Course Overview

CLAR 245 is a survey of the archaeology of Italy from the Iron Age (ninth century BC) up to the end of the Western Roman Empire (fifth century AD). Particular emphasis will be placed on the processes of urbanization, state formation, and imperial expansion and collapse. Special attention will be given to the contributions of non-Roman cultures to the aforementioned processes, focusing specifically on the Etruscan civilization. The course will offer an overview of Italy’s exceptionally rich archaeological record, which includes highlights such as Etruscan tombs, Roman monumental architecture, and early Christian architecture. The archaeological and historical evidence will be combined to reconstruct the long-term development of culture, society, economy, and religion within the geographical context of the Italian peninsula.

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Textbooks

Course materials can be obtained from the Higher Grounds bookstore at the Friday Center either by ordering online or by printing and mailing the book order form.

There are two required texts for this class:

• Fred S. Kleiner, A History of Roman Art, Thomson Wadsworth (ISBN 0-534-63846-5)
• Frank Sear, Roman Architecture, Cornell University Press (ISBN 0-8014-9245-9)
• Course Pack, The Archaeology of Italy, UNC Student Stores

Additional readings will be disseminated either via Blackboard or the UNC Libraries e-reserve system.

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Online Discussion Forum

Each lesson has a start date and a finish date (see Course Schedule). You should complete your assigned readings for each lesson prior to the start date. Once you have completed the assigned readings, post your responses to that lesson’s discussion forum.  All discussion forums for the course will be held on Blackboard.

The discussion forum has a flexible format. The most basic goal is to discuss the material and, by understanding it, to think about the cultural and historical context of ancient cultures in Italy. In the forum, you should pose questions that occurred to you during your reading and respond to questions posed by others (including topics added to the forum by the instructor). Contributions to the discussion forum are not expected to be formally written documents, but rather responses to issues related to each lesson. Your participation in the discussion forum is meant to simulate participation in a non-traditional classroom. In order to accomplish this, each week you will be required to contribute once in response to one of the posed discussion prompts and twice in response to your peers’ comments (a total of three postings per lesson). Students must make their posts at a reasonable point during the lesson period, rather than on the last evening of the lesson. Since classroom discussion requires a back and forth engagement, the earlier you post to the discussion forum, the better. Students should begin to respond no later than the third day of each lesson. You will be graded on the quality of these entries. Please note that your contributions are expected to be on-topic and respectful in tone. Students who are unable to keep a professional attitude in the discussion forum should note that their grade will be affected adversely. If you have any questions regarding the use of the forum, do not hesitate to e-mail the instructor. Participation in the discussion forum is a required component of the course (see grade distribution).

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Weekly Memos

Your weekly portfolio will consist of a short written memo (600–800 words) that will demonstrate your mastery of the material. For each lesson that has a memo assigned, you will select one writing prompt from the list provided.  No extra credit will be given if you write on more than one topic. The memo is to be submitted to your instructor via e-mail no later than 5 pm Eastern time on the final day of each lesson.

As a general guideline, a composition usually begins with one or more introductory sentences that summarize what you are going to state. These are to be followed by your supporting arguments. And finally, you should write concluding sentences summing up your position or the point(s) you are attempting to make. Please observe the length guidelines and choose your sentences carefully, so as to compose a concise yet detailed memo. The memo assignments are considered to be formal essays, while the online discussion forum is more for informal discussion.

Please submit your memo in Microsoft Word (.doc) format. If you use different word-processing software, please save your file as Rich Text Format (.rtf). Make sure your name is at the top of each memo submission. Use a file name that includes your last name, such as “Jones-memo1.doc” and attach it to an e-mail to the instructor. In the subject line, type “CCO CLAR 245,” the assignment, and your last name. Late memo assignments will be graded down appropriately, one grade per day (for example, a late B will become a B-).  Assignments that are over one week late will receive no credit and will not be accepted. You should receive a grade for your memo assignment approximately one week after submission.

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Evaluation and Grading

Evaluation

All quizzes and examinations are closed-book and will be administered through Blackboard.

• Introductory Quiz. The quiz will be based on the reading assignment for Lesson 1 and will include various question types such as short definitions and image identifications. It is designed to familiarize you with the course and with the test-taking feature of Blackboard.
  
  
• Midterm Examination. The midterm exam will cover the readings and memo assignments from Lessons 1 through 8. It will include short definitions, image identifications, and an essay.
  
