CL AR 347 A: Pompeii: A Time Capsule of Ancient Life

Autumn 2022
Meeting:
TTh 9:30am - 11:20am
SLN:
12824
Section Type:
Lecture
Joint Sections:
ART H 347 A
Syllabus Description (from Canvas):

ARTH/CLAR 347: Pompeii: A Time Capsule of Ancient Life

Fall 2022

T TH 9:30-11:20am

ARC 160

 

Prof. Levin-Richardson (you can call me Professor Levin-Richardson, Professor L-R, or just Professor)

Pronouns: she/her/hers

sarahlr@uw.edu

Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 3-4pm in person (I wear a mask when holding office hours in my office; Zoom option available, too鈥攑lease email me in advance so I can set it up) and by appointment

Office: Denny 227; enter the main doors of Denny, pass the water fountain and elevator, and it鈥檚 the

first office on the left

 

Description:

This class explores the power differentials among individuals of different genders, legal status, and citizenship in the cultural melting pot of ancient Pompeii, which was preserved by a volcanic eruption in 79 CE. Graffiti, skeletal remains, everyday objects, humble and world-class art and monuments will be analyzed.

 

Learning Objectives:

  • Be able to discuss and analyze a range of evidence (art, architecture, graffiti, objects) from Pompeii
  • Be able to situate Pompeian material culture within its broader historical and social/cultural context
  • Be able to discuss and analyze the constraints and opportunities offered to different types of individuals (women, children, enslaved individuals, formerly enslaved individuals, foreigners, and elite men) at Pompeii

 

Supporting your learning and well being

If you know of something that might affect your learning (technology problems; health or family crisis; religious observance) please contact me as soon as possible, ideally at the beginning of the quarter, so that I can make appropriate accommodations. Below you can find further resources:

  • :
  • UW Counseling Center:
  • Husky Health and Well-Being:
  • Disability Resources for Students:
    • If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course.
    • If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to: mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at uwdrs@uw.edu or DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions.  Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS.  It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.
  • Religious Accommodations:
    • Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW鈥檚 policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at . Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the .

 

Required Readings:

The required text for this class is listed below and can be found in the (as well as other sites), and one copy will be available via course reserves in Odegaard. Other required readings can be found on Canvas. Each meeting in the schedule below has one or more readings to be read for that class session. For the Tuesday of Week 2, for example, please come to class having read pages 53-65, 70-72, and 78-80 of the course textbook (which I refer to as Beard on the schedule). These readings are a starting point for in-class lecture and discussion, which often will expand upon the assigned readings and/or present new material. Thus, I strongly recommend careful reading of the assigned material as well as attending class.

 

Beard, Mary. 2008 [there have been multiple reprints, so the year doesn鈥檛 matter]. The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost and Found. Belknap Press.

 

Grading:

  • Quizzes: 45% (to be completed on Canvas before each class)
    • Quiz on the assigned readings to be completed on Canvas before each class. You may consult only the readings and your own notes; you may not work with other individuals on the quizzes. The lowest two quizzes will be dropped.
  • Object writing assignment: 20% (due Tuesday Nov. 1 at the beginning of class)
    • 4-5 page double-spaced essay on objects related to various types of individuals (men, women, children, freedmen and freedwomen, enslaved individuals). See guidelines on Canvas for more details (including your assigned category).
  • Final exam: 35% (due Wednesday December 14 by 12:20pm)
    • Essays; covers material from the entire course. A study guide will be posted on Canvas in advance of the exam.

 

Your final course grade is calculated from these assignments in the proportions given. Please prepare carefully for these assignments, and please come see me in advance if you have any questions about how to best prepare. There will be no extra credit.

