Assignment task:
1. What are some of the architectural continuities and discontinuities during the historical transition from the Late Antique and Early Christian religious architecture to Early Byzantine architecture and ultimately to Early Islamic architecture in the Eastern and Western Mediterranean? Discuss by describing comparable examples of building types, building technologies, architectural design, and architectural decoration (such as mosaics) from those periods, and emphasize the important changes in architectural and artistic practices across the Mediterranean and the Middle East from Early Christianity to Islam.
2. Archaeologist Nick Shepherd described heritage in this way: "Heritage is of the past in the present." What is cultural heritage? Throughout this semester, in various lectures and readings, you have come across discussions of heritage and its contemporary political use by modern nation-states as well as institutions such as museums, in various video-lectures, readings, and films shown in this class. Discuss two major examples or case studies of the political use and abuse of cultural heritage, the material remains of ancient or medieval societies.
Essay should be minimum eight hundred. Please make sure to give a title to your essay and mark your choice as a, b, c or d. In your essay, your examples should not simply be mentioned by name in passing, but described well with relevant information, date, location, and description. It is always a good idea to spend a few minutes to sort out an outline for your essay before getting started to write.