life skills of students like public speaking, time-management, and writing.

Course Content:

This course explores cultural heritage with a focus on material remains of the past in the Middle East. It includes a survey of the Greek, Ottoman, and Egyptian beginnings and explores uses of archaeology in the new nation-states of the Middle East. The course touches upon important global events such as the Nazi looting of art that prompted internatinal laws and institutions regarding protection of cultural heritage and Confederate Statue Monument debates and new concepts like memory walk that challenges older narratives and proposes new ways to engage with the past.