aCademiC Catalog 2013-2014 - Lorenzo de Medici

School of Arts & Sciences TUSCANIA
Anthropology
Archaeology Field School: Tuscania (Italy)
ANT 282-283 T; Dual listed: CLA 282-283 T / HIS 282-283 T
Cr: 6; Contact hrs: 148
This four-week intensive course in archaeology is held at a
specific site representing a distinctive ancient Mediterranean
culture. The course offers students a unique combination
of supervised on-site fieldwork and specialized academic
instruction by archaeologists and other specialists. Participants
contribute to the ongoing excavation and preservation of the
site, learning essential practical archaeological techniques. The
particular civilization represented by the site is analyzed in terms
of its material culture, artistic production, and society (including
political organization, religion, economy, and everyday life). The
course includes weekly visits to sites, monuments and museums
of relevance. Participants work alongside students from the
University of Florence. The course is offered in collaboration
with the Center for Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern
Studies (CAMNES). Offered at various sites, including two
sponsored by the Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute. One of the
richest sites for Etruscan culture, Tuscania in northern Latium
is situated in the southern area of the region inhabited by this
people between the 9th to the 1st centuries BCE. Many features
of the site and the wide range of artefacts discovered belong to
later Etruscan culture (Hellenistic period). The course focuses
on Etruscan culture in a period of cosmopolitan expansion and
assimilation to Roman culture. Learning activities may include
visits to Cerveteri, Tarquinia, and the Museo di Villa Giulia in
Rome. Excavation has been overseen by the University of
Florence, Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute, and CAMNES.
Note: ANT 282 T / CLA 282 T / HIS 282 T is offered also as a
3-Credit (two week) Field School
Archaeology and Classical
Studies
Introduction to Archaeology
CLA 240 T
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
Archaeology attempts to understand humankind through the
study of physical remains of past civilizations. This course
introduces students to the aims, methods and possibilities
of archaeological work, from the field to the museum,
exploring past and recent theories and approaches to the
discipline. Key issues in the practice of modern archaeologists
are examined, some through case studies. Topics include
excavation, stratigraphy, cleaning and preservation, dating
methods and protection of cultural heritage. Students study
how archaeologists refer to other disciplines including history,
cultural and physical anthropology, and art history. The course
considers contexts of both ancient Mediterranean and Near
Eastern archaeology, from Prehistory to the Roman Empire,
and includes visits to museums and archaeological sites.
Etruscan and Roman Civilizations
CLA 245 T
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course presents a survey of the extraordinarily rich
civilizations that thrived in Central Italy, where Tuscania
flourished, from the 8th century BCE to the 5th century CE.
Students will discover the political, social, cultural and religious
dimensions of the Etruscan and Roman cultures, engaging with
surviving art, architecture and literature. We’ll discover together
their customs and daily life starting from the analysis of the
remaining archaeological evidence. Key issues in the practice
of modern archaeology are explored through the use of case
studies relating to the town of Tuscania and its surroundings
(Tuscia), an area of exceptional archaeological interest and
very rich in ancient history. Site visits enforce what the students
have learned in class and enhance the understanding of these
past cultures.
Archaeology Field School: Tuscania (Italy)
CLA 282-283 T; Dual listed: ANT 282-283 T / HIS 282-283 T
Cr: 6; Contact hrs: 148
This four-week intensive course in archaeology is held at a
specific site representing a distinctive ancient Mediterranean
culture. The course offers students a unique combination
of supervised on-site fieldwork and specialized academic
instruction by archaeologists and other specialists. Participants
contribute to the ongoing excavation and preservation of the
site, learning essential practical archaeological techniques. The
particular civilization represented by the site is analyzed in terms
of its material culture, artistic production, and society (including
political organization, religion, economy, and everyday life). The
course includes weekly visits to sites, monuments and museums
of relevance. Participants work alongside students from the
University of Florence. The course is offered in collaboration
with the Center for Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern
Studies (CAMNES). Offered at various sites, including two
sponsored by the Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute. One of the
richest sites for Etruscan culture, Tuscania in northern Latium
is situated in the southern area of the region inhabited by this
people between the 9th to the 1st centuries BCE. Many features
of the site and the wide range of artefacts discovered belong to
later Etruscan culture (Hellenistic period). The course focuses
on Etruscan culture in a period of cosmopolitan expansion and
assimilation to Roman culture. Learning activities may include
visits to Cerveteri, Tarquinia, and the Museo di Villa Giulia in
Rome. Excavation has been overseen by the University of
Florence, Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute, and CAMNES.
Note: CLA 282 T / ANT 282 T / HIS 282 T is offered also as a
3-Credit (two week) Field School
Ancient Mediterranean Civilization
CLA 294 T; Dual listed: HIS 294 T
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course presents a survey of the extraordinarily rich
civilizations that thrived in Italy and the Mediterranean from the
8th century BCE to the 5th century CE. Students investigate
the political, social, cultural and religious dimensions of the
Greek, Roman and Etruscan civilizations, engaging with
surviving literature, art and architecture. Themes covered
may include: the principal historical developments; political
trends in the Mediterranean world; classical literature;
major issues in philosophy; spirituality and cults; cultural
and commercial exchange in the Mediterranean. Site visits
enhance understanding of the chronology and the enduring
achievements of ancient Mediterranean culture.
Archaeology of Italy: from Constantine to
Charlemagne
CLA 298 T
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
Once dismissed as the “Dark Ages” of invasion and destruction
between the fall of ancient Rome and the rise of the medieval
communes, the period has become the focus of intense
scholarly activity and debate. Thanks to excavations in towns,
villas, cemeteries, churches and castles, a vastly more dynamic
picture has emerged for Italy from Late Antiquity and the Early
Middle Ages (circa 300-1000 CE). Exploiting new data and
finds, together with secondary studies and literary sources,
this course offers an overview of the archeological evidence
and history of one of the most vital and complex periods in
all European history. The stress is on continuity and major
changes that occurred in the peninsula after the collapse of
the Western Roman Empire. The medieval remains in Rome
and northern Latium are outstanding. Course topics include:
archaeology of various typologies (domestic, settlements,
churches, monasteries, burials, defensive structures); specific
cultures (Ostrogoths, Lombards); inscriptions; conservation
and reconstruction; distinctive object types; basic analytical
methods of various materials (pottery, metal, glass, wood,
stone). Activities include visits to museums in Rome and
Tuscania (special laboratory), and to two excavation sites.
The Age of the Heroes: Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid,
and the Origins of Western Literature
CLA 306 T; Dual listed: LIT 306 T
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
The course is a general overview of ancient literature through
the analysis and comparison of some of the oldest works of
Western civilization. Through a reading of the most significant
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LdM Academic Catalog 2013-2014