Seminar 1: “Seven Wonders” and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Ancient Lists of Wonders
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon – fact vs. fiction
Babylon: discovery and interpretation
Seminar 2: The Pyramids of Giza
How and why were they built?
What did ancient travelers think of them?
What did/do modern travelers think of them?
Seminar 3: The Statue of Zeus at Olympia & the Colossus of Rhodes
How were they built?
What happened to these monuments?
Modern echoes: Olympic Games, “colossus”
Seminar 4: The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus & The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
How and why were they built?
Where did all the stones go? The afterlives of these structures
Modern echoes: Artemis & goddess religion, mausolea and memorials for the dead
Seminar 5: The Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria
Ancient Alexandria & Ptolemaic Egypt
Arab travelers’ reports, archaeological evidence
Modern echoes: lighthouse architecture, Buffalo Savings Bank
Seminar 6: “Seven Wonders” in the modern world
What makes these seven monuments “wonders”?
Modern lists of “seven wonders” and nominations for the “eighth wonder”
What would you include in your list of “seven wonders”?
“Wonders” in popular culture (Seven Wonders board game, Civilization PC games)