 

The grading scale used in this class is as follows:

 

 

Grade scale used in this class

Percentage Earned 

Grade-Point Equivalent

100-96

4.0

95

3.9

94

3.8

93

3.7

92-91

3.6

90

3.5

89-88

3.4

87

3.3

86

3.2

85

3.1

84

3.0

83

2.9

82

2.8

81

2.7

80

2.6

79

2.5

78

2.4

77

2.3

76

2.2

75

2.1

74

2.0

73

1.9

72

1.8

71

1.7

70

1.6

69

1.5

68

1.4

67

1.3

66

1.2

65

1.1

64

1.0

63

0.9

62-61

0.8

60

0.7 [lowest passing grade]

59 and x < 59

0.0

 

 

Further Expectations:

  • COVID and Wellness
    • The University recommends inside UW facilities; High-quality masks .
    • , you must stay home, even if you are fully vaccinated.
    • Please remember to follow the if you test positive, if you are exposed to COVID-19, have an exposure or develop symptoms. If you have COVID-19 questions, .
  • No recording, photographing, posting, or distributing of course materials of any kind is permitted without my written authorization.
  • The University of Washington prohibits the selling of notes online or through any other channels.
  • Getting in touch with each other
    • Please check your UW email daily; this is how I will communicate with you about pertinent information. You are responsible for all information disseminated over email and through the course website.
    • I鈥檓 available in office hours for you! If you are anxious about assignments, please set up a time well in advance of the assignment or exam so we can discuss strategies. I鈥檓 also happy to chat about any other class-related concerns you have, or study abroad opportunities, how to follow your interest in archaeology or ancient history, etc. I am happy to answer questions over email, but please check the syllabus first to see whether the answer is there.
    • I will respond to emails by the end of the next working day (which means that if you email me on Friday afternoon, I may not respond until Monday afternoon).
  • Grading
    • Students are expected to adhere to ethical behavior in their work, including following guidelines posted for each assignment concerning group work and plagiarism/cheating. Failure to adhere to these policies will be considered an and can be reported to the Office of Student Conduct, and you might receive a zero on the assignment. If you have any questions about what is or is not allowable for an assignment, I鈥檇 be more than happy to clarify!
    • I鈥檇 be happy to discuss any of your graded work with you, but I ask that you wait twenty-four hours after receiving your assignment back in order to begin to process my feedback. After the twenty-four-hour period, please feel free to email me to set up a time for a meeting. Due to University policy, I cannot discuss grades over email.

 

Schedule of Topics and Required Readings:

 

Week 1: Introduction

Th Sep 29: Introduction

 

Week 2: Infrastructure; Multiculturalism and the Development of Pompeii

T Oct 4: Access to Resources: Managing Streets, Water, and Waste

  • Beard 53-65 (鈥淏eneath your feet鈥 鈥淲hat were streets for?鈥 鈥淏oulevards and back alleys鈥 鈥淲ater features鈥), 70-72 (鈥淧avements [=sidewalks]: public and private鈥), 78-80 (鈥淭he city that never sleeps鈥)

Th Oct 6: Pre-海角网 Pompeii [complete practice quiz before class begins]

  • Beard 26-37 (鈥淕limpses of the past鈥 鈥淏efore Rome鈥)
  • Carafa, Paolo. 1997. 鈥淲hat was Pompeii before 200 BC? Excavations in the House of Joseph II, in the Triangular Forum, and in the House of the Wedding of Hercules,鈥 in Sequence and Space in Pompeii, eds. Sarah E. Bon and Rick Jones. Oxford: Oxbow Books. 13-31. [read pp. 13-15 (stop before 鈥淭he Excavation鈥) and p.25 to the end (starting with 鈥淚nterpretation鈥)]

 

Week 3: Multiculturalism and the Development of Pompeii

T Oct 11: 海角网 Pompeii [complete quiz before class begins]

  • Beard 37-52 (鈥淏ecoming 海角网鈥 鈥淧ompeii in the 海角网 world鈥)
  • Lo Cascio, Elio. 2001. 鈥淭he process of 海角网ization,鈥 in The Epigraphic Collection, eds. Mariarosaria Borreillo and Teresa Giove. Trans. Federico Poole. Naples: Electa Napoli. [read pages 28 to 32, stopping near the top of the left-hand column of p. 32, before the sentence beginning 鈥淭he program of Tiberius鈥 agrarian reform鈥︹漖

