The Etruscans: Italy Before the Rise of the Romans



The Etruscans: Italy Before the Rise of the Romans

ARCH 1650, Fall 2007

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30-3:50 PM in Wilson Hall, Rm. 203

Prof. Diana Ng (Diana_Ng@brown.edu)

Office hours: Thursday 10 AM-12 PM, and by appointment

When one thinks of “ancient Italy,” more often than not, Rome comes to mind: the city, the empire, and its art and archaeology. While the imprint of Rome on Italy and on Classical archaeology is immense, the reality is that the Italian peninsula was occupied by different peoples for centuries before Rome became a major city. The Etruscans, who occupied Central Italy from the Iron Age, were the most prominent of these Italic peoples, and their cities and culture had a legacy that continued long after Rome asserted its authority over Italy. For a long time, the Etruscans were shrouded in mystery; the lack of long texts and historical evidence in Etruscan or even in Greek or Latin made it difficult for modern scholars to appreciate their culture. In recent decades, however, developments in archaeology and art history have added a tremendous amount to our knowledge of the Etruscans. This course will explore the art, architecture, and archaeology of the Etruscans, and investigate how the material culture of this people sheds light on their society, culture, and history.

NB If you must miss a class, please be sure to get the lecture notes from someone in the class. I encourage all students to come see me during office hours at least once during the semester (for whatever reason—questions about readings or lecture, about Etruscans and archaeology, or just to chat), but it is impossible to re-teach an entire lecture during office hours.

Requirements:

Readings from the required texts (Haynes, S. Etruscan Civilization, a Cultural History and Bonfante, L. ed. Etruscan Life and Afterlife, a Handbook of Etruscan Studies) and supplemental readings provided by the instructor. Supplemental readings will be posted on the course Wiki (proteus.brown.edu/Etruscans) for reading and download. It will be the responsibility of the student to make sure that all readings are done according to schedule. Additional, optional reading and sources for research will be available in the library of the Joukowsky Institute, 70 Waterman Street, from 8 AM -5 PM Monday through Friday.

Field trip to the RISD museum, and a related 7-8 page paper. The museum of the Rhode Island School of Design houses several very good examples of Etruscan art and artifacts. During this trip, students will be able to choose from a pre-selected group of objects on which to write a 7-8 page paper, due before Thanksgiving. It is expected that students will describe the object, and then contextualize it within the materials covered in lecture and readings.

One midterm exam, and one final exam. There will be an in-class review of materials prior to each exam.

Grading Breakdown: Participation and Attendance 15%; 8-10 page paper 25%; midterm exam 25%, final exam, 35%

Preliminary Course Schedule (subject to change, except for exam and paper due dates)

Sept. 6 Introduction to the course

[For the next meeting, please read Haynes, Introduction and Chapter One and

Bonfante, Introduction]

Sept. 11 Introduction to Etruria and the Villanovans

Sept. 13 The Villanovans

Sept. 18 The Villanovans and the Growing Wealth of Etruria

Sept. 20 The Orientalizing Period

Sept. 25 Orientalizing Tombs: Princely Graves

Sept. 27 The Orientalizing Period and the Ancestor Cult

October 2 Regional Variations in the Orientalizing Period

October 4 Archaic Period Sculpture and Crafts

October 9 Archaic Tombs

October 11 Field Trip to RISD Museum

October 16 Etruscan Religion and Archaic Temples

October 18 Archaic Town Planning and Territorial Growth

October 23 Midterm Exam Review

October 25 Midterm

October 30 Etruscan Domestic Architecture

November 1 Archaic Tomb Painting

November 6 Classical Period Etruria

November 8 Classical Period Tomb Painting

November 13 Classical to Hellenistic Period and Roman Colonization

November 15 Classical and Hellenistic Crafts

November 20 Hellenistic Arts, PAPERS DUE (no exceptions)

November 22 Thanksgiving, no class

November 27 Romanization in Italy

December 4 Etruscan Legacies in Rome

December 6 Final Exam Review and Final Remarks

December 11 Reading period, no class

December 19 Final Exam

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download