Classical Archaeology / Edition 1

by Susan E. Alcock, Robin Osborne

Overview

Classical archaeology has undergone profound change in recent years; new theoretical positions and the development of cutting-edge methodologies have prompted classical archaeologists to pose more challenging questions of the extraordinarily rich data we possess from the ancient Mediterranean world. Classical Archaeology is designed to encourage further critical thinking about the role of ancient material culture in modern times and the role of modern preoccupations in shaping the study of ancient material.

Authored by leading archaeologists and historians of the classical world, Classical Archaeology contains thematic pairs of essays (each pair comprised of one essay from the Greek world and one from the Roman) that explore ideas such as the ancient environment, rural landscape, urban spaces, cults and rituals, identity and its material expression, and Mediterranean links with a wider world. Maps, chronologies, diagrams, photographs, and short editorial introductions to each chapter connect the paired essays and provide the reader with vital background and context. These features, as well as the editors’ comprehensive introduction and their final reflective chapter, make Classical Archaeology indispensable to all students of classical Greece and Rome.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780631234180
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	07/10/2007
Series:	Wiley Blackwell Studies in Global Archaeology Series
Pages:	464
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Susan E. Alcock is Director of the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World and Professor of Classics, Anthropology and Archaeology at Brown University. Her recent books include Archaeologies of the Greek Past: Landscape, Monuments and Memory (2001) and Side-by-Side Survey: Comparative Regional Analysis in the Mediterranean Region (with John F. Cherry, 2004).

Robin Osborne is Professor of Ancient History at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of King's College. His recent books include Archaic and Classical Greek Art (1998), Greek Historical Inscriptions 404–323 B.C. (with P. J. Rhodes, 2003), Greek History (2004), Athens and Athenian Democracy (2010) and The History Written on the Classical Greek Body (2011).

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Table of Contents

List of Figures ix

Notes on Contributors xv

Introduction 1
Robin Osborne and Susan E. Alcock

1 What is Classical Archaeology? 11

Introduction 11

(a) Greek Archaeology 13
Anthony Snodgrass

(b) Roman Archaeology 30
Martin Millett

2 Doing Archaeology in the Classical Lands 51

Introduction 51

(a) The Greek World 53
Jack L. Davis

(b) The Roman World 71
Henry Hurst

3 Human Ecology and the Classical Landscape 91

Introduction 91

The Greek and Roman Worlds 93
Lin Foxhall, Martin Jones and Hamish Forbes

4 The Essential Countryside 122

Introduction 122

(a) The Greek World 124
Susan E. Alcock

(b) The Roman World 144
Nicola Terrenato

5 Urban Spaces and Central Places 168

Introduction 168

(a) The Greek World 170
Tonio Hölscher

(b) The Roman World 187
Nicholas Purcell

6 Housing and Households 207

Introduction 207

(a) The Greek World 209
Lisa Nevett

(b) The Roman World 228
Bettina Bergmann

7 Cult and Ritual 249

Introduction 249

(a) The Greek World 251
Robin Osborne

(b) The Roman World 268
Christopher Smith

8 The Personal and the Political 293

Introduction 293

(a) The Greek World 295
John F. Cherry

(b) The Roman World 316
Penelope J. E. Davies

9 The Creation and Expression of Identity 348

Introduction 348

(a) The Greek World 350
Jonathan M. Hall

(b) The Roman World 368
Andrew Wallace-Hadrill

10 Linking with a Wider World 394

Introduction 394

(a) Greeks and “Barbarians” 396
Sarah P. Morris

(b) Romans and “Barbarians” 415
Jane Webster

11 A Place for Art? 439

Introduction 439

(a) Putting the Art into Artifact 442
Caroline Vout

(b) Classical Archaeology and the Contexts of Art History 468
Michael Squire

Prospective 501
Susan E. Alcock and Robin Osborne

Index 506

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Sue Alcock and Robin Osborne's Classical Archaeology is already a classic in its own right, and this second edition keeps it up-to-date with the latest finds and ideas coming out of Mediterranean archaeology. The essays in this volume remain the best starting point for any student coming to the field.”
- Ian Morris, Stanford University

“This second edition builds on and improves the strengths of the first, adding crucial chapters on that central issue in Classical archaeology – namely art”
- James Whitley, Cardiff University

“To the question, ‘what is classical archaeology?’ this book provides a robust response: it is a discipline that is alive with new questions, new theories, and an ever-expanding corpus of material-cultural knowledge of the world of Greek and Roman antiquity.”
- R. Bruce Hitchner, Tufts University

“With essays by some of the leading lights of the discipline, revised to take account of the latest research, and expanded with two new essays on classical art, the second edition of Alcock and Osborne's Classical Archaeology offers the best introduction to the field for students and teachers alike.”
- Jeremy Tanner, University College London

“A star-studded volume that assures the Classical world its rightfully prominent place within world archaeology, while also satisfying those looking for a deeper interrogation of its past.”
- Cyprian Broodbank, University College London

Editorial Reviews

"This is certainly a book for the departmental library, where it will be an important work of reference on current thinking in classical archaeology." (American Journal of Archaeology, April 2009)

"The book succeeds magnificently in introducing interested readers to what is most intellectually exciting about Classical Archaeology at present." (Cambridge Archaeological Journal, October 2008)

“The editors have succeeded in producing a book which clearly defines Classical Archaeology and summarises the great theoretical and methodological changes which have marked the field in recent years … This book should be indispensable for university libraries and achieves a considerable amount for its very reasonable price.” (Journal of Classics Teaching)

“The subject’s extraordinary range is treated well in all sections, which provide valuable insights … .This is a thorough research guide. Highly recommended.” (Choice)

“The editors deserve praise for the inspiring composition and the general idea of this book.” (Bryn Mawr Classical Review)

From the Publisher