Key facts

Type	Online and Distance Learning
Location	Online
Dates	Wed 25 Sep to Fri 6 Dec 2013
Subject area(s)	Archaeology
CATS points	10
Fees	From £220.00
Application status	Applications being accepted
Course code	O13P389AHV
Course contact	If you have any questions about this course, please email onlinecourses@conted.ox.ac.uk.

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Overview

Pompeii is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. Its fame and uniqueness are,of course, due to the remarkable way in which it was preserved by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. Using evidence from Pompeii, you can study public buildings, monuments, inscriptions and painted posters that reflect public life, houses and gardens that reveal how the people lived, shops, markets and streets where they earned their living, and tombs where they buried their dead.

Description

Pompeii is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. Its fame and uniqueness are,of course, due to the remarkable way in which it was preserved by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. Using evidence from Pompeii, you can study public buildings, monuments, inscriptions and painted posters that reflect public life, houses and gardens that reveal how the people lived, shops, markets and streets where they earned their living, and tombs where they buried their dead. This is why Pompeii has contributed so much to our understanding urban Roman life.

This course examines all these features, along with other issues such as the urban development of the city, its destruction in AD 79, and its long history of excavation. It is designed for those wishing to investigate the wide range of evidence from Pompeii, how it has been interpreted and how, in turn, this has influenced our understanding of urban development in the Roman world.

Programme details

1. The destruction and preservation of Pompeii
2. Excavating the city
3. The origin and development of Pompeii
4. Public life and politics
5. Entertainment
6. Death and Burial
7. Religious Life
8. Houses, status and fashion
9. Economic life of the Roman city – craft and trade
10. Agriculture

We strongly recommend that you try to find a little time each week to engage in the online conversations (at times that are convenient to you) as the forums are an integral, and very rewarding, part of the course and the online learning experience.

Course aims

By the end of this course students should understand:
• The diverse nature of the evidence from a unique archaeological site, and the variety of issues that can be studied in a Roman town
• How the excavation and study of Pompeii has been influenced by different historical and political events
• The role of towns in the Roman world
• Significant features of Roman towns, and problems involved in understanding them
• Some of the most controversial issues currently being discussed by scholars of Pompeii and other Roman towns

Certification

This course is accredited and you are expected to take the course for credit. To be awarded credit, you must (i) participate actively in the online discussion throughout the course with other students and your tutor; and (ii) complete written contributions satisfactorily. Successful students will receive credit, awarded by the Board of Studies of Oxford University Department for Continuing Education. The award will take the form of 10 units of transferable credit at FHEQ level 4 of the Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS). A transcript detailing the credit will be issued to successful students.

Assessment methods

Students can choose whether to be assessed on their personal folders, on their contribution to group debates or on assignments for which titles will be provided.

Level and demands

FHEQ level 4, 10 weeks, approx 10 hours per week, therefore a total of about 100 study hours.

Recommended reading

To participate in the course you will need to have regular access to the Internet and you will need to buy the following textbooks:

Cooley, A. and Cooley, M. Pompeii. A Sourcebook. London: Routledge
Berry, J. The Complete Pompeii. London: Thames and Hudson

Teaching methods

- Guided reading of texts
- Group discussions of particular issues
- Questions to be answered in personal folders
- Work on a site-map of Roman Britain

Teaching outcomes

By the end of this course students should have gained the following skills:
• Ability to assess the context and importance of different types of evidence
• Ability to think laterally across a range of issues, to see how different types of evidence interrelate
• Ability to critically discuss particular issues in a clear and effective manner

Fee options

Programme Fee

Home/EU Fee: £220.00

Non-EU Fee: £295.00

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