Principles of Roman Archaeology

Survey of the material culture of the Roman world, from the creation of the first provinces in the Late Republic to the end of the principate under Diocletian (late 3rd c. BCE–late 3rd c. CE). The course analyzes the archaeology of Rome and the provinces from a thematic perspective. Subjects include imperialism and colonization, rural and city landscapes, housing and households, necropoleis, the ancient economy, social identities (such as gender and age) and social structure (slavery). The course addresses various theoretical models to understand, among other topics, the creation and the decline of the empire and incorporates, when possible, hands-on work with artifacts at the Nasher Museum.