ANTH 311 Heritage, Archaeology and the Contemporary Middle East
This course will explore the influence of the Ancient Near East on the Modern Middle East in terms of the religious, ethnic, social and national identities of indigenous and Diaspora communities and tourists. The goal is to understand today's issues and the current cultural character of the region in terms of its past. It will utilize anthropological and archaeological methodologies to show these connections through examination of people, places, artifacts and ideologies. Among the concepts to be explored in the course will be the significance of sacred sites, migrations, exodus myths, conquest ideologies, East/West conflicts, imperialism, nationalism, identities, dichotomies and archaeology as expressed through heritage sites and symbolism. As a study of archaeology and human heritage, the curriculum focuses on modern peoples and their connections to the past rather than on the physical remains of past cultures, which is the central concern of traditional archaeology.