Special Topics in Archaology: Roman Pompeii
3340.470 - 003 Prof. J. C. Fant
Spring 2003
Schrank Hall South 110, TTh 1:45 - 3:00 pm office 246a Olin (enter at 237) 972-8069 cfant@uakron.edu
office hours TTh 10 - 12 & by appmt www.uakron.edu/csaa/
Course description:
This course will provide an introduction to the archaeology and history of Pompeii in the context of Roman archaeology in general. We will look at all categories of the material culture of Pompeii and its sister cities buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 74.
Aim of the course
To familiarize you with the material culture of a south Italian town of the 1st c. and the archaeological vocabulary of its construction, and the syntax of those elements in public and private buildings; to give you experience in moving between material evidence and literate evidence to construct the social life of the ancient inhabitants.
Requirements:
Class participation and regular reports 35%
Midterm exam 25%
Final research project, written or as a Web page 40%
Final Research Project: to give everyone the experience of research in primary sources, a final project will investigate and present to the class, preferably in digital form (A-level projects will be added to the permanent site if they cover a topic not yet treated), an aspect of Roman life (see suggested topics). Research time will be provided.
Participation in this small seminar-style class is central and is a large percentage of the grade Hence Attendance is required and will be recorded; each unexcused absence over 3 lowers the final grade by 5 %. If you must miss a class, you should get notes from a classmate; if you are scheduled to give a report, you should speak with me well ahead or arrange to have another student give it for you.
Syllabus Information: The syllabus is your charter document for this course, and you are responsible for being aware of its contents, including changes as necessary during the semester which are announced in class and posted to the course Web Site. The authoritative syllabus is the one posted on the Web Site, not the printed one handed out on the first day; there will be substantial revisions.
Communications: I expect to be able to communicate with you through your UAnet email address. If you do not have an email address or do not know what it is, contact the Technology Learning Support Center, at (330) 972-6888, Bierce Library, Room 69, tlsc@uakron.ed. Most outside email hosts let you pull mail from other hosts, and in Campus Pipeline you can set up your UA account to forward mail to an outside address.
I am reachable by email during standard business hours, and I do not generally check my email after that, or on weekends.
Withdrawal:
My policy is to approve withdrawals only in case of unforeseeable circumstances.
Grading Scale
Required books:
J.-P. Descoeudres, Pompeii Revisited. Sydney 1992.
J. J. Deiss, Herculaneum, Italy's Buried Treasure. Malibu 1989.
Ray Laurence, Roman Pompeii: Space and Society. Routledge 1994.
A. W. Wallace-Hadrill, Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Princeton 1994.
Paul Zanker, Pompeii. Public and Private Life. 1998. Harvard UP, DG 70 P7 Z365.
OPTIONAL (there will be assignments; you may want to buy this on a used book website):
J. W. Ward-Perkins and A. Claridge, Pompeii A.D. 79, vol. II (exhibition catalogue). Boston 1978. the best single introductory work on Pompeii. DG70 P7 W34.
Other resources
* Pompeii on Your Desktop, archaeology.uakron .edu/pompeii_site/, including a searchable database of images (links to the Aerariium)
* Catalogs of digital slides on Pompeii and Roman archaeology in general, available in the dept. Imaging Lab (enter at Olin 237, at the end of the corridor), or through any Macintosh connected to the university backbone (get passwords from me).
* UA Classical Studies Web page, http://www.uakron.edu/csaa/, links to Pompeii
* Ancient Roman Architecture, microfiche collection of the Fototeca Unione (American Academy in Rome) NA310 .I6681 1982, in Bierce Microforms.
* reserve of key books in my library, on a table in the Imagine Lab
* Archaeological resources worldwide: Classics and Mediterranean Archaeology (http://rome.classics.lsa.umich.edu )
Appropriate Citation and Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is an unacknowledged borrowing of words or ideas. When you use someone's published thoughts, you must give credit to that author; when you use an author's exact words, you must also put them in quotation Mar,ks (indent for longer quotations). The golden rule is to give credit where credit is due; there is no shame in acknowledging an intellectual debt to someone. But to justify quoting or paraphrasing someone else, something new should be said by you about the material quoted.
List bibliographical information of publications cited in the "References Cited" section at the end of an essay. Style of references are optional; clarity and consistency are essential. Author, title, place, date of publication, and page numbers are minimum requirements. For web sites, give title, full address, date seen by you, and if at all possible, find out who the author is (undergrad, professor, official, etc.). Further guidance on preparing research papers will be provided in handouts during the semester.
