Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean (310-0-2)
Topic
The Archaeology of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabi
Instructors
Taco Tjitte Terpstra
Kresge 4353
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-420: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
The cities buried by Mt. Vesuvius hold an undying place in the modern imagination. Tourists marvel at the size of the sites and empathize with the plight of the towns' inhabitants. However, Campania's destroyed cities have much more to offer than the familiar story of the 79 AD earthquake. Rather than present a static picture of Campania's towns as "frozen in time," this course takes a diachronic approach to the rich archaeological material. Campania was not originally Roman territory and was conquered by force of arms. Pompeii, often presented as an archetypal Roman town, was not Roman at all for most of its existence. Still, at the time of the eruption Campania's cities were thoroughly Romanized; they are now famous for the evidence they provide for Roman daily life. This course will survey key aspects of the evidence, which will include a discussion of current archaeological techniques and fieldwork. The course will also discuss the 18th- and 19th-century uncovering of Campania's cities, which is a story in its own right.
Class Materials (Required)
Required textbook(s): Berry, Joanne. The Complete Pompeii. London, Thames & Hudson, 2013. ISBN 978-0-500051504.
Class Attributes
Historical Studies Distro Area
Interdisciplinary Distro-rules apply
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area