CLAS 3P31: The Art and Archaeology of Pompeii

T & F 1400-1530 in PLZ 410

Come and discover the fascinating Roman city of Pompeii!

Preserved in the volcanic eruption of 79 CE, Pompeii is by far the best known and explored ancient Roman city. Since the rediscovery of this site in 1748, Pompeii has drawn tourists and scholars alike to explore it ruins and marvel at its art and architecture. For this reason, Pompeii has also been fundamental in the development of many modern areas of study from art history to volcanology, and even today as archaeology continues to be practiced here, Pompeii offers us a fertile place to explore innovative archaeological practices which in turn has provided us more material to study.

In this course, we will explore the surviving art and material culture of Pompeii along with a few other communities located along the Bay of Naples including Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae. As we explore these sites and their monuments we will discuss their organization, function and aesthetics in order to better understand the daily lives of the residents of these ancient Roman communities.