HNAA03222U The Archaeology of Islam as an agent in historical and heritage studies

The archaeology of Islam shares many objectives and methodologies with the study of history and heritage. This course studies the nature of that still-developing relationship. An understanding of Islamic architecture and art offers insights into the cultural and aesthetic values of past Islamic societies, while the study of everyday objects teaches us about the ethics that regulated daily behavour. These matters can be framed within a dialogue on historical and heritage studies, which raises the question as to whose interests are currently served by an arguably western-dominated Islamic archaeology.