ART HIS M119C
Introduction to Islamic Archaeology
Description: (Same as Islamic Studies M111 and Middle Eastern Studies M111.) Lecture, three hours. From earliest monuments of Islam in Arabia and Jerusalem to humble remains of small Egyptian port, broad focus on archaeological and standing remains in central Islamic lands (primarily Syria, Egypt, and Iraq), Turkey, Iran, North Africa, and Spain. Profound cultural transformations occurred from birth of Islam in 7th century to early Ottoman period in 16th and 17th centuries, which are traceable in material records. Assessment of effectiveness of tools afforded by historical archaeology to aid understanding of past societies. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2025 - Shocked by the negativity of reviews for this class. One of the best classes I've taken at UCLA, by far the best art history class I've taken. Postives: - Professor Burke is friendly, approachable, and very happy to answer questions about course content or assignments - Grading is generous -- provided that you complete most of the assignments, you will get an A easily - Assignments consist of four term definition lists and a research paper, spread across the quarter so you get at least a week or more per assignment - Course covers a broad cross-section of Islamic art and culture in the Middle East, mostly around the Early Islamic period in Arabia and Greater Syria - Concepts introduced and explained in a way that is very accessible to someone not familiar with Islamic history and Islam - Final and midterm exam both based on term definitions and short written answers, minimal studying required if you finish the assignments and pay attention in lecture. Terms will all be the same as homework and essay topics all heavily emphasized in lecture Negatives: - Lectures almost always ran overtime - Lectures were fairly dense, run through pretty quickly, and not recorded - Term lists are deceptively difficult due to fairly rigorous sourcing requirements. I spent easily around 6-8 hours on each and often submitted them unfinished (but Professor Burke still gave me 85-90%). This has since been changed after student feedback to be more lenient, more like 4 hours per term list now Overall an excellent class. Cannot recommend Professor Burke enough, whether you are interested in art history, Islam, Arab culture, or are just lazy and want a GPA booster.
Winter 2025 - Shocked by the negativity of reviews for this class. One of the best classes I've taken at UCLA, by far the best art history class I've taken. Postives: - Professor Burke is friendly, approachable, and very happy to answer questions about course content or assignments - Grading is generous -- provided that you complete most of the assignments, you will get an A easily - Assignments consist of four term definition lists and a research paper, spread across the quarter so you get at least a week or more per assignment - Course covers a broad cross-section of Islamic art and culture in the Middle East, mostly around the Early Islamic period in Arabia and Greater Syria - Concepts introduced and explained in a way that is very accessible to someone not familiar with Islamic history and Islam - Final and midterm exam both based on term definitions and short written answers, minimal studying required if you finish the assignments and pay attention in lecture. Terms will all be the same as homework and essay topics all heavily emphasized in lecture Negatives: - Lectures almost always ran overtime - Lectures were fairly dense, run through pretty quickly, and not recorded - Term lists are deceptively difficult due to fairly rigorous sourcing requirements. I spent easily around 6-8 hours on each and often submitted them unfinished (but Professor Burke still gave me 85-90%). This has since been changed after student feedback to be more lenient, more like 4 hours per term list now Overall an excellent class. Cannot recommend Professor Burke enough, whether you are interested in art history, Islam, Arab culture, or are just lazy and want a GPA booster.
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