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The material culture – art, architecture, and artifacts – left behind by a civilization can be “read” like a text of the past, since physical objects produced, used, reused, and discarded by human hands were active elements in human interactions. This course introduces students to the material and visual culture of the ancient Mediterranean from the Bronze Age through the Late Antique period. In addition to the great public architectural monuments, temples, and famous works of art, we will also explore the archaeological remains and visual images of everyday commercial and domestic space. We will focus our discussions on how visual and material culture both shaped and were shaped by different aspects of society in antiquity, such as religion, politics, economy, views on gender and sexuality, social status, and ethnicity. To this end, you will practice stylistic analysis, technical analysis, and interpretation of an array of ancient works within the socio- historical context they were produced. Throughout this process, you will engage with various critical approaches to the interpretation of ancient art, such as reception, kopienkritik, arte plebea, and gender studies.
In 79 CE, a violent eruption of Mt. Vesuvius resulted in the extraordinary preservation of entire Roman towns and villas around the Bay of Naples in Italy. Buried beneath the volcanic residue, archaeologists have discovered resplendent frescoes, impressive mosaics, furniture, medical tools, crass graffiti and everything from a loaf of bread to a personal library filled with the books of a previously unknown philosopher. This class will focus on the small provincial town of Pompeii, which has been considered one of the most famous archaeology sites in the world since its discovery in the 18th c. Pompeii’s public and private architecture, art and material culture provide us with important insight into the social, political, commercial and religious life under the Roman empire. Be forewarned: this course is reading and writing heavy and there is a public speaking component! You will be asked to analyze and interpret both material remains and primary and secondary sources.
This module examines the theories that have shaped the writing of ancient history in the modern world, and approaches to the discipline including Economic History, Social Status and Society, Gender and Material Culture. It looks at the ancient evidence on which modern interpretations are based, and seeks to critically engage the student with the question of how we know what we say we know.
This module addresses key issues in the study of Roman archaeology. What did it mean to live under the Roman empire? How did the disparate peoples within the Roman world negotiate their place in relation to the regime? This module will introduce students to the critical evaluation of the archaeological evidence for identities and communities in the Roman period, and the approaches and theories that have been used to understand them. Through different classes of archaeological evidence (e.g. what people wore, what they ate, or how they treated the remains of their dead), we will examine how archaeology can be used to build a picture of personal and community identities. We will examine communities within the Roman empire, and those beyond its frontiers. We will consider questions of cultural interaction and Roman imperialism. We will focus on archaeological evidence, but will also consider the role of textual sources for the Roman period. Topics will include archaeologies of gender, childhood, and slavery.
This bibliography is taken from a level 5 (2nd year undergraduate) 10 week module last taught in 2013-14 on spectacle culture - circus and chariot racing, gladiators , venationes and other arena events, athletics etc and their political, social and cultural contexts - in the Roman world. It has a general bibliography and reading lists for individual classes and the associated essay and commentary choices. This was mostly prepared in 2013. I am aware that it now needs quite substantial updating (suggestions are welcome).
Syllabus + Supplementary Graduate Reading List
Suggestions and comments welcome!
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