50232 - Archaeology of Roman Provinces

Learning outcomes

The aim of the Course is to transmit to the student a clear concept of Archeology in the Eastern Roman provincial world, analyzing the historical and cultural processes that lay at its roots, deepening the fundamental themes like Urbanistics, Architecture and Figurative Arts. At the end of the Course, the student will be capable of knowing the peculiarities, greatness and limits of Roman Provincial Art outside Rome, objectively evaluating its aspects and problematics.

Course contents

1. General Part: City and cultures of the Western and Eastern Roman world. Introduction to the study of Eastern and Western Roman provincies: the conquering of the extra-italic territories, the creation of the provincies and the function of the administrative Roman Provincial system. Romanization and urban development of the Roman provincies: examples of urbanistic foundation and transformation. Monumental programs, architectonic models and circulation of the images in the provincial world. Sculpture and figurative arts.

2. In-depth examination: forum building complexes and public areas of the provincial cities, between late Republic and the first two centuries of the Empire.

Readings/Bibliography

Beside the lesson notes, the students will have to prepare the following two texts

1. R. BIANCHI BANDINELLI, La fine dell'Arte antica, Milano, BUR, 1976 (con ristampe successive), limitatamente alle pp. 105-378; 2. P. GROS, M. TORELLI, Storia dell'Urbanistica. Il mondo romano. Roma-Bari 1988, limitatamente alle pp. 237-426 (or S. RINALDI TUFI, Archeologia delle province romane, Roma, ed. Carocci, 2000)

The students who will not be able to attend the lessons will have to prepare, as substitutive program for the course, all the three texts.

The following readings, absolutely optional, are indicated for personal in-depth examinations related to the subject of the course:

AA.VV., Province romane, in Enciclopedia dell'Arte Antica, Classica e Orientale, 2° supplemento 1971-1994, vol. IV, 1996, pp. 496-589; A. GIULIANO, La cultura artistica delle province della Grecia in età romana (Epirus, Macedonia, Achaia: 146 a.C.-267 d.C.), Roma 1965; A. GIULIANO, Le città dell'Apocalisse, Roma 1978; M. G. AMADASI GUZZO, E. EQUINI, SCHNEIDER, Petra, Milano, 1997 F. S. KLEINER, Artists in the roman World. An Itinerant Workshop in Augustan Gaul, in “Mélanges Ecole Francaise de Rome. Antiquité” 89, 1977, pp. 661-696; P. GROS, Hellénisme et romanisation en Gaule Narbonnaise, in Hellenismus in Mittelitalien – Kolloquium 1974, Göttingen 1976, I, pp. 300-311. C. GOUDINEAU (a cura di), Les villes augustéennes de Gaule. Actes du Colloque 1985, Autun 1981.

Teaching methods

A wide series of projected images will aid the lessons. At the end of each lesson, students will be stimulated to intervene and express their opinions on the subjects and problematics related to the examined subjects. As integration to the course, and if the funds allow it, there will be the possibility of a studying trip to archeological sites of the Roman provincial world.

Assessment methods

Students of the Course will be required to demonstrate the learning of methods, contents and manual general part through an oral interview

Teaching tools

In each lesson complete and detailed power points on each subject will be projected. At the end of each lesson photocopies will be distributed as aid in preparing for the examination. At the end of the course, a DVD will be supplied, comprehensive of all thematic power points projected in each lesson.

Office hours

See the website of Riccardo Villicich