University Bulletin
Undergraduate Degree Programs
ART H 201
(GA;IL)
Ancient to Medieval Architecture (3) A survey of Prehistoric, Ancient Near Eastern Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Early Christian, Byzantine, Early Medieval, Romanesque, and Gothic architecture.
ART H 201 Ancient to Medieval Architecture (3)
(GA;IL)
(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements.
This course is an introduction to Western architecture before the Renaissance, roughly before A.D. 1400. Some of the topics covered in this course include prehistoric architecture in Europe and the Mediterranean, architecture of the ancient Near East, Egyptian architecture, Minoan and Mycenean architecture, the classical architecture of ancient Greece, ancient Roman architecture throughout the empire, the Early Christian architecture of western Europe and Byzantium, early medieval architecture, Middle Byzantine architecture, Islamic architecture, and the Romanesque and Gothic architecture of Western Europe. Selected major individual buildings and architectural complexes will be emphasized and will include types of buildings/complexes such as the sanctuary, temple, tomb, forum, basilica, cathedral, monastery, and castle. Architecture will be analyzed with regard to materials' construction, engineering and design, and in the contexts of culture, society, and urban or rural setting. Political, economic, religious, ethnic and gender-related issues will be presented as they are part of the dynamics contributing to many of these structures.
The students' understanding and ability to articulate the conceptual themes of the course will be tested through essay examinations. There will also be a short paper.
This course will provide an introduction to ancient to medieval architecture to students of any major. The course has no prerequisite. This course also serves as an introductory foundation course for students in the arts, particularly architecture and landscape architecture. The companion course to Art History 201 is Art History 202, "Renaissance to Modem Architecture," which examines Western architecture after A.D. 1400. Art History 201 is a required course for the Major in Art History and the Interdisciplinary Minor in Architectural History.