Ancient Cities in the Mediterranean CLASSICAL STUDIES 2500A (Section 650)
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Ancient Cities in the Mediterranean
CLASSICAL STUDIES 2500A (Section 650)
Fall Semester 2021
The University of Western Ontario
Online Course, No required time slot (asynchronous)
WELCOME to Ancient Cities!
The civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean were some of the best city-builders in human history, with
discoveries that allowed them to construct colossal buildings, to implement vast systems for moving water and
waste, and to house hundreds of thousands of people in small urban spaces. Did you know that 2,500 years
ago the Greeks built temples the size of a football field? And the Romans invented concrete with which they
built towering apartment buildings and revolving dining rooms? “Ancient Cities” is an introductory survey of the
urban centers of the ancient Mediterranean world. The course focuses on the archaeological remains of some
of the most impressive cities and civilizations in human history, such as Jericho, Mycenae, Athens, Rome and
Pompeii. The course begins with the earliest signs of urban organization in the archaeological record of the
Near East and tracks the evolution of the physical layout and social organization of urban life through 10,000
years of history in the Mediterranean. The course focuses primarily on the vast urban centers of the Greeks
and Romans, many of which are still thriving cities today.
Instructor
I am Dr. Elizabeth Greene and I will be your instructor for this course. I am an Associate Professor of Roman
Archaeology in the Department of Classical Studies. I teach courses on all aspects of Classical Archaeology
(primarily Greek and Roman), particularly the archaeology of the Roman world and the Roman provinces in
Western Europe. I have worked on archaeological excavations in Rome, Tuscany and England, focusing on
various Roman military forts along the Roman frontier in Britain. Currently, I am involved in an on-going
excavation project at a site called Vindolanda located near Hadrian’s Wall in northern England, where I co-
direct a field school for Western students to train in excavation technique and the history and archaeology of
Roman Britain. Please feel free to discuss with me any aspect of archaeology, how to get involved with the
field school, or to take part in other archaeological projects happening around the Classical world.
1Contact Details and Class Information:
Professor Greene:
Email: Please contact me through OWL Messages (if that is not working use: egreene2@uwo.ca)
Office Hours: TBA
Join Zoom (link in our OWL site) URL: TBA
Zoom Passcode: TBA
Waiting Room: In order that students can have individual time with me, you will be put into the waiting room if
another student is already talking with me, and I will let you into the chat when it's your turn.
Teaching Assistant: TBA
Office Hour: TBA
Class Meetings:
Date: September 8th – December 8th 2021
Time: Asynchronous
Location: Online—we will use OWL and Zoom
Prerequisite(s): None
Antirequisite(s): The former CS 2902A/B (if taken in 2011-12, 2012-13)
Required Text:
Gates, Charles. 2011. Ancient Cities: The archaeology of urban life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt,
Greece, and Rome, Second edition (Routledge) (don’t buy a used copy of the first edition!)
**Available as ebook from Weldon Library
Accompanying textbook website: http://cw.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415498647
Course Description & Goals:
In the first few weeks of the course, the earliest known villages (ca. 12,500 BC) and cities (ca. 3000 B.C.) in
Mesopotamia and the Near East will serve as case studies for detecting the rise of urbanization and social
organization in the archaeological record. We will consider such questions as: 1) How can we discuss the
social organization of an urban center when we find large walls and towers in the archaeological record?; 2)
What is the meaning of the presence of an authoritative figure found in artistic representations?; 3) How do we
evaluate the central placement of a religious precinct in an archaeological site? We will consider how these
spaces were built, who became politically important in these early communities, and how we can deduce social
organization from the archaeological record.
The primary focus of the course will trace the evolution of urbanization with major emphasis on the well-known
cities of the Greek and Roman worlds. We begin with the early civilizations of the Minoans and Mycenaeans on
Crete and the Greek mainland (ca. 3000-1200 BC) and will look at the colossal palaces and city walls of
Knossos and Mycenae, their impressive wall paintings, and rich tombs and grave goods. We will consider what
all this material means for our understanding of the organization of the city at this time. Tracing the rise of cities
in Greece (“the Polis”) takes us through some of the most impressive archaeological sites in the
Mediterranean, investigating the important political and religious centers at Athens, Sparta, Delphi and Olympia
(ca. 750-300 BC) among others.
