Death in the Ancient World: The Mediterranean

HAA 0018/CLASS 0618

Instructor: Carrie L. Weaver Fall 2020

Email: clweaver@pitt.edu T Th 9:25 – 10:40 am (3 credits)
Students’ Hours: Wednesdays 2:00–4:00 pm and by appointment Class Location: G50 William Pitt Union

Teaching Assistants: Undergraduate Teaching Assistant:

Andrea Maxwell (amm430@pitt.edu) Joseph Scapellato (jgs52@pitt.edu)
Sarah Daiker (sld93@pitt.edu)

Course Description:
The death of a loved one is an emotional and powerful occurrence that provokes a variety of
human responses. In addition to writings describing their funerary practices, the civilizations of
the ancient Mediterranean region have left artistic representations of death and dying, built
tombs, and objects associated with funerary rituals. The study of these texts, images, structures,
and objects allows us to better understand ancient attitudes and reactions to death.

This undergraduate lecture focuses on the visual and material evidence of funerary practices and
beliefs in ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman societies. The subject will be approached
thematically. First, we will explore how archaeologists discover death-related artifacts and how
scholars approach the study and reconstruction of ancient death rituals. Ancient practices and
beliefs regarding mummification, the funeral, commemorative strategies, visits to the grave, and
the afterlife will be explored, and images found on specific media (vases, sculpture, built tombs,
paintings) will be discussed in depth. The course will conclude with discussions of the roles that
sensational topics, like fear of the undead (zombies, vampires, and ghosts) and spectacles of
death (gladiatorial contests and public executions), played in ancient Mediterranean civilizations.

Course Objectives:
1) Students will become familiar with the different classes of evidence that archaeologists use to
reconstruct ancient responses to death and the afterlife.

2) Students will understand and utilize basic art historical principles and methods to analyze
works of art and architecture.

3) Students will demonstrate an understanding of the chronology, development, and iconography

of the material culture of the ancient Mediterranean as it relates to the mortuary realm.

4) Students will compare and contrast the significance of works of ancient art and architecture
within their historical and cultural contexts.

Required Text:
Salima Ikram. 2015. Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
ISBN: 9789774166877. Price: $19.95

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Required Technological Platforms:
Canvas
Zoom

Course Structure:
To provide you with maximum flexibility, this course is a blend of asynchronous and
synchronous learning. All work, synchronous and asynchronous, is accessible through Canvas.
Make sure to set your Canvas notifications for our class to receive announcements via email
and/or push notification.

Asynchronous Work
This course is comprised of 14 thematic units (corresponding to the 14 weeks of the semester)
each with a module on Canvas. You will complete one module per week. Inside each module,
you will find lecture videos, PDFs, and other resources. Everything you find in the module is
required viewing for the week. If an assignment is due, it will also appear in the weekly module.
Each module has a checklist—refer to the checklist to make sure that you have completed all of
your required work for the week. If you have any questions about upcoming work or
assignments, please refer to the syllabus.

If you look at the syllabus and still have questions, you can submit those questions to me through
the appropriate Canvas Discussion Board. For administrative questions (assignment questions,
due dates, etc.), please post to the “Administrative Q&A” board. For any content questions
(points of confusion, topics you want to know more about, etc.), please post to the “Content
Q&A” board. I am always available through email (clweaver@pitt.edu) and in Zoom during my
virtual Students’ Hours (https://pitt.zoom.us/j/94192695525), but I ask that you post to the
Discussion Boards because if you have a question, I guarantee someone else in the class has the
same one!

This is not a self-paced course. All of the materials will be uploaded to the weekly modules by
Mondays at noon. There is no guarantee that the weekly materials will be uploaded before then.

Synchronous Meetings
Synchronous meetings will provide the opportunity to work collaboratively, ask questions, and
delve deeper into the material you learned individually. It’s not feasible for the entire class to
meet synchronously, so I will divide you into groups. Each group will meet for at least 30
minutes once a week during regularly scheduled class time. Your group assignment (and the
recurring Zoom link for the meeting) will be available through Canvas. It is important to take
note of your group assignment, because your group will dictate your synchronous meeting day
and time.

