History of mosaic – 30 credits

Term 1 

  • Introduction to historic mosaics: definitions, sources, contexts and making 

  • Making ancient mosaics in theory and practice 

  • Building the foundations: bedding mortars and aggregates (practical session) 

  • Ways of seeing: looking at, describing and writing about mosaics 

  • Points and pictures: Classical pebble mosaics in context 

  • Making pebble mosaics (practical session) 


  • Understanding bits and pieces: the invention of tessellation 


  • Making mortar floors (practical session) 


  • Virtuoso vermiculata: mosaics in Hellenistic and Republican residences 


  • MUSEUM VISIT (British Museum): reception and interpretation 


Term 2 

  • Making tessellated mosaics (practical session) 


  • An empire-wide craft 1: the central Mediterranean 


  • An empire-wide craft 2: the western Mediterranean & north-west provinces 


  • An empire-wide craft 3: the eastern Mediterranean 


  • MUSEUM VISIT (British Museum): reception and interpretation 


  • From Late Antiquity to Byzantium: the East  
From Late Antiquity to Byzantium: the West  


  • Making Byzantine wall mosaics (practical session) 


  • The Byzantine and Medieval worlds 


  • The afterlives of ancient mosaics

Assessment

Term 1: one commentary of 750-1000 words

Term 2: 1500-2000 word essay answering a set question

Practical Report of 750-2000 words