The last part of the course investigates Italy and the Roman world. Readings on the early civilizations in Italy
(Villanovans, Etruscans, ca. 1000-500 BC) will be the background to understanding the meteoric rise of Rome
2and its eventual conquest of the entire Mediterranean (ca. 500 BC – AD 200). The Roman Republic and
Empire will be discussed considering new approaches to urban development, use of borrowed urban
characteristics, and the use of the city as a backdrop for displaying power and wealth. We will consider the
varied approaches the Romans took in order to subjugate well-developed cultures around the Mediterranean,
considering closely how the city of Rome itself became the center of a large empire and how its rulers
incorporated material culture borrowed from these conquered peoples.
During this course, students will develop an understanding of the processes behind urbanization in general and
the archaeological and historical setting of ancient cities in the Mediterranean in particular. Student should be
able to critically assess concepts such as ‘city’ or ‘urban’ and recognize the strengths and limitations of the
archaeological data. We will end with consideration of our own urban environment and how we may better
understand our own social organization through the study of ancient urbanization.
Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
1. Understand basic archaeological terms and concepts of dating and evaluating archaeological evidence.
2. Understand the basic historical timeline and the physical components of the civilizations of the ancient
Near East and Mediterranean.
3. Gain a developed understanding of using primary evidence (archaeological, textual, artistic), both its
potential and limits, in the reconstruction of ancient societies.
4. Identify characteristics of specific ancient cities by reading a plan or with images of its individual
archaeological features.
5. Identify how the archaeological evidence of urbanization in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean
allows archaeologists and historians to reconstruct social organization of urban centers in antiquity.
6. Articulate how the “built environment” of a city reflects social and political organization and how this urban
environment was used as a backdrop for political means.
7. Appreciate expressions of corporate and individual identity by articulating how urban characteristics (e.g.
monuments, buildings, street layout) may signify important ideals such as status, identity, and power, on
both the civic and individual level.
8. Gain historical perspective by appreciating that civilizations and cities are situated within their own
historical circumstance, as well as within the broader continuum of history.
Assignments & Assessment:
Quizzes (40% total)
There are 5 weekly quizzes this semester (Weeks 3, 5, 7, 9, 11) and 4 will count toward your final
grade (i.e. you can drop your lowest mark, miss a quiz, or skip a quiz without penalty). Each one will
cover two weeks of course material. The quiz information will be discussed at the bottom of the page
for each week in the Course Content tab. The quizzes cover all the material that was presented in
those weeks including lessons, videos, readings and any other material that was included in the
weekly course content (e.g. interviews with experts). You are expected to take the quizzes without
any help from outside resources (no internet, books, chats, discord or any group sharing answers,
3etc.). If you have any questions about what is and is not allowed or generally about academic
integrity, please review the button on the 'Course Introduction' page about Academic Integrity.
The quizzes will be taken in the 'Tests & Quizzes' tool in OWL so you must ensure you have a good
internet connection when you sit down to take the quiz. The timing of the quizzes will be flexible over
a few days so you can find the best time for you to succeed on these. Further details will be given at
the start of the term about quizzes, questions and studying. All the details about a quiz will be
presented in the weekly course information for the week the quiz will be taken.
Forum Discussions (15% total; 5% for each weekly forum discussion x 3)
There are 3 forum discussions this semester (Weeks 4, 6 and 10) and I have planned a specific topic
for each of these discussions. The whole class is divided into smaller groups of 15-20 within OWL, so
your Forum discussion will only take place with that small group of students (the groups are
predetermined by OWL and will be automatic, you do not need to sign up for a group or anything like
that). This will make the conversation more manageable and will decrease the number of posts and
responses you need to keep up with in any given week. The groups will remain the same throughout
the semester.
The topics for the Forum discussion are pre-determined and will change each time. The description of
the topic for the week and the questions that will get you started thinking about a comment or
response will be at the bottom of the weekly course content page (below the lessons buttons). These
discussions aren't meant to take you hours to do, but you will want to take a bit of time to think about
the subject ahead of time and consider how you might respond. You should feel free to discuss the
topic with other friends in the class, or with group members offline, but remember that all I will see of
your input is what you write in the Forum discussion.
Your input and participation is graded for each discussion for 15% of your final mark (there are 3
Forum discussions, so each week is worth 5%). You cannot catch up on these discussions all at once
at the end of the semester. The Forum will be open for the week in which it is relevant and will then
close at the end of the week. The Forum will be open from Sunday of the start of the week until
Sunday night at the end of the week (at 11:55pm). You must participate during that time and think
about the ability for you to provide quality participation during the week (i.e. if you get on at 11pm at
the end of the week you will not have good luck being able to really engage with the conversation).
