HAA 1602 Special Topics Asian - Ancient East Asian Visual Traditions

(offered infrequently)

This course will examine early cultures of East Asia through the study of material culture. It is set in chronological order, beginning with the Paleolithic and including the Neolithic, through the formation of states and empires in China, Korea, and Japan. We will look at materials uncovered by archaeological excavations as well as collections in museums and will consider the artifacts as cultural documents. Students will learn how to explain why they look the way they do based on an understanding of their patron’s input, their function as determined from the context of their discovery, use and time of manufacture.