The penalty for plagiarism or cheating will depend on the extent of the transgression. The minimum penalty is a zero for the assignment or test involved. But plagiarism and cheating are grounds for an F in the course grade and the filing of charges of Academic Misconduct.
Disabilities accommodation: If you require accommodation, contact the Office of Accessibility (972-7928), and notify me.
Class Schedule
(All readings are to be done before the scheduled class)
Week I Introduction and Orientation
Tu 14 Jan, Class 1: Historical Background: the rise of Rome and the early history of Pompeii and Herculaneum; Samnite Pompeii and the Roman colony; Augustan and Imperial Pompeii
Reading: Descoeudres Ch. 1-2; W-P/Claridge 33-44; Deiss Ch. III-IV; Lawrence Ch. 2
Th 16 Jan, Class 2: the physical setting, geology, orientation; discovery and early excavation of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Reading: Descoeudres Ch. 2; W-P/Claridge 45-51.
Week II
Tu 21 Jan, Class 3 History of archaeology at Pompeii from Fontana to Conticello
Wednesday Jan 22: AIA Lecture, Folk Hall auditorium, 8:15pm: 1% EXTRA CREDIT with report
OSTENTATION IN MARBLE AND ISOTOPIC ANALYSIS AT POMPEII: THE HOUSE OF THE VETTII
J. CLAYTON FANT, UNIVERSITY OF AKRON
Th 23 Jan, Class 4 The geology of the eruption; building materials and techniques
Reading: http://urban.arch.virginia.edu/struct/pompeii/
Week III
Tu 28 Jan, Class 5 Early history of Pompeii: contrasting views
Reading:
Report: P. Carafa, "What was Pompeii before 200BC?"
Th 30 Jan, Class 6 The Walls of Samnite Pompeii
Report: Sarah: L. Richardson, p. 44-50
Report :Carla Chiaramonte Trere'
Week IV
Tu 4 Feb, Class 7 Samnite Pompeii: the "Cultural Center" and Forum
Reading: Zanker, 27-60. Do you agree that Samnite Pompeii undervalued public space?
Wednesday February 5, AIA Lecture 1% EXTRA CREDIT with report
NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND: A BYZANTINE SETTLEMENT IN CAPPADOCIA, ROBERT OUSTERHOUT, UNIV. OF ILLINOIS
Th 6 Feb, Class 8: The Roman colony: new elite and new government
Reading: W-P/Claridge 39-44 (handout)
Week V
Tu 11 Feb, Class 9 The Roman colony: new cityscapes
Reading: Zanker, 61-77
Th 13 Feb, Class 10 Growth and Planning: how did the city expand?
Reading: Unpeeling Pompeii, Dutch report (handout)
Report: S. C. Nappo, "Urban Transformation at Pompeii in the Late 3rd and Early 2nd C. BC," in R. Laurence and A. Wallace-Hadrill eds., Domestic Space in the Roman World: Pompeii and Beyond (JRA Suppl. 22) 1997) 91-120.
Report: P. Carafa, "The Ancient History of Pompeii," in McGinn et al., Pompeian Brothels, Pompeii's Ancient History, Mirrors and Mysteries, Art and nature at Oplontis, and the Herculaneum 'Basilica,' JRA Suppl.47 (2003) (emphasize what's new from report of 1/28)
Week VI
Tu 18 Feb, Class 11 NO CLASS, PRESIDENTS' DAY OBSERVANCE
Th 20 Feb, Class 12 Public Space, Neighborhoods and Identity
Reading: Ray Laurence, Roman Pompeii, Ch. 2-3
Week VII Public space
Reading for public space in general: Zanker, 1-9; Ray Laurence, Roman Pompeii, Ch. 6 and 7; Deiss Ch. XII, XIII, XVI
Tu 25 Class 13 the Amphitheater: architecture and origins
Reading: W-P/Claridge, 87-96
Report: Pete: K. Welch, "The Roman Arena in late-Republican Italy: a new interpretation," JRA 7 (1994) 59-79.
Th 25 Feb, Class 14 the Amphitheater: what happened there
Reading:
Report: Carla: Th. Wiedemann, Emperors and Gladiators, Ch. 2 “The Context”
Koehne and Ewigleben, Gladiators and Caesars, Ch 2, esp. focusing on the relief in Fig. 34
Week VIII
Tu 4 Mar, Class 15 The Theater
Reading:
Report: what happened in theaters (web page on Plautus; D. Potter and D. Mattingly, Life, Death and Entertainment, Ch. 7)
Th 6 Mar, Class 16 The Forum: northern buildings
Reading: W-P/Claridge, p. 44, 50; Pompeii Forum Project
Report: Brianna: the controversy over earthquake reconstruction (Zanker pp. 124-133; "Problems of Chronology, Decoration and Urban Design in the Forum of Pompeii," American Journal of Archaeology 98.4 (1994) 629-694; Pompeii Forum Project web site,
Week IX
Tu 11 Mar, Class 17 The Forum: southern buildings
Reading: WP/Claridge, pp. 45-50.
