Christian Hall

Bio/CV: 
BA, UC Berkeley, 2017

I received a B.A. from UC Berkeley in 2017, where I majored in the History of Art. My undergraduate research focused primarily on Greek art and architecture of the Archaic period and, more specifically, on Attic pottery. My desire to understand the connections between the images on Attic pottery and the socio-political climate of the period led to a close examination of the Attic Black-Figure collection in the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology. This research culminated in my undergraduate thesis in which I proposed a new interpretation for the interaction between the image and the frame, determined by the human or divine status of the individuals on Attic Black-Figure amphorae. Upon graduation, I received highest departmental honors for the depth of research and originality of thought presented in my thesis.

For the last several years, I have also participated in excavations with the Nemea Center for Classical Archaeology (NCCA) at the Bronze Age cemetery in Aidonia, Greece. This experience has sparked my interest in Bronze Age Greece and the materialization of Mycenaean ideology. My original curiosity has since developed into more specific interests: itinerant craftsmen and trade networks; the appropriation, adoption and adaptation of religious iconography across neighboring states; artist agency, especially as it concerns those artists working in the Mycenaean palatial centers; and the relationship between images found on Mycenaean pottery and the socio-political climate of the period, particularly during periods of political adjustment.

Before attending UC Berkeley, I worked for several years in various administrative roles and even dabbled in graphic design. When I am not studying, I like to spend time with my family, which includes our many pets.