ENROLL

William North

Arising over a period of two medieval centuries, the gothic cathedrals of Europe symbolize at once faith, political and economic power, local identity, and technological and artistic achievement. Later generations commemorated them in literature and art, destroyed them in their political and religious zeal, and restored them (and continue to restore them) out of different sort of political zeal as well as a sense of duty and opportunity to preserve a national and European cultural inheritance and tourist treasure. In this course, we seek to understand the cathedral and its enduring legacy in Europe, and especially in France, from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives and using a variety of media and sources. 

Austin Mason

Why did barbarians invade? Traders trade? Pilgrims travel? Vikings raid? Medieval Europe is sometimes caricatured as a world of small villages and strong traditions that saw little change between the cultural high-water marks of Rome and the Renaissance. In fact, this was a period of dynamic innovation, during which Europeans met many familiar challenges—environmental change, religious and cultural conflict, social and political competition—by traveling or migrating to seek new opportunities. This course will examine mobility and migration in northern Europe, and students will be introduced to diverse methodological approaches to their study by exploring historical and literary sources, archaeological evidence and scientific techniques involving DNA and isotopic analyses.

Held for new first year students

William North

This course examines the nature, theory, and functions of religious images in Byzantium and surrounding regions (Armenia, Coptic Egypt, Ethiopia, the Slavic world, and the Latin West) as well as the perspectives of those who criticized them. Special attention will be paid to debates over the nature of icon veneration within Byzantine society itself and across religious boundaries; the role of images in the cult of saints; and the role of icons in the formation of religious, social, and political identities. Projects in this class will support a special exhibition in Winter 2018. History 203 winter term 2018 will require History 202 Fall 2017.