Report: the controversy over the Basilica (Zanker p. 55-57; Boethius and Ward-Perkins, Etruscan and Roman Architecture (in Bierce, NA295 .B6), pp. 137-131; Richardson, pp. 95-99).
Th 13 Mar, Class 18 Baths: Stabian and Forum Baths
Reading; Deiss, Ch. 12; Petronius (handout)
Report: Karen: Did the sexes bathe together? (G. Fagan, Bathing in Public in the Roman World, Ch. 1, esp. p. 24ff).
Week X Domestic Space
Tu 18 Mar, Class 19 The Paradigmatic House and how to read it
Reading: Vitruvius VI.3-5 (handout); W-H, Ch. 1-3; W-P/Claridge, 52-58
Th 20 Mar, Class 20 Living in houses
Reading: Ray Laurence, Roman Pompeii, Ch. 8.
Report: Julie: Room names and room use (P. Allison, in Descoeudres Ch. 4, pp. 82-90; E. W. Leach, “Oecus on Ibycus: investigating the vocabulary of the Roman house,” in S. Bon and R. Jones ed., Sequence and Space in Pompeii (Oxbow 77, 1997) 50-72.
SPRING VACATION
Week XI
Tu 1 Apr, Class 21 House of the Faun, House of Sallust and 1st Style Painting
Reading on painting: Zanker p. 211, fn. 18; W-H, p. 23-37
Report: Anglo-American work in Reg. VI 9 (web page and "The context of the House of the Surgeon," in S. E. Bon and R. Jones eds., Sequence and Space in Pompeii (Oxford: Oxbow) 1997
Th 3 Apr, Class 22: Houses of M. Lucretius Fronto and "Loreius Tiburtinus"
Reading: Zanker 145-156, 168-174
Report: Allison: John Clarke, Houses of Roman Italy, 193-207
Week XII
Tu 8 Apr, Class 23: House of the Vettii
Reading: Zanker, 184-192; "Taste and Ostentation" web page
Report: Kevin: John Clarke, Houses of Roman Italy, 208-214
Report: Kelly: John Clarke, Houses of Roman Italy, 214-235
Th 10 Apr, Class 24 Villas: Mysteries and Oplontis
Reading: Zanker, 192-203
Report: John: John Clarke, Houses of Roman Italy, 166-170 (Oplontis)
Report: Karen: John Clarke, Houses of Roman Italy, 94-105 (Mysteries)
Report: Eric: N. de Grummond, "Mirrors, Marriage and Mysteries," in T. McGinn et al., Pompeian Brothels, Pompeii's Ancient History, Mirrors and Mysteries, Art and nature at Oplontis, and the Herculaneum 'Basilica,' JRA Suppl.47 (2003) 62-87.
Report: John: B. Bergmann, "Art and nature in the villa at Oplontis," in T. McGinn et al., Pompeian Brothels, Pompeii's Ancient History, Mirrors and Mysteries, Art and nature at Oplontis, and the Herculaneum 'Basilica,' JRA Suppl.47 (2003) 87-121.
OUTLINE OF FINAL RESEARCH PROJECT DUE IN CLASS OR BY EMAIL
Week XIII
Tu 15 Apr, Class 25 Demographics of houses:
Reading: W-H, Ch. 4 & 5
Report: Sarah:
Th 17 Apr, Class 26 Midterm Exam
Week XIV
Tu 22 Apr, Class 27 Dr. Pedar Foss leading a workshop "Quo Vademus? Current issues in Roman domestic space"
Reading: P. Allison, "Approaches to Roman Domestic Space at the turn of the millennium," American Journal of Archaeology vol.105.2 (2001) 181-208.
EMILY HARPHAM LECTURE FOR 2002-3:
THE ROMAN HOUSE: MUSEUM OF MEMORY
PEDAR FOSS, DEPAUW UNIVERSITY
TUESDAY April 22, 8:15pm Folk Auditorium, UA
Th 24 Apr, Class 28 Presentation of student research projects
Week XV
Tu 29 Apr, Class 29 Presentation of student research projects
Th 1 May, Class 30 Presentation of student research projects
Th 8 May FINAL RESEARCH PROJECTS DUE IN MY MAILBOX
THERE IS NO Final Exam