Description
This course will examine significant examples of the ceramic industry in the ancient Mediterranean world, from the Bronze Age through the late Roman Empire (c. 3000 BCE-500 CE). Case studies will primarily be drawn from Greece and Rome, though examples from Etruria, North Africa, and Gaul will also be discussed. Major topics include stylistic, typological, and technical developments; how and where these ceramics were used in their historical setting; the organization of ceramic workshops; the social status of potters; and how archaeologists use ceramics to interpret, date, and reconstruct ancient sites. Students will gain an understanding of the important role pottery played in the ancient world, learn to identify forms and functions of ancient ceramics, and consider interactions between craft, industry, and social hierarchies in the ancient world.