An Archaeological Study Tour
Ancient Rome
12 Days May 20– 31, 2009
Led by Professor Myles McDonnell, Baruch College, CUNY

From its foundation in the mid-eighth century BCE, Rome grew from a tiny hill settlement of transient shepherds to become the capital city first of Latium, then of Italy, and eventually of the entire Mediterranean world. This expansion was reflected in more than a thousand years of urban growth that incorporated the influences of Etruscan kings who ruled Rome and first made it a true city, of Greeks who came to the city as immigrants and slaves as well as architects and scholars, and of the myriad other foreign peoples for whom Rome became home. All the while, the city was undergoing continual change, with low-lying areas drained and filled- n, hills leveled and scraped away, and older buildings reused as foundations for newer ones. Since antiquity, Rome has also been continuously inhabited and continuously rebuilt or built over. The result of twenty-seven hundred years of urbanism is a rich and fascinating city, but also a city whose ancient past is, to a great extent, now hidden or lost.

This tour will search out that lost and hidden city of the ancient Romans in two ways. By looking beneath the contemporary levels of the city -- under churches, in the basements of restaurants, in the lobbies of hotels, as well as in subterranean archaeological sites -- we will rediscover significant parts of the ancient city that still exist on the banks of the Tiber. To recover that part of ancient Rome that is truly lost, we will visit neighboring towns -- Palestrina, Tivoli, the Castelli Romani -- where we will see the remains of proud cities that once competed with, but eventually succumbed to, Roman power. Because these communities never became centers of wealth and building, they preserve their ancient topography and appearance, providing a picture of what Rome was like before it became the great metropolitan capital of the world. The method of our archaeological inquiries will be chronological and will unravel the complicated stages of occupation and building of such sites as the Roman Forum, the Campus Martius, and the Palatine and Capitoline hills.


Wednesday, May 20: Depart from various gateway cities. Archaeological Tours will be happy to assist tour members in making flight arrangements.

Thursday, May 21: ROME: Arrive into Rome this morning. The Hotel (to be advised) is located within easy walking distance to restaurants and shops. The tour begins this evening with an introductory lecture by Professor McDonnell, followed by dinner.
Meals: Dinner

Friday, May 22: THE EARLY REPUBLIC: We will examine the archaeological evidence from this turbulent period beginning with the remains of the Servian Wall on the Aventine, after which we will see the walls and acropolis of the ancient city of Ardea, the home of Virgil’s hero, Turnus.We then proceed to the archaic altars of the Latin League at Pratica di Mare (ancient Lavinium), where we will also see the tomb of Aeneas*, and take our lunch in the picturesque town of Nemi. Our drive continues past the majestic Lago Albano, lying beneath the Alban Mountain, to the ancient Latin city of Tusculum, where we will visit the ongoing excavation conducted by the Spanish School in Rome and view the 3rd-century BCE walls and the newly excavated Forum, as well as the Theater and portico. Just before entering Rome we will see the Roman Aqueduct Park.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Saturday, May 23: EARLY ROME & THE ETRUSCANS: Our day begins on the Palatine Hill, with the Iron Age huts venerated in antiquity as the settlement of Romulus. We then survey the Early Roman Forum, visiting the Temple of Vesta. Our visit to the Forum Holitorium, the produce market, includes the foundations of the 6th-century temples to Fortuna and Mater Matuta and the mid-Republican temples of Janus, Spes and Juno beneath the church of San Nicola in Carcere. In the adjoining Forum Boarium, the ancient cattle market, we will see the Temple of Portunus and the Round Temple. We then cross the Pons Fabricius, Rome’s oldest surviving bridge, on to Tiber Island, dedicated to medicine since 289 BCE. The Pons Cestius brings us into the colorful quarter of Trastevere for a lunch break. Lastly, we will study the enigmatic Etruscans at Villa Giulia.
Meals: Breakfast & dinner

