Study Questions: Biers, Chapter 1: "Archaeology in Greece"
Illustration: White Ground lekythos. Athens, 460 BCE. Nike carrying a sash.
(John Oakley: Picturing Deathin Classical Athens, 2004)
DUE IN CLASS ON August 22, 2007.
(Type the Answer to the Question(s) that have the same digit as the last digit of your U of AR ID #.)
1. What is "archaeology"? (13). Look the word up in a good English dictionary, and write the two Greek words from which archaeology derives. What is its literal original meaning? Write the Greek letters for the original words.
2. What "great advantage" does Biers say that classical archaeologists have in their work, and why do Bronze Age archaeologists and those who specialize in earlier periods not have that advantage? (13)
3. What do archaeologists do besides dig in the ground? (13)
4. What do numismatists specialize in? (And don't just say 'numismatics' without defining it.) (14) Why do you think it is important for numismatists to be able to read Greek? Find examples of this from three different periods in our textbook. How are these objects alike or different from their modern American counterparts? Look up the word numismatics in a good English dictionary. From what language(s) does it derive? What is its literal original meaning? Write the Greek letters for the original word.
5. What do epigraphers specialize in? (And don't just say 'epigraphy' without defining it.) (14) Can you think of three specific kinds of objects that they might study? Why do you think it is important for epigraphers to be able to read Greek? What picture in this chapter might be of specific interest to epigraphers, and why? What is the origin of the word epigraphy? From what language(s) does the word derive, and what is its literal original meaning? Write the Greek letters for the original words.
6. What is "stratigraphy"? (14-15). Look the word up in a good dictionary. What is the origin of the word? From what language(s) does the word derive, and what is its literal original meaning? Write the Greek letters of the word that forms second part of this word.
7. What three (3) ways of dating ancient Greek material does Biers mention? (16) How would you rank these in order of reliability?
8. What is "stylistic chronology"? (16) Can we apply the same to objects in the 20th century? Give at least two examples.
9. What does Biers say is the difference between "prehistoric" and "historic" Greek archaeology? What examples does he give?(21)
10. What is an ostrakon, and how is it used? What can we learn about the ancient Greeks from this artifact? (21-22).