I understand that both life and distance learning can be complicated—the internet goes down,
there’s no quiet place to work, you’re taking care of family members, your ceiling caves in and
you can’t get ahold of your landlord (true story. . .). For this reason, all synchronous meetings are
optional.

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Whether or not you can gather in the classroom for synchronous meetings will be determined by
the university’s Operating Posture (for current Operating Postures and what they mean, see:
https://www.coronavirus.pitt.edu/operational-postures). When the university is in the Guarded
Risk Operational Posture, anyone who wishes to meet in the classroom may do so, but be aware
that all synchronous meetings will take place in Zoom regardless of the university’s Operating
Posture. If you are able to be in the classroom and choose to do so, please come to class with an
electronic device that you can comfortably Zoom from.

My priority as the instructor of this course is to provide all students with a consistent, high-
quality educational experience. In order to ethically do so, I cannot jeopardize my health—and
the education experiences of the nearly 300 students I am responsible for this term—by joining
you in the classroom until our current public health crisis subsides.

Inclusive Zoom Practices

When we meet on Zoom, please adhere to the following practices:
 When you are not speaking, please mute your microphone
 Keep your camera on, if possible
 Be sure that you have the Participation and Chat panes open in Zoom
 In the Participation Pane:
o Select the Blue Hand (“Raise Hand”) if you wish to introduce a new topic
o Select the Green Check (“Yes”) if you wish to add on to the current topic.
 Feel free to use the Chat pane if you have any questions. I will pause periodically for
questions from the Chat pane.
 Feel free to put your preferred pronouns after your name in Zoom. You can do this by
clicking on your name in the bottom left corner and adding pronouns.

Requirements and Grading:

For this course, you will be responsible for completing Discussion Board posts, 3 essays, and a
take-home final. The majority of assignments will not be graded in the typical “point” fashion.
Instead, most assignments (with the exception of the take-home final) will be graded pass/fail.
“Pass/fail” connotes “satisfactory/unsatisfactory,” and in the case of Discussion Board posts,
“done/not done.” 

The number of assignments that you complete/pass will determine your base grade for the course
(70% of your total grade) and the remainder of your grade will be determined by your
performance on the traditionally graded take-home final (30% of your total grade). The
instructions and specifications for each assignment (e.g. what constitutes “satisfactory” work)
will be available in Canvas, and all assignments will be turned in through Canvas. 

You will begin the semester with three “tokens.” You can turn in a token to receive: (1) a 1-week
extension on an assignment (excluding the Final) OR (2) 1 week to revise or resubmit an
unsatisfactory assignment (excluding the Final). 

Requirements for an A (95%) Base Grade:

 12 Discussion Board posts (6 initial posts, 6 responses) [graded as “done/not done”]

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  3 essay assignments (visual analysis essay, comparison essay, museum assignment)
[graded as “pass/fail”]

Requirements for a B (85%) Base Grade:

 10 Discussion Board posts (5 initial posts, 5 responses)
 2 essays

Requirements for a C (75%) Base Grade:

 8 Discussion Board posts (4 initial posts, 4 responses)
 1 essay 

Requirements for a D (65%) Base Grade:

 Less than 8 Discussion Board posts
 No essays

Requirements for an F (55%) Base Grade:

 Failing to meet the requirements for a D

Final grades will be determined using the following grading policy:

98% –100% = A+ 80% – 82% = B- 63% – 66% = D

93% – 97% = A 77% – 79% = C+ 60% – 62% = D-
90% – 92% = A- 73% – 76% = C 59% and below = F
87% – 89% = B+ 70% – 72% = C-
83% – 86% = B 67% – 69% = D+

Class Policies:
Academic Integrity Policy. Cheating or plagiarism on any exam or assignment will not be
tolerated. Simply put, plagiarism is using someone else’s words as if they are your own. If you
ever use someone else’s text word for word in your own writing, you must enclose those words
in quotation marks and cite the source; if you paraphrase from a source, you must cite it as well.
If you try to pass off someone else’s writing or research as your own in any exam or assignment,
or otherwise cheat in the course, you will receive an F grade in the course and you will be
reported to the dean’s office for disciplinary action pursuant to the School’s Academic Integrity
Code (see https://www.as.pitt.edu/faculty/policies-and-procedures/academic-integrity-code).

