Death in Antiquity
Anthropology · 3 hrs Lecture
ANTH-3261 prerequisites
We couldn't read this course's prerequisites into a chain. The wording is under “Requisite courses” below.
Where ANTH-3261 counts
Counts toward 4 more as one option among several, not as a course you must take:
Read from the departments' own calendar pages, where 50 of 208 programs are only partly machine-readable, so treat these as a minimum rather than the full list. Confirm with an academic advisor.
Description
This course approaches various aspects relating to death in antiquity (emphasizing Roman antiquity) from the perspective of two disciplines, Anthropology and Classics. Topics include beliefs and philosophies about the afterlife; causes of death, with emphasis on diseases and demographics; the practicalities of planning for death and disposing of the dead; the methods and significance of commemoration; rituals of grief and mourning; spatial distribution of cemeteries in antiquity; methods and theories in mortuary archaeology from classical sites; and analysis of osteological, artifactual, and architectural data from such sites. Contemplation of cross-cultural comparisons on these and other topics under study is encouraged.
Requisite courses
3 credits from either Anthropology or Classics [prerequisite(s)].
Restrictions
Students may not hold credit for this course and CLAS-3320 or CLAS-4320.
Cross-listed
CLAS-3320(3).
From the 2026-27 undergraduate calendar. Always verify details on WebAdvisor or with an academic advisor before registering.