Created by the “heretic” Pharaoh Akhenaten as the center of the monotheistic cult of worship of a sun god called the Aten, the ancient city of Tell el-Amarna is one of the most exciting archaeological sites in the world. Its extraordinary level of preservation provides an unmatched window into the population’s daily life and religious practices. Egyptologist Jacquelyn Williamson, a senior member of the Tell el-Amarna archaeological team, examines the latest discoveries at the site.
This year marks the 250th birthday of Jane Austen, one of the most famous and best-loved English authors. The six novels she completed give us a window into her era and life, with the realities of poverty, illness, war, and death rumbling through. Historian and author Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger leads a journey into Jane Austen’s world through the lens of her works and examines their ongoing relevance in the modern world.
For approximately five centuries during the second millennium B.C.E., the Egyptian city of Thebes served as the backdrop for the construction of a bewildering array of religious temples, memorial complexes, and royal tombs. Historian Justin M. Jacobs introduces the chief cultural, religious, and political themes of the monuments of ancient Thebes: the Karnak and Luxor temples of the East Bank, the memorial temples of the West Bank, and the necropolis in the Valley of the Kings.
As soon as television began in the late 1940s, advertising was a vital part of the picture. Media historian Brian Rose examines how advertising evolved during television’s first two decades and the important role it played in convincing viewers that the key to happiness was to buy their way into the American dream.
The career of 15th-century painter Giovanni Bellini extended across a period that saw the introduction of new artistic mediums and technologies, including that of oil painting, which allowed him to achieve extraordinary effects in the rendering of color and light. Art historian Sophia D’Addio charts the development of Bellini’s style through works ranging from small devotional panels to majestic multi-figure altarpieces to narrative works that showcase lush, verdant landscapes—all of which are characterized by an air of refinement and serenity. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Few figures in history excite as passionately held and often-conflicting visions as Napoleon. Some extoll him as a genius and the spirit of the revolution incarnate, while others denounce him as a megalomaniac monster and compulsive warmonger. Historian Alexander Mikaberidze discusses the many facets of Napoleon the man and his enormous influence on history.
At its peak, the Roman empire extended from Britain to the Sahara Desert, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Euphrates River. Yet in 476, the last western Roman emperor was deposed. In a 4-part series, historian David Gwynn analyzes the dramatic events which shaped the decline and fall of the Roman empire in the west, exploring the transformation from the ancient to the medieval world that laid the foundations for modern Europe. This session focuses on the fourth-century Roman empire.
Within a few years of the Norman Conquest of 1066, a beautiful and intricate tapestry appeared that documented in remarkable detail the events of the Battle of Hastings. Scholars still study the Bayeux Tapestry for its expansive cultural value in understanding the complexity of the Norman–Saxon transition that carried within it the seeds of the Hundred Years War three centuries later. Historian Cheryl White examines its lasting impact as a work of art and historical documentary and how the Bayeux Tapestry speaks to the identity of a people, a kingdom, and ultimately, the role of art in reinforcing the dominant view by which scholars interpret the past.