If you are wondering what a good (or bad) post looks like, please read in Week 4 of the course
content (bottom of page) about quality of input and how to best participate in a Forum.
Final Exam (45%)
There is one final exam for this course, which will be taken at the end of the term during the exam
period. The exam will be taken in OWL Tests & Quizzes tool and will include 100 multiple-choice
questions, some with associated images. The questions will be in the same format and variety as all
the quizzes. The final exam is cumulative of all the learning for the term, but the quizzes during the
semester will keep you on track and working towards knowing all this material. The exam will be
timed in OWL (3 hours) and will be taken on your own without any use of outside resources (no
internet, books, chats, group sharing answers, etc.). It is considered an academic offence to use any
outside tools on this exam. If you have any questions about academic integrity or academic offences,
please refer to the button in the Course Introduction tab about Academic Integrity. Details about the
final exam will be given as we get closer to the end of the semester.
4COURSE SCHEDULE & READINGS:
Textbook
WEEKLY SUBJECT READING Assignment
Course
Intro Course Introduction None No Assignment
Overview of chronology and Geography of
the Mediterranean in antiquity: Dating in Practice Quiz (not graded,
archaeology, definitions, terms and concepts Gates, you may take this as many
Week 1 in archaeology. Introduction times as you like)
Neolithic towns and villages, an introduction
to early urbanization, 10,000-5000 BC: How
do we understand socio-political organization Gates,
Week 2 from archaeology? Jericho Case Study Chapter 1 No Assignment
Early Sumerian Cities: Ubaid and Uruk Gates,
periods in the Near East in the Chalcolithic Chapter 2,
Week 3 period pages 30-40 Quiz 1 (weeks 2-3 material)
Mesopotamian Cities in the late 3rd and 2nd Gates,
millennia BC: Concepts of kingship and Chapter 2, 41-
Week 4 changing priorities 51; Chapter 3 Forum Discussion 1
Gates,
Aegean Bronze Age towns and Cities: Chapter 7,
Week 5 Minoan Cities on Crete (2000-1400 BC) pages 118-128 Quiz 2 (weeks 4-5 material)
Aegean Bronze Age towns and Cities:
Mycenaean cities on the Greek mainland Gates,
(1600-1200 BC) and the collapse of the Chapter 7,
Week 6 Bronze Age in the Mediterranean pages 129-137 Forum Discussion 2
Early Greek City-States in the Iron Age and Gates,
Archaic Cities: Lefkandi case study and the Chapter 12
reemergence of civilization after collapse Gates,
Week 7 (The “Greek Renaissance”) Chapter 14 Quiz 3 (weeks 6-7 material)
READING WEEK NONE NO ASSIGNMENT
Athens in the Fifth-century BCE: Perikles, the
Acropolis and the architecture of a powerful
Mediterranean city. The agora and center of Gates, No Assignment (catch up on
Week 8 Greek Urban life Chapter 16 reading and other work!)
Rome from its origins to the end of the
Republic: early urbanization (ca. 800-509 Gates,
Week 9 BC) and the Republic (509-31 BC) Chapter 20 Quiz 4 (weeks 8-9 material)
Gates,
Rome as an imperial capital: Rome in the Chapter 21
Age of Augustus and Rome from Nero to Gates,
Week 10 Hadrian (1st and 2nd centuries CE) Chapter 23 Forum Discussion 3
5Gates,
Chapter 22
The City of Pompeii: The fully developed (Pompeii Quiz 5 (weeks 10-11
Week 11 Italian city sections) material)
Gates,
Chapter 22
The Port of Rome: Ostia and the (Ostia
Week 12 Mediterranean under the Empire sections) No Assignment
FINAL Scheduled by registrar during December
EXAM exam period Final Exam in December
Important Policies
Note from the Dean of Arts and Humanities
You are responsible for ensuring that you have successfully completed all course prerequisites and that you
have not taken an antirequisite course. Lack of prerequisites may not be used as basis of appeal. If you are
not eligible for a course, you may be removed from it at any time, and you will receive no adjustment to your
fees. These decisions cannot be appealed.
Plagiarism
Students must write their essays and assignments in their own words. Whenever students take an idea,
or a passage of text from another author, they must acknowledge their debt both by using quotation
marks where appropriate and by proper referencing such as footnotes or citations. Plagiarism is a major
academic offence (see Scholastic Offence Policy in the Western Academic Calendar).
