Classical Archaeology of Ancient Greece and Rome

By: John R. Hale, The Great Courses

Narrated by: John R. Hale

Length: 18 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Over the years, Classical archaeology has evolved from a pastime of collectors and antiquarians to a mature science. Today, the field is a multidisciplinary effort that involves not only traditional diggers, but also geologists, geographers, anthropologists, and linguists.These 36 lectures introduce you to this fascinating field of study. Professor Hale guides you through dozens of ancient sites with the skill of a born storyteller.

The riveting narrative unfolds like a series of detective stories and provides a new perspective from which to view the world of the Greeks and Romans, resurrecting them in all their glory and affording us a better grasp of cultures that have greatly influenced our own.

A series of exciting archaeological sites that provides you with a detailed idea of what Classical archaeology entails, as well as insights into the details of ancient Greek and Roman life. These case studies - involving both famous sites and discoveries unknown outside the field - include the city of Troy, the Athenian Agora, and the Cape Gelidonya Shipwreck.

Through an analysis of these and other riveting sites, you get a superb sampling of Classical archaeology and learn how it combines ancient history, anthropology, ethnography, comparative religion, art history, engineering, historical linguistics, paleobotany, and other pursuits with a dash of Indiana Jones-style adventure.

Mysteries abound in this course, and in the end, you'll view the world of the Greeks and Romans not as a sequence of historical events but as an immense living organism; a system in which society, culture, and the natural environment interact in dynamic, creative, and sometimes destructive ways.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2006 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2006 The Great Courses

Appearently, I'm not allowed to give six stars

I've been deeply interested in this subject for many years, but sometimes you learn interesting things from introductory courses, so I figured I would try this one. I was absolutely delighted! It is an excellent introduction to Classical Archaeology, well organized and entertaining. It is also full of diverse characters and ideas. I learned something memorable from every lecture. I strongly recommend this course for both casual listeners new to archaeology, and passionate lovers of history, mystery, and archaeology!

excellent excellent excellent

This was a really Exception of series of lectures. The content was really good, it was super educational, and the professor had a lot of personal experience in the field.

A great lecture

I really enjoyed this book and found it very educational. Check this book out. Great

Enjoyable

Thoroughly enjoyed this series of lectures. Never boring, narrated very well, and presented pertinent information worthy of any beginner in archeology!

Great for overall, deep dive into archaeology

This was very helpful in the overall overlook at archaeology in antiquity. As an in coming PhD student, I found the historiography of archaeology compelling and thought provoking; something to keep in mind when comping.

One of my top 2 favorites of the Great Courses!

I have listened to this audiobook 2x recently. It is so interesting!!! I wish there were more books about archeological discoveries. I initially worried from Prof Hale's description in the first lecture that it would be too technical, but it turned out to be exactly what I hoped and much more!!! Prof Hale is an exceptional lecturer! He goes through the great archeological digs relating to Roman and Greek culture, including a bit about Alexander the Great and the Macedonians. Hale doesn't go through the extremely technical part of archeology, instead he focuses on the exciting finds of history; for example, the excavation of Herculaneum and Pompeii is beyond fascinating!!

I know I'm not doing this series justice, but I hope my enthusiasm will convince readers that it's worth their time and credits!! I have bought all of Prof Hale's Great Courses that involve history. He also does a lecture series that involves early ancient religions and the archeological digs that give us information when there is no writing to help us understand. It is very interesting too.

This series along with prof Bob Brier's Ancient Egypt are two of my favorite Great Courses. Prof Brier discusses the archeological discoveries in Egypt. So if you like this audiobook, I highly recommend that series as well.

I hope to see more books and lectures about archeological discoveries. It's such a fascinating part of uncovering history!

Excellent material and presentation

I have the DVDs for this course, but I like to listen to this audio when I'm driving. You don't need the visuals to understand the material. Lots of entertaining stories that encourage the listener to find out more. Totally agree with Benoibe - this is audio at its finest.

I want to be an archeologist even more now

fantastic read. great insight to the changes of archeology over time. must listen for any history buff to better understand how the info is gathered and its limitations

I love learning

I love the great courses series. I have listened to this one and a couple others. I love that I can learn and run my daily errands all at the same time. I would recommend the great courses to anyone who is curious about a certain subject matter.

one of the best Great Courses

This is one of the best Great Courses I've listened to. An excellent storyteller, with a captivating voice and sense of humor, you are pulled in from the beginning. This is long and definitely worth the credit, but episodic enough that the segments can be listened to in isolation if listening on a series of commutes. Somehow he melds the history of the field of archaeology itself while also going over some major topics in ancient history.

This one is sure to please anyone who likes history or the Great Courses. My family was frequently pulled into listening even though they had no plans to join in. Hale is one of the best GC lecturers.