Program in the Ancient World

Director

Brent Shaw

Executive Committee

Peter Brown, History

Martha Himmelfarb, Religion

Gideon Rosen, Philosophy

Brent Shaw, Classics

T. Lester Shear Jr., Art and Archaeology

 

The Program in the Ancient World enables doctoral candidates with wide-ranging interests in the ancient world to extend their studies beyond departmental lines and to pursue work in archaeology, art, history, and the languages and religions of antiquity. Four departments provide the majority of offerings relevant to students in the program: art and archaeology, classics, history, and religion; additional guidance and instruction are available from the Departments of Anthropology and Near Eastern Studies. Students should apply to the department that coincides best with their background and prospective areas of specialization, and they should indicate an interest in the interdepartmental program at the time of their application to that department.

Program students are expected to fulfill the requirements of their home department, but their course of study is modified to allow for interdisciplinary work through classes, examinations, and guidance by faculty in several departments. Each student plans a course of study in consultation with a committee of three advisers, of whom at least one is in the home department, and of whom at least one is outside the home department. Committee members are responsible for counseling the student, reviewing academic progress, and supervising preparation for examinations. The individual committee conducts a review of the student’s progress toward the degree early in the third semester.

Applicants should possess a strong background in at least one ancient and one modern language. Prior to the general examinations all students will have demonstrated proficiency in two appropriate ancient and modern languages, to be determined in consultation with the student’s advisory committee.

Program students are expected to take the Program Seminar in the first year of study. Offered each year, the seminar is normally a team-taught class sponsored by two of the cooperating departments. Specific topics vary, but each Program Seminar has significant interdisciplinary and comparative dimensions, emphasizing the methodologies and techniques of the fields involved. Students also must take two additional seminars outside their home departments, and are strongly encouraged to continue seminar work after completing their general examinations.

Every member of the program should acquire experience in the interpretation of non-written, material evidence from antiquity. This is normally done through participation in field archaeology, but it may be accomplished through a variety of alternatives. Students also are urged to participate in the program’s extensive series of colloquia, informal discussions, and lectures.

Courses

PAW 501, 502 Program Seminar

An interdisciplinary seminar, taught either in the fall or the spring term, addressing a variety of topics relevant to the ancient world and emphasizing the techniques and methodologies of the fields involved. Past seminars have included History and Art in the Age of Augustus, Introduction to the Study of Judaism in Late Antiquity, Transformation of Reality in Late Classical Greek Art, the World of Learning in Late Antiquity, and Roman Historical Reliefs.