Archaeology of the Roman World

Module code: AR2607

Building on what you learned in AR1603 Introduction to Classical Archaeology, this module explores the Roman world, primarily through its material remains, in much greater depth. For the first and only time in history, Rome forcibly united the entire Mediterranean world and much of Europe--from the Scottish borders to the Libyan Sahara, from Atlantic Europe to the Syrian desert, and from Romania to Egypt. This module will explore the remarkably rich range of material evidence surviving from Rome, Italy and the far-flung provinces, from bones and brooches to cities and whole landscapes. It will also look at the evolving ways in which, in the context of our post-colonial world, we use all this evidence to think about, and understand, the phenomenon of Roman imperialism. The module examines cultural and political developments across the empire, and explores what life was like for the many diverse peoples under imperial rule, mainly in the first two centuries of our era.  

Learning material for this module includes recorded lectures, guided readings and exercises designed by our academics and delivered through our virtual learning environment. In this module you will complete two different assessments: a study exploring a key site or source illuminating the Roman world, and an essay allowing you to explore in more detail a particular aspect of the module that has caught your interest.