Health and Safety Statement. In the midst of this pandemic, it is extremely important that you
abide by public health regulations and University of Pittsburgh health standards and guidelines.
While in class, at a minimum this means that you must wear a face covering and comply with
physical distancing requirements; other requirements may be added by the University during the
semester. These rules have been developed to protect the health and safety of all community
members. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in you not being permitted to
attend class in person and could result in a Student Conduct violation. For the most up-to-date
information and guidance, please visit coronavirus.pitt.edu and check your Pitt email for updates
before each class.

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Statement on Pitt’s Operational Postures. This course will follow the mandates of Pitt’s current
operational posture. Like Pennsylvania’s red, yellow and green county phases, Pitt’s operational
postures define how the University is permitted to work, study, and interact with one another on
an in-person basis during this time of pandemic. While all operational postures meet the
minimum requirements of the current phase of the county, Pitt plans to customize its operational
posture based on factors unique to the University, including cases on campus, adherence to
health and safety guidelines, and availability of personal protective equipment and isolation beds.
To learn the current operational posture, and also to discover what each of them implies for Pitt
and this course, see: https://www.coronavirus.pitt.edu/operational-postures. For more general
information on the University’s Covid-19 response, see https://www.coronavirus.pitt.edu.

Disability Policy. If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an
accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and the Office of Disability
Resources and Services, 140 William Pitt Union, 412-648-7890/412-624-3346 (Fax), within the
first two to three weeks of the term. Disability Resources and Services will verify your disability
and determine reasonable accommodations for this course. For more information, visit
http://www.studentaffairs.pitt.edu/drswelcome.

History of Art and Architecture Anti-Racist Policy. Numerous events of 2020, in particular the
ongoing pandemic, uprisings in the wake of police violence against unarmed Black people, and
threats to the security and safety of noncitizens, demand our collective address of the deep
inequities and injustices that plague our society and our university. This course will carry
forward urgent anti-discrimination imperatives by creating a space that at once upholds the
importance of free expression and yet also provides no shelter for discrimination, harassment, or
intimidation against any individual or group. Together, we will work to challenge the
discriminatory biases and legacies of our disciplines and also center and affirm the contributions
and experiences of people who historically have been or continue to be marginalized on the basis
of ability, gender, nationality, race, religion, or sexual orientation.

Email Policy. Each student is issued a University e-mail address (username@pitt.edu) upon
admittance. This e-mail address will be used by the University for official communication with
students. Students are expected to read e-mail sent to this account on a regular basis. Failure to
read and react to University communications in a timely manner does not absolve the student
from knowing and complying with the content of the communications. The University provides
an e-mail forwarding service that allows students to read their email via other service providers
(e.g. gmail, Yahoo). Students that choose to forward their e-mail from their pitt.edu address to
another address do so at their own risk. If e-mail is lost as a result of forwarding, it does not
absolve the student from responding to official communications sent to their University e-mail
address. To forward e-mail sent to your University account, go to http://accounts.pitt.edu, log
into your account, click on Edit Forwarding Addresses, and follow the instructions on the page.
Be sure to log out of your account when you have finished. (For the full E-mail Communication
Policy, go to www.bc.pitt.edu/policies/policy/09/09-10-01.html).

Policy on Recording Classroom Sessions. To ensure the free and open discussion of ideas,
students may not record classroom lectures, discussion and/or activities without the advance

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written permission of the instructor, and any such recording properly approved in advance can be
used solely for the student’s own private use.

Sexual Misconduct, Required Reporting, and Title IX. The University is committed to
combatting sexual misconduct. As a result, you should know that University faculty and staff
members are required to report any instances of sexual misconduct, including harassment and
sexual violence, to the University’s Title IX office so that the victim may be provided
appropriate resources and support options. What this means is that as your professor, I am
required to report any incidents of sexual misconduct that are directly reported to me, or of
which I am somehow made aware.

