Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, the countries of the South Caucasus, are perhaps best known historically as a geographical (and geological) fault zone “between East and West” that is set against stunning mountain backdrops, imposing stone architecture, and traditions of hospitality. Today, the region is attracting refugees, adventure tourists, and international energy corporations, even as each country continues to deal with periods of stagnation, conflict, and rapid change following the collapse of the U.S.S.R. This course will take an anthropological perspective on the South Caucasus, drawing on archaeological and ethnographic studies as well as interdisciplinary texts (geography, history, political science, sociology) and media (dance, film, artwork, song) to explore the foundational myths, historical landscapes, and cultures of the South Caucasus from the Paleolithic to the Roman period and the Medieval to the Post-Soviet present. Importantly, we will read and discuss authors and artists from the region and diaspora to critically engage with Western and Russian conceptions of the South Caucasus. Together as a class we will explore the intersection of history, politics, religion, and the arts with identity, ethnicity, and subjectivity.
