ARAS 120 - Great Discoveries in Archaeology

CR: 3
This course examines how archaeological discoveries have changed our society’s understanding of the
ancient world within a scientific framework and the popular imagination. A critical evaluation of
world-famous sites (such as the cave paintings at Lascaux, the Tomb of Tutankhamun, Troy, the Neo-
Assyrian palaces at Nimrud and Nineveh, Machu Picchu, Classic Maya sites, Stonehenge, and more)
highlights key factors that influenced the interpretation of the past at the time of discovery and
excavation and following decades or centuries of scholarship. Students will be asked to consider how
key factors (such as racism, sexism, classism, imperial attitudes, etc.) influenced the interpretation of
these sites and how new “great” discoveries continue to shape our understanding of the past.