The course overviews Roman funerary culture from the Middle Republican period to the Late Empire. Lectures focus on literary, epigraphical, and mostly archaeological sources useful for understanding beliefs and practices about death and the afterlife. The main objective is to provide students with the necessary tools for the critical analysis of ancient primary evidence and for understanding the methodology of archaeological research and the specialistic vocabulary of the discipline.

Funerary space in Roman world

1. Introduction to the course 

2. Literary and epigraphical sources

3. Funerary rites: from funus to post-burial ceremonies

4. Cemeteries, funerary areas, tombs, functional devices: burials in space

5. Burial shapes and typologies: selected cases (4thBC-3rd AC)

6. Urns, sarcophagi, steles

7. Funeray images

8. Archaeology of human remains

None

Knowledge and understanding: through an oral interview, the student will have to demonstrate to have learned and developed the content and methodological prerequisites of the discipline; to be able to recognize and clearly frame the contexts and materials presented during the course in the historical and cultural period of reference.

Applying knowledge and understanding: the student will also have to demonstrate how to manage the analytical and conceptual tools for the interpretation of archaeological data and to insert the contents acquired into the historical, economic, and social framework of reference.

Making judgment: the student will have to demonstrate the ability to discuss with maturity and autonomy of judgment the archaeological evidence examined during the course.

Communication skills: at the end of the course, the student will have to acquire adequate skills and tools to present in an informed and adequate manner, using the appropriate technical language.

Learning Skills:  at the end of the course, the student should have developed the learning skills necessary to undertake further studies and in-depth investigations with autonomy.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Educational and/or study trips related to archaeological sites, monuments, and themes covered during the lessons. 

Teaching

In-class lessons in Italian, with thematic PowerPoints appositely created by the professor and other multimedia sources available on the web.

Innovative teaching methods

Flipped Classroom

Attendance

Students need to attend at least two-thirds of the lessons and perform the exercises assigned by the professor.

Course books

J.M.C. Toynbee, Morte e sepoltura nel mondo romano, introduzione di Lidiano Bacchielli e traduzione di Maria José Strazzulla, Roma: L'Erma di Bretschneider, 1993.

M.Paoletti Usi funebri e forme del sepolcro, in Civiltà dei Romani. Il rito e la vita privata, a cura di S. Settis, Milano, Electa, 1992, pp. 265-277

P. Zanker, Un’arte per l’impero. Funzione e intenzione delle immagini nel mondo romano, Milano: Electa 2002, pp. 133-156 (La tomba come luogo di autorappresentazione), pp. 157-183 (I sarcofagi mitologici e i loro osservatori). 

Assessment

Oral exam (usually three/four questions) on the contents of the program and the study texts. The evaluation criteria are the relevance and effectiveness of the responses, the level of articulation of the answers, and the adequacy of the language used. The final evaluation is expressed in thirtieths.

Criteria for an evaluation of excellence: very clear and precise oral exposition; thorough knowledge of contents and study texts; high ability to autonomously reformulate and connect the contents; full command of the appropriate language.

Criteria for a good evaluation: clear and precise oral exposition; good knowledge of contents and study texts; good ability to reformulate and connect the contents studied; use of appropriate language.

Criteria for a discrete evaluation: clear enough exposition; knowledge of the contents and study texts; critical enough capacity, and ability to connect the arguments; use of appropriate enough language.

Criteria for a sufficient evaluation: clear enough exposition; basic knowledge of contents and study texts, with some gaps; use of inappropriate language.

Criteria for a negative evaluation: inappropriate exposition; lack of knowledge of contents and study texts, with evident training gaps; use of inappropriate language.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Non-attending students are invited to consult the teaching material uploaded on Moodle (PPT discussed in class-room and other digital resources), through which they can integrate the study texts.

Attendance

Non-attending students must contact the professor at least three months before the exam session in which they intend to take the exam.

Course books

To allow non-attending students to compensate through self-study for what is done during lessons, the following materials referring to the same contents of the program are indicated to promote full understanding.

J.M.C. Toynbee, Morte e sepoltura nel mondo romano, introduzione di Lidiano Bacchielli e traduzione di Maria José Strazzulla, Roma: L'Erma di Bretschneider, 1993.

M.Paoletti Usi funebri e forme del sepolcro, in Civiltà dei Romani. Il rito e la vita privata, a cura di S. Settis, Milano, Electa, 1992, pp. 265-277

Ortalli J., La via dei sepolcri di Sarsina. Aspetti funzionali, formali e sociali, in Römische Gräberstrassen. Selbstdarstellung, Status, Standard, a cura di H. von Hesberg - P. Zanker, München 1987, pp. 155-182.

I. Baldassarre et alii, Sepolture e riti nella necropoli di Isola Sacra, in Bollettino di Archeologia 5-6, 1990, pp. 49-111.

P. Zanker, Un’arte per l’impero. Funzione e intenzione delle immagini nel mondo romano, Milano: Electa 2002, pp. 133-156 (La tomba come luogo di autorappresentazione), pp. 157-183 (I sarcofagi mitologici e i loro osservatori). 

Assessment

Oral exam (usually three/four questions) on the contents of the program and the study texts. The evaluation criteria are the relevance and effectiveness of the responses, the level of articulation of the answers, and the adequacy of the language used. The final evaluation is expressed in thirtieths.

Criteria for an evaluation of excellence: very clear and precise oral exposition; thorough knowledge of contents and study texts; high ability to autonomously reformulate and connect the contents; full command of the appropriate language.

Criteria for a good evaluation: clear and precise oral exposition; good knowledge of contents and study texts; good ability to reformulate and connect the contents studied; use of appropriate language.

Criteria for a discrete evaluation: clear enough exposition; knowledge of the contents and study texts; critical enough capacity, and ability to connect the arguments; use of appropriate enough language.

Criteria for a sufficient evaluation: clear enough exposition; basic knowledge of contents and study texts, with some gaps; use of inappropriate language.

Criteria for a negative evaluation: inappropriate exposition; lack of knowledge of contents and study texts, with evident training gaps; use of inappropriate language.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Students are invited to use and check their institutional email (@campus.uniurb.it). 

The professor meets the students in her office (Palazzo Albani,  Via del Balestriere 2)

Contacts  0722.303760 Monday-Friday 8.30-13-30