Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean (310-0-1)

Topic

The Archaeology of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabi

Instructors

Taco Terpstra
Kresge 4353

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-329: 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 more to offer than the story of the 79 AD volcanic eruption. 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 seen 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 had been thoroughly Romanized; they are now famous for the evidence they provide for Roman daily life. This course will survey key aspects of the evidence, as well as 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)

Berry, Joanne. The Complete Pompeii. London: Thames & Hudson. 2013. ISBN 978-0-500-05150-4

Class Attributes

Advanced Expression
Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area
Interdisciplinary Distro-rules apply
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area