Department of Classics Newsletter

The shards flew on March 6 at Slavens School in Denver. Ninety seventh and eighth grade students watched with rapt attention as Prof. Beth Dusinberre brought a pick axe down on a small pot in their school auditorium. "This is what archaeology is really like," she explained, pointing to the tiny shards. "This is what you actually find. It's not like Raiders of the Lost Ark." Using slides from her own field work, Prof. Dusinberre brought home the reality, as well as the excitement, of classical archaeology.

Prof. Dusinberre's lecture was part of a Classics department outreach program to Denver area schools. This was the third of three visits. On February 6, Barbara Hill and students from her "Latin Teaching Methods" course visited Mary Zang's seventh and eighth grade social studies and Latin classes. Braden Studhalter, Jesse Vader, and Justin Walker put their new skills into practice by teaching the middle school students about ancient writing and helping them construct scrolls, each with a Latin motto and a "name" of the student's choice (aura and miles were popular). Barbara Hill returned on February 20, with Ryan Butcher, Briana Myre, and Braden Studhalter, also "Methods" students, and Prof. Ariana Traill. The group gave a presentation on the ancient Olympics and led the seventh grade class through an ancient sports workbook, where students used their knowledge of Latin roots to identify sports from their neo-latin names (natatio was easy - but ... subrotatae? Ans. "ice skating"). The eighth grade assignment was to make a bulla, the amulet Roman children wore around their necks, complete with a Latin name and motto. Students pored over lists of subjects, verbs and objects, vying with each other to compose the best motto (amor and veritas were big hits but few wanted mus in their motto). The "genius" behind the scrolls and the emblem of the bulla was Mary France, also a student in Latin Teaching Methods and a veritable computer whiz.

The third visit began with Prof. Dusinberre's introduction to archaeology, followed by a presentation on Roman costume by Prof. Traill. Dressed as a Roman matron, she "bought" and fitted a volunteer slave (someone had to clean up those pot shards!) with a short tunic, and dressed a volunteer "bride" in the traditional Roman white tunica, flammeum (yellow-orange veil), and reticulum (yellow hair net). After giving the nova nupta a crash course in the drop spindle, Prof. Traill pronounced her ready for marriage. She then helped classics major Jesse Vader become "Marcus", a Roman centurion. Wearing sword, greaves, crested helmet and fringed sagum or military cloak, Marcus talked about his life as a soldier and drilled several dozen eager "recruits" in Roman marching commands. The students' keen interest in ancient world, especially ancient warfare, made for a lively question period after the lectures. Everyone who took part agreed that the experience of working with so many eager young students was well worth the time and effort that went into the program.

Thanks to support from the A.S.C. Diversity Committee, the teaching equipment used in this outreach program is now permanently available for use in classes. In addition to the slave's tunic, bride's costume and military cloak and armor mentioned in the article, the collection includes a matron's tunica, stola and palla (and plenty of inexpertly spun wool for vittae), drop spindles, a Greek peplos and assorted jewelry, belts and fibulae. Photos and diagrams for drapery are also available. To arrange a loan please contact Ariana Traill (303-492-8165, traill@colorado.edu).