ATS2344 Study tour in Italy: Etruscan and Roman archaeology

This overseas study tour is an intensive introduction to the cultures of ancient Italy, focussing on the Etruscan and Roman civilizations. We will visit archaeological sites and view museum collections in Rome and Tuscany to familiarise ourselves with the material record of these ancient cultures and to investigate the presentation of the past. Students will examine Etruscan and Roman culture through lectures, discussions, site presentations, and first-hand experience with a wealth of physical materials, from monumental structures including the Colosseum and Pantheon, to the streets and shops of the port city of Ostia, preserved under Tiber mud for centuries; from fine sculptures and painted tombs to cooking pots and skeletons. Study will commence at the Clayton campus and then transfer to Italy, where we will explore the ancient sites of Rome and Etruria before moving to Prato, Tuscany, where seminars and field trips will familiarise students with core issues in studying and presenting the past.