From June 5th to July 5th, 2015, 13 American students of the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and their Faculty leader, Dr Joel Christensen, will participate in the 4th edition of the Summer Program "The Classical World: Anthropology, Art and Culture" organised by the Center for the Anthropology of the Ancient World in collaboration with UTSA Department of Philosophy and Classics.
“The Classical World: Anthropology, Art and Culture” offers students the unique opportunity to learn and practice an innovative interdisciplinary approach to the study of the ancient world, while working with some of the top scholars in the field of classical studies. Structured as a “workshop” in which students are actively engaged in the “hands-on” application of anthropological theories and methods to the study of the classical world, the study abroad program takes place over four weeks, and includes both a classroom- and a field-based component. The classroom-based portion of the program is organized into week-long thematic sections, in which students explore the history of anthropological studies within Classics and the major themes of the “anthropology of the ancient world”. In the field-based part of the course, students undertake their own research projects, exploring the themes above through the study of literature, art, archaeology, etc. This will entail weekly on-site visits to museums and other places of historical, archaeological, cultural importance in and around Siena: Arezzo, Pisa, Rome and Florence.
Participants in the program enroll in two courses during UTSA’s first five-week summer session (S): CLA 3123 “Cultural Issues in Classical Antiquity” and CLA 3063 “Art and Architecture in the Classical World” for a total of 6 semester credit hours. Students who prefer may register for these courses according to the following cross-listings:
CLA 3123 HUM 3623 “National Cultures and Civilizations”
ANT 4953 “Anthropology of the Ancient World: Theory and Methods”
HIST 4953 “Special Studies in History”
CLA 3063 HUM 4953 “Special Studies in Humanities”
ANT 4953 “Anthropology of the Ancient World: Field Practicum”
- Acquire knowledge of the theories and methods of the anthropology of the ancient world;
- understand the relationship between anthropology and the traditional methods of classical studies and ethnology;
- develop skills for applying these methods to empirical study of specific materials;
- gain an appreciation for ancient mythology, society and kinship; zooanthropology; religion, ancient economy, classical iconology and iconography;
- become familiar with some of the principal archaeological remains of Roman Italy.
Students arrive in Rome, Italy on the morning of Friday, June 5th, 2015. Classes begin on Monday, June 8th.
Over the course of the program, students study a series of anthropological themes, organized into distinct modules. Each module is organized as a practicum, consisting of seminars that introduce students to theoretical questions relating to the topic of the module; an on-site trip during which students collect data “in the field”; and a research workshop in which they present and discuss the theoretical, literary, iconographical information gathered during the remaining days of the module. In this portion, students will be asked to reflect upon the topic based on the different kinds of sources they have used, to consider their anthropological value, and to consider possible interpretations of the same ancient “documents” depending on different approaches.
Week 1: Introduction to the Study of the Ancient World
M 06/08/15 Anthropology and the Classics
T 06/09/15 Reception of the Classical Tradition – in Arezzo
Guided Tour of Arezzo
W 06/10/15 Myth and Mythology
R 06/11/15 Reception of the Classical Tradition
Iconography and Classical Tradition
F 06/12/15 Office hours with instructors
Guided Tour of Siena: Complesso del Duomo & Palazzo Pubblico
Week 2: Kinship in the Classical World
M 06/15/15 Anthropology of Kinship in Greece
T 06/16/15 Anthropology of Kinship in Rome
W 06/17/15 Guided Tour of Pisa: Camposanto Monumentale & Piazza dei Miracoli
R 06/18/15 Research Workshop: Anthropology of Kinship & Visual Anthropology
Week 3: Roman Economy and Anthropology
M 06/22/15 Economic Anthropology of Ancient Rome
T 06/23/15 Economic Anthropology of Ancient Rome
W 06/24/15 Guided Tour of Rome 1/2: Fori imperiali & Colosseo
R 06/25/15 Guided Tour of Rome 2/2: Musei Capitolini
F 06/26/15 Office hours with instructors
Week 4: Animals in the Classical World
M 06/29/15 Zooanthropology of the Classical World
T 06/30/15 Zooanthropology of the Classical World
W 07/01/15 Guided Tour of Florence: Museo Archeologico & City Center
F 07/03/15 Research Workshop: Zooanthropology of the Classical World & Visual Anthropology
Office hours with instructors
