The King’s Money: Power, Art, and Economy in the Global Middle Ages

HAA 174 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

The King's Money introduces students to the highly interrelated world between 500 and 1500 CE. The course is a journey through vibrant historical hubs, each connected in a complex web of trade, culture, and politics. From Byzantine Constantinople, Europe's cultural and commercial powerhouse, to the kingdom of Aksum, East Africa's crossroads of trade and religions, and from the splendor of Venice to Hangzhou, one of ancient China's capitals, as we trace Marco Polo's footsteps. Delving into the rise and fall of empires and kingdoms, we will investigate conflicts, journeys of exploration, economic and scientific developments, and a rich tapestry of art and material culture.

At the core of The King's Money is the study of medieval currencies—the most widely circulated art form, extending from Britain to the Indian Ocean. The course highlights how coins, seals, and medals served as vital symbols of political authority, artistic innovation, cultural identity, and economic exchange. By examining how disparate communities separated by language, religion, political systems, and swathes of land and sea interacted through currencies, we will gain insight into the profound connections money forges along routes of trade, warfare, pilgrimage, and diplomacy.

The course also examines the lasting impact of medieval currencies on 21st-century economics, art and literature, politics, and national narratives, as well as their significance in museum collections and the digital landscape, emphasizing their relevance to our modern world.