Th Oct 13: NO CLASS

 

Week 4: Commerce and Occupations

T Oct 18: Commerce [complete quiz before class begins]

  • Beard 152-153 (鈥淧rofit margins鈥), 162-169 (鈥淐ity trades鈥), 177-185 (鈥淎 banker鈥)

Th Oct 20: Occupations [complete quiz before class begins]

  • Beard 170-177 (鈥淎 baker鈥), 185-187 (鈥渢he garum maker鈥)
  • Clarke, John. 2003. Art in the Lives of Ordinary 海角网s: Visual Representation and Non-Elite Viewers in Italy, 100 B.C.-A.D. 315. Berkeley:  University of California Press. [read pages 105-118 (start at the section 鈥淰erecundus and his wife鈥; end before the section 鈥淲orker Reliefs鈥)]

 

Week 5: Politics and the Forum; Religious Practices and Identity

T Oct 25: Politics and the Forum [complete quiz before class begins]

  • Beard 188-195 (鈥淰ote, vote vote鈥), 203-215 (鈥淭he face of success鈥 鈥淏eyond the male elite鈥)

Th Oct 27: Religious Practices [complete quiz before class begins]

  • Beard 276-281 (鈥淭hose other inhabitants鈥 鈥淎 religion without the book鈥), 290-301 (鈥淐elebrating the gods: in public and private鈥 鈥淧olitics and religion: emperors, attendants and priests鈥)

 

Week 6: Objects and Identity; Housing and Identity

T Nov 1: Objects and Identity

  • Object writing assignment due at the beginning of class

Th Nov 3: Housing and Identity: From Work Lofts to Villas [complete quiz before class begins]

  • Beard 88-110 (鈥淭he art of reconstruction鈥 鈥淯pstairs, downstairs鈥 鈥淪how houses鈥 鈥淔or richer for poorer: not 鈥榯he Pompeian house鈥欌; stop before the paragraph beginning 鈥淏ut it was not only the poorer鈥︹); 118-119 (鈥79 CE: all change鈥)

 

Week 7: Housing and Identity

T Nov 8: Frescoes and Social Status [complete quiz before class begins]

  • Beard 120-130 (鈥淏eware: painters at work鈥 鈥淧ompeian colours鈥; stop at the bottom of page 130), 134-151 (鈥淲hat went where鈥 鈥淢yths do furnish a room鈥 鈥淎 room with a view?鈥)

Th Nov 10: Women and Houses [complete quiz before class begins]

  • Wallace-Hadrill, Andrew. 1996. 鈥淓ngendering the 海角网 House,鈥 in I Claudia: Women in Ancient Rome, eds. Diana Kleiner and Susan Matheson. Austin: University of Texas Press. 104-115. [read only to page 112 [page 5 of the PDF], stopping before the section on 鈥満=峭 Archaeology and Gender鈥]
  • Allison, Penelope. 2009. 鈥淒omestic Spaces and Activities,鈥 in The World of Pompeii, eds. John J. Dobbins and Pedar W. Foss. New York: Routledge. 269-278.

 

Week 8: Housing and Identity; Public Leisure and Entertainment

T Nov 15: Children and Slaves in Houses [complete quiz before class begins]

  • Huntley, Katherine. 2011. 鈥淚dentifying Children鈥檚 Graffiti in 海角网 Campania,鈥 in Ancient Graffiti in Context, J.A. Baird and Claire Taylor, Routledge. 69-89. [read pages 69-70 (stop before 鈥淪tudying Childhood or Studying Children鈥); 73-83 (starting with 鈥淎 Developmental Psychological approach鈥︹)]
  • Joshel, Sandra and Lauren Hackworth Petersen. 2014. The Material Life of 海角网 Slaves. New York: Cambridge. [read pp. 27-30 (starting at 鈥淵et slaves figured as part鈥︹); 40-46 (start at 鈥渟laves on the move鈥; stop before 鈥淭his architectural pattern鈥); 59-63 (start at 鈥渟lave tactics鈥; stop before 鈥淎t the house of the Ceii鈥)]

