Testing the Canon of Ancient Near Eastern Art and Archaeology
Amy Gansell and Ann Shafer
Abstract
This volume addresses and problematizes the formation and transformation of the ancient Near Eastern art historical and archaeological canon. The “canon” is defined as an established list of objects, monuments, buildings, and sites that are considered to be most representative of the ancient Near East. In “testing” this canon, this project takes stock of the current canon, its origins, endurance, and prospects. Boundaries and typologies are examined, technologies of canon production are investigated, and heritage perspectives on contemporary culture offer a key to the future. Ultimately, this ... More
This volume addresses and problematizes the formation and transformation of the ancient Near Eastern art historical and archaeological canon. The “canon” is defined as an established list of objects, monuments, buildings, and sites that are considered to be most representative of the ancient Near East. In “testing” this canon, this project takes stock of the current canon, its origins, endurance, and prospects. Boundaries and typologies are examined, technologies of canon production are investigated, and heritage perspectives on contemporary culture offer a key to the future. Ultimately, this enterprise seeks to provide a framework for a re-conceptualization of ancient Near Eastern history and culture that is meaningful to a broad audience today. This book offers a vital benchmark and a collective path forward for the study and appreciation of Near Eastern cultural heritage, and it aims to provide a model for similar inquiries across art historical and archaeological fields.
Keywords:
Ancient Near East,
Archaeology,
Art History,
canon,
cultural heritage,
education,
Henri Frankfort,
Iraq,
Mesopotamia,
museums
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2020 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780190673161 |
| Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: February 2020 |
DOI:10.1093/oso/9780190673161.001.0001 |
Authors
Affiliations are at time of print publication.
Amy Gansell, editor
Associate Professor, St. John's University
Ann Shafer, editor
Lecturer; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Rutgers; The State University of New Jersey and SUNY, Fashion Institute of Technology
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