Sunday, May 24: REPUBLICAN ROME: Touring starts at Michelangelo’s Piazza del Campidoglio, where we will visit the extraordinary collections of Roman art and artifacts of the Museo Capitolino and the Museo dei Conservatori. In the latter we will visit the newly restored and displayed foundations of the great 6th-century BCE foundations of the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, as well as the newly installed and beautifully displayed equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. We will view the remains of the Tabularium, the massive state archives built by the dictator Sulla, and conclude the morning with a stupendous view of the Roman Forum. Our study of the Campus Martius begins with lunch at Da Pancrazio, in whose cellar are the foundations of the Theater of Pompey, Rome’s first permanent theater. Touring continues with the sacred area of Largo Argentina. We will view the remains of the four Republican temples, as well as the site of Caesar’s assassination. The day ends with the recently excavated Cripta Balbi, the underground portico to the Theater of Balbus and the new museum.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Monday, May 25: LATE REPUBLICAN & AUGUSTAN ROME: Today we visit the Augustan remains of the Imperial Residences and the House of Augustus, with its newly restored frescoes. Touring continues at the Forum of Julius Caesar and the Forum of Augustus, where we will view the temple of Mars the Avenger*. We will also see the major new excavations in the Forum of Nerva and the recently uncovered Forum of Peace. We then proceed to the Roman Forum, where we will examine the building programs of Julius Caesar and Augustus. The day ends with a visit the northern Campus Martius to see the magnificent relief sculptures on the Ara Pacis of Augustus.
Meals: Breakfast & dinner

Tuesday, May 26: THE EARLY EMPIRE: Touring starts at Rome’s great Colosseum. An engineering marvel in its time, it was known as Flavian Amphitheater, after the family of emperors who built it. We return to the Palatine to visit Domitian’s architecturally innovative Imperial Palaces, Domus Flavia, Domus Augustana and its enormous “circus garden.” We then proceed to the Forum of Trajan, where we will discuss the controversy over the location of Trajan’s temple and examine the scenes depicting Trajan’s war against the Dacians on Trajan’s Column, after which we will visit the adjoining Markets of Trajan. Later in the day, we will visit the Campus Martius, a Republican political center converted by the emperors into an entertainment district. Here we will see the remains of the Baths of Agrippa, Rome’s first public baths, the Saepta, where Roman citizens once voted, and the architecturally extraordinary Pantheon. The day ends in the Piazza Navona, former site of the Stadium of Domitian.
Meals: Breakfast & dinner

Wednesday, May 27: THE HIGH EMPIRE: A full day at Tivoli touring Hadrian’s Villa, the largest villa ever built in the Roman Empire. Here Hadrian built a steam-heated beach, underground passages for horses and carts, baths, libraries, as well as the wonderful Palazzo D’Oro and the famous Canopus, modeled on the ancient canal at Alexandria in Egypt. After lunch at one of the restaurants in Tivoli, we examine the two Republican temples. Finally, we will visit the 16th-century Villa d’Este, with its wonderful water displays.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Thursday, May 28: AN ANCIENT CITY: Leaving Rome once again for a full day at Ostia Antica, one of the best-preserved Roman towns in Italy. Founded in the 4th century BCE, it became the thriving port of Rome. We will investigate the site completely, including the ancient synagogue, dated to the 1st century CE.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Friday, May 29: THE LATER EMPIRE: TThis day brings us back to the Palatine, where we view the magnificent sculpture of the High and Late empire in the Palatine Museum. We return to the Roman Forum to visit the Arch of Septimius Severus, commemorating his victory over the Parthians. We then examine the enormous Basilica of Maxentius, completed by Emperor Constantine, and the Arch of Constantine, honoring his victory over Maxentius. Lastly, on the Via Appia we see the Aurelian Wall and Wall Museum, the Catacomb of San Sebastino and the Villa Maxentius, with the best preserved Roman circus.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Saturday, Sunday, May 30 & 31: CHRISTIAN ROME: Our last day begins at the Vatican Gardens, where we have special permission to visit newly discovered areas of the Christian necropolis. We will visit the new museum of the ancient houses under Saints John and Paul on the Caelian Hill, followed by a visit to the nearby 2nd-century buildings and 3rd-century Mithraic shrine under San Clemente. At tonight’s dinner we say farewell and toast our return to the Eternal City. Sunday we will depart Rome for home.
Meals: Breakfast daily & one dinner

This tour should be considered moderately strenuous. Rome traffic regulations restrict bus traffic in many areas of the city. Terefore, we will be required to do a lot of city walking. For the most satisfying experience, all participants are expected to be physically active and able to walk independently throughout our full touring days.

*Denotes sites requiring special permission for entry. We will be able to actually view all of these sites, but as permissions are not granted more than a month in advance, there is a possibility that we may not gain entry to walk amidst them.