Roman Archaeology in Town and Country

Course goals

After completing the course, you will have:

• acquired knowledge on the archaeology of the Roman Empire;
• acquired knowledge on the historical developments and archaeological data of northwestern Europe in the Roman period;
• acquired knowledge on the theoretical frameworks regarding Roman imperialism and cultural interaction;
• trained how to critical reflect on, and actively participate in discussions on Roman imperialism and cultural interaction, both in seminars and during preparatory work;
• studied various types of material culture from the Roman provinces and practised how to critically assess and contextualise them;
• applied the knowledge of Roman archaeology, the historical context and the theory about cultural interaction gained during the course on a personally chosen casus;
• learned how to research their own project and write an academic paper about it.

Content

Roman archaeology
This course explores the cultural influences of the Mediterranean area (as studied in the course Classical Archaeology) on the periphery of the Roman Empire, especially on the area of modern northwestern Europe. Starting in Rome, the course will focus on how Roman influence spread across the empire and what the motives were behind Rome’s imperialistic tendencies. It further addresses such as: what did the edges of the Empire look like? What was the impact of the Empire’s boundaries on people living in these peripheral areas and what was the relationship between the empire’s centre, Rome, and the periphery? We will dive into theoretical concepts related to boundaries and the spread of Roman culture (“romanization”, globalization, glocalisation) and look at various case studies. If possible, we will also visit museums and explore archaeological sites in the Netherlands to study local Roman culture and to get a first-hand insight into the long arm of Rome. As such, this course bridges the gap between the material culture of the Mediterranean Graeco-Roman world and medieval archaeology of northern Europe.

 

Additional information

The courses in this minor are taught in English. If all students are native Dutch speakers, the course will be taught in Dutch. Students may complete their assignments, papers and tests in either Dutch or English.

Early Exit option for international exchange students (5 ECTS)
Exchange students who are required to return to their home university before January, are allowed to choose an Early Exit option for this course. The Early Exit option means that students can finish the course before Christmas break, receiving 5 ECTS for the course. Students must make arrangements with the course coordinator at the start of the course.