ARC 500 Survey of Research and Interpretative Approaches to Byzantine Archaeology
ARC 501 The Study of Ceramics in Byzantine Archaeology
ARC 502 The Archaeology of Byzantine Economy
ARC 503 The Archaeology of Death in Byzantium
ARC 504 Byzantine Material Culture and Identity
ARC 505 Byzantine Icon Theory
ARC 506 Byzantine “Secular” Art
ARC 507 Dress: The Mirror of Byzantine Society
ARC 508 Relations between Centre and Periphery: Byzantine Art in Cyprus
ARC 509 From Paganism to Christianity
ARC 510 Art and Identity in the Time of the Crusades
ARC 511 Art in Cyprus under Latin Rule
ARC 500 Survey of Research and Interpretative Approaches to Byzantine Archaeology
Beyond the materiality of archaeological remains and their positivist documentation, byzantine culture, very much like any other culture, encompasses symbolic meanings and ideas. Despite the fact that byzantine archaeology was located for long in the periphery of modern archaeological research, it has recently begun to acquire a new dimension in the international academic scene by applying methodological approaches and interpretative models “borrowed” by other fields of research, such as history, anthropology, sociology and psychology. The aim of this seminar is to (a) examine the interpretative approaches and advances of byzantine archaeology in the international sphere of archaeological research, and (b) to evaluate the methodological approaches that are currently followed for understanding the byzantine material remains through the exploration of specific case-studies.
ARC 501 The Study of Ceramics in Byzantine Archaeology
Pottery comprises the most common find in an archaeological excavation. The study of byzantine and post-byzantine ceramics, however, had for long been overlooked and its precise chronology is being continually refined. The aim of this seminar is the examination of the typo-chronology of byzantine and post-byzantine common- and table-wares, as well as the evaluation of the information they provide for understanding byzantine society.
ARC 502 The Archaeology of Byzantine Economy
This seminar examines issues related to economy and commercial enterprises in the Byzantine Empire, focusing not only on the study of archaeological finds, such as coins, amphorae and other items of commercial value, but also on the study of urban economy, the relationship between town and country and the exploitation of agricultural lands.
ARC 503 The Archaeology of Death in Byzantium
Peoples’ reactions to the idea of death and afterlife, the preparation of the dead and burial practices are aspects that belong to the sphere of byzantine ideology. This seminar examines issues related to death and burial in the Byzantine world (5th-15th c.), on the basis of archaeological remains and the visual arts, and the aid of written sources. More specifically, the seminar examines the typological development of cemeteries and graves, the decoration of grave monuments and its meaning, items accompanying graves and their symbolism, as well as the evaluation of conclusions regarding byzantine living standards and conditions through the study of skeletal remains.
ARC 504 Byzantine Material Culture and Identity
This seminar aims to study the various “identities” of the Byzantine people, as these are expressed in the material remains of the period. Emphasis is given to the “identification” of identity in aspects of the material culture (e.g. the built environment, the byzantine house, the costume, items of domestic comfort), in other words, the expression of religious, political, cultural, social, “ethnic” or other identity. Moreover, the seminar examines the role of the Byzantine civilisation in the formation of socio-political and/or cultural ideology of contemporary states, such as Greece, Cyprus and Turkey.
ARC 505 Byzantine Icon Theory
The Byzantines’ perception of the role of religious art dictated to a great extent the latter’s formal characteristics and iconography. Through the study of relevant written sources and the analysis of works of art, the principles that governed the creation of religious images in Byzantium are investigated, and the stages of the theoretical discussion that led to the definition of the role of religious images within the context of Orthodox worship are explored.
ARC 506 Βyzantine “Secular” Art
It is commonly thought that Byzantine art, architecture included, was a predominantly religious art and that its main purposes were the expression and dissemination of Christian dogma and the consolidation of the position of the Church. Still, works of art with a non-Christian content or character were created throughout the Byzantine millennium, ranging from palaces and public buildings to ivory caskets adorned with mythological themes. It is on the study of such works that the present seminar focuses. Theoretical issues concerning the definition of the term “secular” within the context of a Christianocentric culture will be examined parallel to issues relating to the typology, iconography, function, and reception of secular art in Byzantium.
ARC 507 Dress: The Mirror of Byzantine Society
In Byzantium dress was one of the most important means by which individuals and social groups constructed and projected their identity outwards, and by which this identity was perceived by others. This seminar investigates how gender, age, family position, religious beliefs, moral values, ethnicity, profession, social status and economic situation are expressed in the choice of clothing and accessories, as well as in the adoption of particular hairstyles and make-up.
ARC 508 Relations between Centre and Periphery: Byzantine Art in Cyprus
Within the broader context of the dynamics between the centre and the periphery, various manifestations of artistic expression in Cyprus are discussed with the purpose of highlighting its distinguishing features. Special emphasis is given to tracing the mechanisms of transmission and assimilation of the general trends emanating from the major artistic centres of the Empire by the Cypriot artistic idiom.
ARC 509 From Paganism to Christianity
This seminar aims to explore the gradual ‘transition’ from the ancient world and paganism to Byzantium and Christianity through the study of archaeological remains and works of art. Emphasis is given to the identification of this procedure through the symbolism of early Christian art and architecture: the transformation of ancient temples to Christian churches, the building of new basilicas, sculpture and monumental art, the transformation of Late Antique urban space, items facilitating Christian worship and burial practices.
ARC 510 Art and Identity at the Time of the Crusades
The seminar explores the various forms of artistic expression that flourished in the service of the multicultural societies of the Eastern Mediterranean during the period of the Crusades. Special emphasis will be given to the study the fertile meeting between the art of East and West that is Crusader Art.
ARC 511 Art in Cyprus under Latin Rule
This seminar explores both the products and the conditions for artistic creativity on Cyprus during the period of Latin rule. Within this framework the students will have the opportunity to study representative works mainly of secular and ecclesiastical painting and architecture within their historical, religious, social, and cultural context. Particular emphasis will be given to the exploration of the dynamic interaction between the deeply rooted Byzantine artistic tradition of Cyprus and imported artistic traditions from the West and the Crusader Levant.
ARC 512 The Transformation of the Byzantine City
The main objective of the seminar is the examination of the Byzantine city’s structure and evolution from the 5th to the 15th century: the forces that transformed its characteristic from ‘polytheistic’ to ‘Christian’, the prerequisites for the preservation of its urban character, its evolution throughout the period of transformations in the 7th-9th centuries, the role of forts and fortified towns in the late Middle Ages.
Last Updated on February 20, 2026
