STUDENTS SHOULD NOT REGISTER FOR BOTH AH190 and AH290

Rome, Ostia and Pompeii are three of the best- preserved archaeological sites in the world. Through their study, we are able to comprehend the physical and social nature of Roman cities and how they transformed over the course of centuries. We explore the subjects of urban development, public and private buildings, economic and social history, and art incorporated into urban features (houses, triumphal monuments, etc.). In Rome, we focus primarily upon public buildings commissioned by Senators and Emperors: temples, law courts, theaters, triumphal monuments, baths. In Ostia, the port-city of Rome, we are able to experience many aspects of daily life: commerce, housing, religion, entertainment. Pompeii represents a well-to-do Republican and early Imperial period city that was influenced by the Greeks and Romans and preserves some of the most magnificent frescoes in the world.

The course is an introduction to urban living in the ancient world that will provide students with an appreciation of the multifaceted character of urban spaces, monuments and artworks in their historical context.

The course will investigate three diverse urban centers in order to consider their particular characteristics and developments, as well as their place in a composite and vast empire. In particular, it will explore urban living as a stage for social relationships and civic status, and consider the importance of public patronage.

Investigations of the agency of individuals and cities in the cultural discourse of Roman identity will form the framework for the course. These include: civic and domestic space as areas for the performance of status and social exchange; gift giving and benefaction as political currency and engagement; and cultural interaction as a dynamic relationship, not the least across a vast and cosmopolitan empire.

Classes are taught entirely on site at archaeological sites and in museums in a first-hand encounter with the monuments, spaces and artworks discussed. Historically it focuses primarily on the period from c. 100 BC-AD 300, the late Republic and Empire.

Proficiencies

Ability to analyze – and contextualize – characteristics of ancient cultures over time
•   Ability to identify trends and long-term developmental aspects, as well as to follow the complex reasoning inherent in their particular discourses
•   Awareness of cultural individuality and cross-cultural inspirations – within and between cultural and social groups
Ability to analyze art, architecture and material culture as primary sources
•   Familiarity with relevant historical, art historical and architectural terminology and ability to deploy these with precision and to effect
•   Understanding of the context of public and private art and architecture – and the ability for comparative analyses of these as expressions of culture and acculturation
Ability to articulate interests and developments as affected by cultural factors
•   Awareness of avenues of engagement with new forms and the motivations for doing so among diverse social groupings and communities
•   Appreciation of directions of artistic inspiration – and of the expression of provincial and non-elite participation in a dominant culture
Ability to analyze the construction and articulation of cultural identities
•   Ability for analyzing material culture as dynamic interactions of inspiration, response and emulation – not simply imperialism or control
•   Awareness of how the image of cultural identity is changeable and shaped by a perception of ‘self’ and sense of position within a wider world

Skills

Communicative skills – writing and oral competence
Term paper: Skills of organization of material, focus on topic, and nuance in discussion
Exams: Aptitudes for contextualization and nuanced discussion of works, as well as for focused presentation of data
Class presentations: Skills of public speaking (presentation of material, development of argument, illustration of evidence) and didactic methods (engaging audience through description, posing questions, responding to answers)
Participation: Skills of formulating reviews and analytical responses; participating in debates; posing questions

Cognitive skills – critical thinking and interpretation
Class presentation: Skills of evaluation and consideration of evidence; analysis of information gathered from observation; and skillful reflection on significance
Participation: Skills of reasoned consideration of evidence and methods; willingness to adapt/revise ways of thinking; and openness to alternative perspectives
Term paper and exams: Development of subtlety, nuance and engagement in the approach to the topic at hand
Lectures and class presentations: Adeptness at contextualization and interpretation of objects, including observations on cultural norms that inform them

Collaborative and shared inquiry skills
Lectures and participation: Development of investigative response-skills; collaborative contributions; and open debate – ability to test, explore and communicate complex ideas
Class presentations: Skills of thoughtful dialogue; sharing of observations; and active contribution to an academic milieu

Investigative skills and evaluation of data
Term paper and class presentations: Skills of using and evaluating secondary texts of diverse focus, specialism and target audience; as well as of interpreting both the inherent interests of these and the arguments presented
Lectures and participation: Skills of evaluation of context, impact and patronage of objects and spaces