AIA VISITING LECTURER:
Stephen Dyson:
Looking at Ancient Pompeii
Abstract:
Pompeii because of the nature of its destruction is often treated as
a special, even unique archaeological site. Emphasis is often placed on
a limited range of finds made there. However, Pompeii was a very typical
medium sized Roman community. Such small towns were the background of
the Roman system and their success explains how Rome survived so long.
This lecture will look at Pompeii as a working community. After a short
introduction on the history of Pompeii and the history of excavation,
I will 'walk' the audience through the site in the manner of an ancient
Roman, looking at the ways in which the archaeological record provides
insight into social, economic and political activity. The lecture will
provide both an overview of the site and an understanding of its place
in Roman community history.
My approach in this lecture grows out of my book COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY
IN ROMAN ITALY. It will be of interest to both classical archaeologists
and ancient historians as well as interested lay people.
Short bibliography and/or website on lecture topic (for lay reader):
P. Zanker Pompeii
CV for Stephen Dyson
Stephen L. Dyson, Park Professor of Classics
Classics Department 338 MFAC-Ellicoot Complex University at Buffalo Buffalo,
NY 14260
Email: cldyson@acsu.buffalo.edu
Education
BA Brown University Diploma in Classical Archaeology-Oxford University
MA,PhD Yale University
Honors and Awards
Fulbirght Scholar ACLS Fellow NEH Fellow Visitng Fellow, MacDonal Institute
for Archaeological Research, Cambridge University
Past Positions
Assistant Professor- Professor Wesleuyan University-1963-1991 Mellon Professor-Intercollegiate
Center for Classical Studies Director-Summer School, American Academy
in Rome
Areas of Specialization
Roman Archaeology Roman History History of Classical Archaeology
Fieldwork
Buccino, Italy Cosa, italy Soissons,France Sardinia, Italy
Main Publications
The Roman Villas of Buccino-1984 The Creation of the Roman Frontier-1985
Community and Society in Roman Italy-1992 Ancient Marbles to American
Shores-1998 The Roman Countryside-fall 2003 Portrait of an Archaeologist-The
Life of Eugenie Sellers Strong-fall 2003
AIA Positions
President First Vice President Chair, Program Committee Book Review Editor,
American Journal of Archaeology Charles Eliot Norton Lecturer
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