  
• Final Examination. The final exam will be similar to the midterm in format and will cover only the material from Lessons 9 through 15. Although it will not be a cumulative test, it will pose some questions that require you to consider, in broad terms, material from throughout the course.

Grade Distribution

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Grading Standards

Grades of +/- will be assigned to the upper and lower two points of each decile (for example, B- = 80–81%). Grades will be distributed via Blackboard.

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Honor Code

Remember that as a student of UNC-Chapel Hill, you are bound by the University's Honor Code:

"It shall be the responsibility of every student at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to obey and support the enforcement of the Honor Code, which prohibits lying, cheating, or stealing when these actions involve academic processes or University students or academic personnel acting in an official capacity."

An especially serious Honor Code violation is plagiarism. If you are uncertain about what needs to be cited, please talk to your course instructor.

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Course Mechanics

Blackboard

The discussion forums are accessed through a software package called Blackboard, and you will need to log in to Blackboard using a unique identifier known as your UNC Onyen (Only Name You'll Ever Need) and Onyen password.

There is a link to the Blackboard site in the gray navigation bar at the top of every page in this course. Click on that link, and then use your Onyen to log in to Blackboard. Click on the "CLAR 245" link, and you will see navigation buttons on the left side of the screen labeled Announcements, Discussion Forum, and so on.

If you experience problems accessing Blackboard, this is what you should do:  

• If you do not already have a UNC Onyen, go to the Onyen Web site and follow the instructions for creating an Onyen.
• If you have an Onyen but have forgotten it (or the password), go to the Onyen Web site.
• If you have your Onyen but can't log in to Blackboard, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.
• If you can log in to Blackboard but can't find this course listed, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.
• If you can't locate a discussion forum in Blackboard, contact the Instructional Designer.
• If you have other technical problems while using Blackboard, contact Blackboard Help (use the Help button in Blackboard, or call 919-962-HELP).

Library Services and E-reserves

Students enrolled in Carolina Courses Online can access online library resources from the UNC Library System by linking to Library Services for Distance Education Students. This site includes information on using general online reference works as well as accessing e-reserves.

If you are using an off-campus computer, you will need to enter your ONYEN and password to access the e-reserve system. The UNC library staff is available to assist any students who have difficulties accessing online library resources. If you encounter difficulties, please report your problem by visiting this Web page for reporting a problem.

Using E-mail

All communication from your instructor will go to your UNC Onyen e-mail address (the one that appears when you post to the discussion forum). Off-campus users can access their UNC e-mail account using Webmail. You can have your Onyen e-mail forwarded to a different e-mail address by clicking “Forward email” on the Onyen Web site.

If you use a filter on your e-mail account, you are responsible for ensuring that it does not prevent you from receiving messages from your instructor, the course listserv, or Friday Center staff. Hotmail users should be aware that Hotmail will block messages sent from within Blackboard because Blackboard uses "blind carbon copy" to protect privacy. We recommend that you use your UNC Onyen e-mail account rather than Hotmail for this course.

Submitting Assignments

It is extremely important for you to save copies of any work you send via e-mail. If your instructor doesn't receive your work, you must have a duplicate copy, indicating the date sent, to prove that you submitted the assignment on time. It is your responsibility to maintain copies of your sent e-mails, as there is no way to guarantee that any e-mail message will be delivered.

Please check your e-mail software to see how it manages sent and saved messages. Some software automatically deletes messages one month after they have been sent; others only save messages if they are filed in folders; others save messages received but not those sent. You may need to send yourself a copy of your e-mailed assignment at the same time you send it to your instructor, or you may need to print a copy of the e-mail message and any attachments to keep in your paper files. No matter how your system works, make sure you know how to save a copy of all work that you submit and that you save the copy for several months beyond the end of the course.

Other Questions

If you have questions regarding

• the content of the course and your progress, contact your instructor. There is a link to my e-mail address at the top of every lesson page. Please include "CLAR 245 CCO" and your name in the subject line of your e-mail.
• problems with this Web site, including bad links, contact the Instructional Designer at the Friday Center
• enrollment, Onyen, credits, withdrawal, and so on, contact the Student Services staff at the Friday Center for Continuing Education (phone 919-962-1134 or 800-862-5669).

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Course Schedule

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Lesson 1