Scholastic Offences
Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy,
specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site:
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
Academic Consideration for Student Absences
https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf
Students will have up to two (2) opportunities during the regular academic year to use an on-line portal to self-
report an absence during the term, provided the following conditions are met: the absence is no more than 48
hours in duration, and the assessment for which consideration is being sought is worth 30% or less of the
student’s final grade. Students are expected to contact their instructors within 24 hours of the end of the period
of the self-reported absence, unless noted on the syllabus. Students are not able to use the self-reporting
option in the following circumstances:
• for exams scheduled by the Office of the Registrar (e.g., December and April exams)
• absence of a duration greater than 48 hours,
• assessments worth more than 30% of the student’s final grade,
• if a student has already used the self-reporting portal twice during the academic year
If the conditions for a Self-Reported Absence are not met, students will need to provide a Student Medical
Certificate if the absence is medical, or provide appropriate documentation if there are compassionate grounds
for the absence in question. Students are encouraged to contact their Faculty academic counselling office to
obtain more information about the relevant documentation.
Students should also note that individual instructors are not permitted to receive documentation directly from a
student, whether in support of an application for consideration on medical grounds, or for other reasons. All
6documentation required for absences that are not covered by the Self-Reported Absence Policy must
be submitted to the Academic Counselling office of a student's Home Faculty.
For Western University policy on Consideration for Student Absence, see
Policy on Academic Consideration for Student Absences - Undergraduate Students in First Entry Programs
and for the Student Medical Certificate (SMC), see:
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/medicalform.pdf.
Western Accessibility Policy
Western has many services and programs that support the personal, physical, social and academic
needs of students with disabilities. For more information and links to these services:
http://accessibility.uwo.ca/
Accessibility Options
Student Accessibility Services (SAS) plays a central role in Western’s efforts to ensure that its academic
programs are accessible for all students at the graduate and undergraduate levels. SAS arranges academic
accommodation for classes, exams, internships and other course or program activities. SAS also provides
digital and Braille textbooks, accessible campus transportation, learning strategy instruction for students with
learning disabilities, access to computer labs that are equipped with assistive technology, referrals for
assessments and other services, and bursaries for students who meet OSAP’s eligibility criteria. You may wish
to contact SAS at 519 661-2111 x 82147 or visit their website: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/ssd/ for any specific
question regarding an accommodation.
Information regarding accommodation of exams is available on the Registrar’s website:
www.registrar.uwo.ca/examinations/accommodated_exams.html
Mental Health
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western
https://www.uwo.ca/health/mental_wellbeing/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.
Copyright
Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, and similar materials, are
protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational
use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute lecture notes,
wiki material, and other course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without my written consent.
Technical Requirements for Remote Learning
Completion of this course will require you to have a reliable internet connection and a device that meets the
system requirements for Zoom. Information about the system requirements are available at the following link:
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us.
* Please note that Zoom servers are located outside Canada. If you would prefer to use only your first name or
a nickname to login to Zoom, please discuss this with your instructor in advance of the test or examination.
Use of Recordings
All of the remote learning sessions for this course will be recorded. The data captured during these recordings
may include your image, voice recordings, chat logs and personal identifiers (name displayed on the screen).
The recordings will only be used for educational purposes related to this course, including evaluations. The
7recordings may be disclosed to other individuals under special circumstances. Please contact the instructor if
you have any concerns related to session recordings.
Participants in this course are not permitted to record the sessions, except where recording is an approved
accommodation, or the participant has the prior written permission of the instructor.
Online Proctoring
The university is currently switching online proctoring providers and more information will be provided soon
about online examinations and proctoring.
Etiquette for Online Courses
Statements concerning Online Etiquette
Some components of this course may involve online interactions in a live setting (e.g. optional review
sessions). To ensure the best experience for both everyone, please honour the following rules of etiquette:
• please “arrive” to the session on time
• please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
• ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event
that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
• to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are
invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
• please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet
connection becomes unstable
• unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting
The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants. To
participate please consider the following:
• if you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge
you before beginning your comment or question
• remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking
• self-identify when speaking.
• remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed
otherwise)
General considerations and etiquette:
• Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
• Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are
discussing.
• Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your
readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment.
“Flaming” is never appropriate.
• Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.
*Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat
function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses
may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.
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