HA 820

Graduate Seminar: Approaches to Archaeological Field Survey

W 4:00-7:00pm, 2445 MH

Recent decades have seen a marked development of interest in regional approaches to the ancient world and its landscapes; in some areas, indeed, as much time and resources are now spent on archaeological field survey as on traditional excavation. This seminar will explore some of the reasons for this growth of interest, as well as survey's impact on the work of both ancient historians and archaeologists. The chief subject for discussion will be how 'human landscapes' have been created, and how we can try to understand them, using the full variety of types of data and analysis at our disposal.

While various techniques and approaches will be considered, primary emphasis will be on regional archaeological field survey. Topics to be covered include the history of regional work in the Mediterranean and the Classical lands; survey design and methodology; and the implications of survey results for ancient historians and classical archaeologists. Particular stress will be placed on the integration of regional studies into wider inquiries about the ancient economy, agricultural regimes and settlement on the land, past demographic trends, town-country relations, colonization and 'Romanization', and the nature of religious, ceremonial or 'imaginary' landscapes. The case studies we discuss will be limited only by referring to the Classical lands, in their broadest sense. Towards the end of the semester, students will gain experience in writing grant applications by developing a 'mock' regional survey proposal for submission to a major funding agency.

There is a special opportunity associated with the offering of CA 820 in 2002. An international workshop entitled 'Side-by-Side Survey: Comparative Regional Studies in the Mediterranean World', organized by this seminar's instructors, will be held in Ann Arbor in April 2002; about two dozen leading experts in Mediterranean survey, from the United States and Europe, will be in attendance. Participation in this intensive workshop will be strictly limited, but students in CA 820 will be able to take part and interact with these eminent and influential visiting scholars. (Cherry and Alcock)