Undergraduate Course: Roman Art and Archaeology (CACA08011)
Course Outline
| School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course focuses on the material culture of the Roman world from the early history of Rome through to the early Christian period (c. 8th century BC - 4th century AD). The lectures will examine different strands of the art and archaeology of this period, exploring what these reveal about contemporary society and culture, urban and rural life, religious practices, death and burial, visual display, domestic life, the negotiation of status and power, warfare, and interactions between groups within and beyond the Roman empire. |
| Course description |
This course focuses on the material culture of the Roman world from the early history of Rome through to the early Christian period (c. 8th century BC - 4th century AD). The lectures will examine different strands of the art and archaeology of this period, exploring what these reveal about contemporary society and culture, urban and rural life, religious practices, death and burial, visual display, domestic life, the negotiation of status and power, warfare, and interactions between groups within and beyond the Roman empire. Emphasis will be placed on considering the potential and limitations of the archaeological record and its role in elucidating patterns of change and heterogeneity across time and space, from the city of Rome to the most distant reaches of Roman influence.
A typical lecture schedule for the course will look as follows:
W1: Early Italy and Rome
W2: The City of Rome
W3: Roman Architecture
W4: Imperial monuments: art and ideology
W5: Art in the private sphere
W6: Urbanization and civic life
W7: Death and burial
W8: The Roman countryside
W9: Trade and the economy
W10: Frontiers and the military
W11: The view from the provinces
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Equivalent courses on the Classical World or Archaeology. |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- demonstrate, by way of coursework and examination as required, a sound knowledge of the subject considered in the course;
- demonstrate, by way of coursework and examination as required, an ability to assimilate a variety of sources and formulate critical opinions on them;
- demonstrate, by way of coursework and examination as required, an ability to research, structure and complete written work of a specified length, or within a specified time;
- demonstrate an ability to make informed contributions to class discussion and give an oral presentation as required;
- demonstrate an ability to organise their own learning, manage their workload, and work to a timetable.
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Reading List
Alcock, S.E. ed. (1997), The Early Roman Empire in the East, Oxford.
Alcock, S.E. and Osborne, R. eds (2012), Classical Archaeology (Blackwell Studies in Global Archaeology), 2nd edition, Oxford.
Blagg, T.F.C. and Millett, M. eds (1990), The Early Roman Empire in the West, Oxford.
Collis, J. (2001), Digging up the Past, An Introduction to Archaeological Excavation, Stroud.
Coulston, J. and Dodge, H. eds (2000), Ancient Rome: Archaeology of the Eternal City, Oxford.
De Rose Evans, J. ed. (2010), A Companion to the Archaeology of the Roman Republic, Malden, MA, 97-109.
Greene, K. (1986), The Archaeology of the Roman Economy, London.
Henig, M. ed. (1983), A Handbook of Roman Art, London.
Holloway, R.R. (1994), Archaeology of Early Rome and Latium, London and New York.
Laurence, R. (2012), Roman Archaeology for Historians (Approaching the Ancient World), London.
Stewart, P. (2008), The Social History of Roman Art, Cambridge.
Ward-Perkins, J.B. (1981), Roman Imperial Architecture, Harmondsworth. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
In addition to the ILOs below that contain already some transferable skills (such as the capacity to compare cognate yet complex materials), students who successfully complete the course will also gain:
- an enhancement of critical skills in reading and debate through engagement with alternative approaches and ideas
- an improvement of skills in conducting research and writing essays
- an ability to organise complex arguments and draw these together into a coherent conclusion
- organisational skills enabling them to structure their own learning, manage their workload and work to a timetable. |
| Keywords | Roman,Art,Archaeology |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Benjamin Russell
Tel:
Email: Ben.Russell@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Summer Wight
Tel: (0131 6)50 4580
Email: Summer.Wight@ed.ac.uk |
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