CLAS 530 - Ancient Greek Technology

This course examines the technological achievement of Ancient Greeks from Prehistoric to Roman times. It is structured around key crafts, such as ceramics, stone and bronze sculpture, ivory-working, glass-making, carpentry, and weaving. The production sequence for each craft is presented, as well as the interconnectedness among different crafts. Visits to local craft studios promote an experiential learning. Students learn how craft practitioners carried out major technological projects, ranging from temple construction, to time-recording machinery, water engineering, and ship construction. The low social status of the workers is contrasted with the elevated appreciation of their products. The impact of environmental, economic, and cultural factors on the endurance, innovation, or abandonment of technological expertise is also addressed.