Classical archaeology

 

Classical archaeology is a most distinguished research field, whose origins are to be found in the Renaissance. The collection of Greek and Roman works of art started in earnest in Italy since the early days of Modern era but it would be the discovery of the ancient remains of Pompeii and Herculaneum, in the eighteenth century, to spark the modern antiquarianism. For centuries, the collection of works of art meant was considered a private activity, sponsored by the nobility and within the framework of the ancien régime. The new antiquarianism resulting from the unearthing of the cities of the Vesuvius area introduced the attention towards less impressive, “high art” subjects, like the more ordinary everyday artefacts. Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717-1768) is regarded as the founder of classical archaeology as art history and the German accent of the discipline still with us, with its overwhelming emphasis on detail and comprehensiveness, is a result of his legacy.

You can read the entire text in: Encyclopaedia of Historical Archaeology, edited by C.E. Orser, Jr., London and New York, Routledge, 2002, 108-111.

                              

Pedro Paulo A. Funari