“Technological Wonders of Classical Antiquity”

On Wednesdays, June 1, 8, 15, & 22, 2016, this four-week noncredit class will be given by Professor Eleni Hasaki, sponsored by University of Arizona Humanities Seminars at Helen S. Schaefer Building, 1508 E. Helen St., Tucson.* What were the key technologies and major technical achievements of classical Greek antiquity? This course examines two crucial and interconnected industries: ceramics and bronze-working. The two crafts are often discussed separately, but this course will focus on their deeply rooted connections. We will examine the qualities of the raw materials used, the technological know-how of potters and bronze-smiths, the pyrotechnological principles of their kilns and furnaces, as well as the social, political, economic, and cultural milieus that promoted their breakthroughs. We will explore their workshops, toolkits, apprenticeship structures, and technological treatises by using ancient evidence (archaeological, visual, textual) as well by witnessing their enduring qualities in modern production contexts.
Eleni Masaki is an Associate Professor in School of Anthropology and the Department of  Classics, and codirector of the laboratory for Traditional technology at the University of Arizona. Her scholarship focuses on the technologies of classical antiquity, the spatial organization of workshops, craft apprenticeship, and the negotiation of social status through crafts. She directs projects in the Mediterranean (Greece. Tunisia) that promote the study of ancient and traditional technologies. 9 -11 a.m. each Wednesday; 4-week course fee $85
* This is not an Old Pueblo Archaeology Center event. For more information or to register visit hsp.arizona.edu.