Th Nov 17: Baths and Theaters [complete quiz before class begins]

  • Beard 241-243 (鈥淎 Good Bath鈥; stop before the paragraph beginning 鈥淭he variety of opportunities鈥 on p. 243), 253-259 (鈥淪tarstruck?鈥)
  • Edmondson, Jonathan. 2002. 鈥淧ublic Spectacles and 海角网 Social Relations,鈥 in Ludi 海角网i: Espect谩culos en Hispania 海角网a, ed. T. Nogales Basarrate. Madrid. 8-27. [read pages 9, 11-15 (starting with 鈥淎ugustus and the Regulation of Seating at Public Spectacles鈥; stop before 鈥淕ladiatorial Presentations鈥)]

 

Week 9: Public Leisure and Entertainment

T Nov 22: Amphitheaters and Gladiators [complete quiz before class begins]

  • Beard 259-275 (鈥淏loody Games鈥; 鈥淗eartthrobs of the girls鈥)
  • Edwards, Catharine. 1997. 鈥淯nspeakable Professions: Public Performance and Prostitution in Ancient Rome,鈥 in 海角网 Sexualities, ed. M. Skinner. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 66-95. [read pp. 66-68]

Th Nov 24: NO CLASS (THANKSGIVING)

 

Week 10: Private Leisure

T Nov 29: Moral Zoning [complete quiz before class begins]

  • Beard 233-240 (鈥淰isiting the Brothel鈥)
  • Wallace-Hadrill, Andrew. 1995. 鈥淧ublic honour and private shame: the urban texture of Pompeii,鈥 in Urban Society in 海角网 Italy, eds. T.J. Cornell and Kathryn Lomas. London: University College London Press, 39-57 [skip 鈥淧ompeii and the Historian鈥 on pages 40-43].

Th Dec 1: Sexualities [complete quiz before class begins]

  • Clarke, John. 1998. Looking at Lovemaking: Constructions of Sexuality in 海角网 Art 100 B.C.-A.D. 250. Berkeley: University of California Press. [read pages 212 (starting with the section on "Sex and Laughter in the Suburban Baths")-240].
  • Milnor, Kristina. 2014. Graffiti and the Literary Landscape in 海角网 Pompeii. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [read pp. 196 [start with section 鈥淣o place for a Woman鈥︹漖-200 [skip paragraph beginning 鈥淥n the surface鈥 on pages 198-199], and stop on p. 200 before paragraph beginning 鈥淚t is notoriously difficult鈥漖

 

Week 11: Death and Destruction

T December 6: Death

  • Berry, Joanne. 2007. The Complete Pompeii. London: Thames and Hudson. [read pages 92-101]
  • Lazer, Estelle. 2007. 鈥淰ictims of Cataclysm,鈥 in World of Pompeii, eds. J.J. Dobbins and Peder Foss. Routledge. 607-619. [note: this reading contains pictures of skeletal remains]

Th December 8: Destruction; Review

  • Cooley, Alison and M. G. L. Cooley. 2004. Pompeii: A Sourcebook. Routledge. [read intro on page 27, and entries C9 (with short introduction before it) and C12]

 

Final Exam due Wednesday December 14 by 12:20pm

 

Catalog Description:
Explores the power differential between men and women, slaves and masters, and citizens and foreigners in the cultural melting pot of ancient Pompeii, which was preserved by a volcanic eruption in 79 CE. Graffiti, skeletal remains, everyday objects, humble and world-class art and monuments will be analyzed. Offered: jointly with ART H 347; AWSp.
GE Requirements Met:
Diversity (DIV)
Social Sciences (SSc)
Arts and Humanities (A&H)
Credits:
5.0
Status:
Active
Last updated:
June 6, 2026 - 11:29 pm