CLAS 2041OL - Archaeology of Roman Pompeii & Herculaneum

This intensive course introduces the student to the material culture – that is, objects and buildings - of ancient Rome, through the case studies of the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum on the Bay of Naples. We will also look at a selection of Roman villas destroyed in the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in AD 79. Their buildings highlight the architectural innovations developed by the early empire; new technologies have permitted new forms and new ways to experience built interiors. The private houses of the Bay of Naples region illustrate the development of Roman wall-paintings, mosaics and stucco-work. Their legacies influence western art and architecture to this day. Artefacts from these sites highlight consumer tastes from the second century BC to first century AD, with objects sourced from beyond the empire’s borders. Moreover, the rediscovery of these cities is bound up in the birth and development of classical archaeology itself, including techniques of retrieval and of interpretation in the light of ongoing discoveries. Through online lectures and exercises, students will not only become familiar with some major categories of Roman art and architecture, but will also be introduced to fundamental issues faced by archaeologists in interpreting material culture.