There are two important exceptions to this requirement about which you should be aware:

o A list of the designated University employees who, as counselors and medical

professionals, do not have this reporting responsibility and can maintain
confidentiality, can be found here: http://www.titleix.pitt.edu/report/confidentiality
o An important exception to the reporting requirement exists for academic work.
Disclosures about sexual misconduct that are shared as part of an academic project,
classroom discussion, or course assignment, are not required to be disclosed to the
University’s Title IX office

If you are the victim of sexual misconduct, Pitt encourages you to reach out to these resources:

o Title IX Office: 412-648-7860

o SHARE (Sexual Harrassment and Assault Response)
o The University Counseling Center: 412-648-7856
o Report an incident here.
o Other reporting information is available here.

If you have a safety concern, please contact the University of Pittsburgh Police:

On-Campus Emergency: 412-624-2121

Off-Campus Emergency: 412-624-2121
Non-Emergency: 412-624-4040

Pitt and Community Assistance Resources. No student should be excluded from full participation
in this course based upon financial limitations. Many students in the university academic
community do experience hardship and there are resources for assistance available. The
University Library System has developed a guide to connect students to places where they can
get assistance, including Pitt Pantry, emergency student loans, and assistance with book
purchases. Local and regional organizations are also listed here:
https://pitt.libguides.com/assistanceresources. Any student who has difficulty accessing
sufficient food or lacks a safe and stable place to live is urged to contact Student Support
Services (208-B Thackeray Hall, 412-624-6588 or sss@as.pitt.edu) to learn about support and
advising services available.

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Take Care of Yourself. Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well,
exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep, and taking time to relax. Despite
what you might hear, using your time to take care of yourself will actually help you achieve your
academic goals more than spending too much time studying. All of us benefit from support and
guidance during times of struggle. There are many helpful resources available at Pitt. An
important part of the college experience is learning how to ask for help. Take the time to learn
about all that’s available and take advantage of it. Ask for support sooner rather than later –this
always helps. If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events,
or difficult feelings like anxiety or depression, we strongly encourage you to seek support.
Consider reaching out to a friend, faculty or family member you trust for assistance connecting
to the support that can help.

The University Counseling Center is here for you: call 412-648-7930 and visit their website.

If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, call someone immediately, day or night:
University Counseling Center (UCC): 412 648-7930
University Counseling Center Mental Health Crisis Response: 412-648-7930 x1
Resolve Crisis Network: 888-796-8226 (888-7-YOU-CAN)

If the situation is life threatening, call the Police: On-campus: Pitt Police: 412-268-2121
Off-campus: 911

Voting at Pitt. In this presidential election season, eligible student voters and those educating
themselves about the election process are encouraged to consult the nonpartisan website
Pittvotes.turbovote.org. This site ensures Pitt students and other members of the community
always know when elections are happening and have the information they need to vote with
confidence. The site also provides election reminders, voter registration, applications for
absentee ballots, and more. Please consult Pittvotes.turbovote.org and seek out assistance from
your instructors and peers as you work to learn about and exercise your critically important right
to vote.

Be Courteous and Respectful of Others. All students in this course are expected to conduct
themselves in accordance with the Pitt Promise and its pledge of civility by committing to
respect the sanctity of the learning environment and avoid disruptive and deceitful behavior
toward other members of the class. This means respecting the rights and sensitivities of those
who are different and contributing to an academic culture where the freedom of thought and
expression and compassion for others are equally valued.

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Schedule of Meetings
The following schedule provides a general outline of the course and is subject to adjustment as
necessary.

Aug. 20 Introduction: Death in the Ancient World

ONLINE WEEK – NO SYNCHRONOUS MEETING

 Parker Pearson 1999. “Learning from the Dead,” excerpt from The Archaeology of Death
and Burial, pp. 1-20 [PDF]
 Morris 2001. “The Anthropology of a Dead World,” excerpt from Death Ritual and
Social Structure in Classical Antiquity, pp. 1-30 [PDF]

Aug. 25 + 27 The Funeral

 Erasmo 2012. Death: Antiquity and its Legacy, pp. 1-29 [PDF]
 Ikram 2015. Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt, pp. 183-187

Sept. 1 + 3 Egyptian Mummification

 Hobson 1987. Excerpts from the World of the Pharaohs, pp. 152-155, 168-171 [PDF]
 Ikram 2015. Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt, pp. 47-93

Sept. 8 + 10 Disposal of the Dead

VISUAL ANALYSIS ESSAY DUE SEPT. 9 BY MIDNIGHT

 Erasmo 2012. Death: Antiquity and its Legacy, pp. 30-60 [PDF]

Sept. 15 + 17 Offerings to the Dead

 Ikram 2015. Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt, pp. 98-134.

