In this class, we will examine Roman society through the lens of its complex engagement with the natural world. For the Romans, the natural world exists as a resource to be exploited, fuel for the imagination of Roman authors, a challenge to societal development, and a site of demonstrating imperial power. Through readings on topics ranging from Roman gardens to beast fights to military engineering, students will discuss and reflect on the Romans’ relationship with the world around them and what we can learn from the Roman world as we approach the natural world today.

An introduction to how the archaeology and management of ancient sites and artifacts from Greek and Roman civilizations is carried out in the field. Archaeologists play an important role in recovering these past civilizations, while museums help to spread the information gathered to the wider public. What happens to the thousands of objects uncovered during excavation? How do museums curate these artifacts and presented them to the public? What role do we all have in protecting and preserving these past cultures? These questions and more will be discussed through an in-depth look at archaeological projects, museum collections, and the ethical debates surrounding the study of the ancient civilizations.

Food offers us insights into nearly every aspect of a society: trade networks, taste preferences, religious practices, philosophical stances, social class, inequality, military power, etc. Food can shape the way we perceive ourselves and the world around us. In this class, we will examine literary, visual, and archaeological evidence for food in the Roman world and the social practices surrounding its use and production. Food, then as now, was not, however, an abstract concept accessed indirectly through other sources, so in this class, students will use Roman sources to create hands-on projects related to ancient food and dining.