 Sulosky Weaver 2015. “The Material Record: Grave Goods,” excerpt from The
Bioarchaeology of Classical Kamarina, pp. 167-178. [PDF]

Sept. 22 + 24 Commemoration: Cemeteries and Landscape

 Parker Pearson 1999. “Placing the Dead,” excerpt from The Archaeology of Death and
Burial, pp. 124-141 [PDF]
 Dimakis 2015. “Ancient Greek Deathscapes.” Journal of Eastern Mediterranean
Archaeology and Heritage Studies 3: 27-41 [PDF]
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Sept. 29 + Oct. 1 CAAPP Black Study Intensive

 There is no classwork this week so that we all can attend Pitt’s Center for African
American Poetry and Poetics Black Study Intensive

Oct. 6 + 8 Commemoration: Tombs and Grave Markers

 Erasmo 2012. Death: Antiquity and its Legacy, pp. 61-104 [PDF]

Oct. 13 + 15 The Cult of the Dead

COMPARISON ESSAY DUE OCT. 14 BY MIDNIGHT

 Erasmo 2012. Death: Antiquity and its Legacy, pp. 105-139 [PDF]
 Ikram 2015. Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt, pp. 187-201
 Graham 2005. “Dining al fresco with the Living and Dead in Roman Italy,” excerpt from
Consuming Passions, pp. 49-66 [PDF]

Oct. 20 + 22 The Afterlife: The Egyptian Underworld

 Ikram 2015. Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt, pp. 21-46

Oct. 27 + 29 The Afterlife: Greco-Roman Hades

 Hope 2009. “Heaven and Hell,” excerpt from Roman Death, pp. 97-120 [PDF]
 Garland 2001. “Life in Hades,” excerpt from The Greek Way of Death, pp. 48-76 [PDF]

Nov. 3 + 5 The Power and Status of the Dead

MUSEUM ESSAY DUE NOV. 4 BY MIDNIGHT

 Parker Pearson 1999. “Funerary Practices: Agency, Power and Ideology,” excerpt from
The Archaeology of Death and Burial, pp. 32-34 [PDF]
 Friese 2010. “Facing the Dead: Landscape and Ritual of Ancient Greek Death Oracles.”
Time and Mind: The Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness and Culture 3: 29–40.
[PDF]

Nov. 10 + 12 The Undead: Walking Dead and Restless Spirits

 Tsaliki 2008. “Unusual Burials and Necrophobia: An Insight into the Burial Archaeology
of Fear,” in Deviant Burial in the Archaeological Record, pp. 1-16 [PDF]

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  Sulosky Weaver 2015. “Deviant Burial,” excerpt from The Bioarchaeology of Classical
Kamarina, pp. 211-217 [PDF]
 Harrington 2013. “Malevolent Spirits,” excerpt from Living with the Dead: Ancestor
Worship and Funerary Ritual in Ancient Egypt, pp. 22-27 [PDF]
 Felton 1999. Excerpts from Haunted Greece and Rome, pp. 1-23, 62-76 [PDF]

Nov. 17 + 19 Roman Gladiators and Spectacles of Death

 Kyle 1998. Excerpts from Spectacles of Death in Ancient Rome, pp. 1-55 [PDF]

Nov. 24 + 26 THANKSGIVING BREAK, NO CLASS

The take-home final will be made available to you after class on Thursday, November 19th.
You will be permitted to turn it in any time from Thursday, November 19th until Tuesday,
December 1st.
THE FINAL IS DUE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1st BY MIDNIGHT THROUGH

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