Classical Studies electronic theses and dissertations (MU)
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The items in this collection are the theses and dissertations written by students of the Department of Classical Studies. Some items may be viewed only by members of the University of Missouri System and/or University of Missouri-Columbia. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the works.
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Item Ancient conservation of Pompeian first style paintings(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2025) Proffitt, Brittany Carol; Mogetta, MarcelloThis dissertation presents archaeometric pigment analyses of Pompeian First Style wall paintings in order to examine ancient conservation practices. Pompeian First Style wall paintings have historically been overlooked in the scholarship, resulting in the outdated view that they are simply indicators of a ‘Samnite' ethnic identity or ‘lower quality' imitations of the Greek Masonry Style. Pointing out the fallacies in arguing for ‘ethic' identity in Pompeii and the inherent assumption that wall paintings surviving until 79 CE had static meanings, I suggest instead that Pompeian First Style wall paintings must be approached using a spectrum of retention framework, focusing on ancient conservation evidence to identify unique phases of decorative activity. The First Style has also been excluded from archaeometric investigations at Pompeii, making this dissertation the first archaeometric study of the Pompeian First Style in domestic contexts, and the first archaeometric pigment analysis specifically dedicated to the Pompeian First Style as a whole. The analysis concentrates on three case study houses from Pompeii: the Casa della Nave Europa (I.15.3), the Casa del Fauno (VI.12.2/5), and the Casa di Orione (V.2). Attention is paid to confirmed or suspected areas of ancient conservation of the Pompeian First Style, using a series of qualitative and semi-quantitative archaeometric techniques: portable X-Ray Fluorescence (pXRF), Raman Spectroscopy (RS), Digital Microscopy (DM), and Colorimetry. This dissertation demonstrates the viability of pigment analyses for studying phases of ancient conservation activity. The ongoing ancient conservation of these paintings appears to be a heterogeneous spectrum of engagement, often linked to an ‘authority of place' or economic considerations. Further case studies at Pompeii and Herculaneum would provide more insight on any broader patterns of conservation.Item Persephone rising(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2025) Hampton, Erica; Schenker, David[EMBARGOED UNTIL 05/01/2030] Demeter and Persephone have a long presence in mythology that became a long-standing textual tradition. After their religious and cultic significance waned, authors adapted the story of the mother and daughter goddess in varying ways to highlight different aspects of their relationship with one another as well as with the other gods. Some authors highlighted the separation of mother and daughter, while others focused on the political defiance of Demeter and the way in which she was able to upset Zeus' power systems. In modern interpretations of the myth, it is not the story of the mother that takes precedence; instead, many modern interpretations focus on the second story found in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter--Persephone and her romance with Hades. As a result, Demeter's role in many of these interpretations is diminished. In Lore Olympus, Demeter's love for her daughter is even turned into a toxic foil that Persephone and Hades must overcome to achieve happiness. I argue that the modern eye emphasizes the masculine and feminine dynamic of the spousal dynamic at the expense of the matriarchal dynamic of the mother-daughter relationship to highlight Persephone's agency. This allows authors writing for a young adult audience to make Persephone's search for independent agency more relatable. However, as recently as the 1990's, authors such as Rita Dove used Persephone to engage with missing-children ads and more heavily relied on the pathos evoked by Demeter's feeling of loss. What other changes can be seen over time? How was the myth adapted to fit within different historical moments? Most important is a question that I will apply to all these adaptations and versions from ancient to modern: How does Demeter and Persephone's relationship change based on societal changes and trends in the culture of the society that the story is being retold in? To answer this question, I will be constructing a chart highlighting important changes to the plot of the story. This chart will organize versions based on the time of composition, which will help highlight any connection wide-spread changes in periods of time have to the storyline of the myth. I will then write about these changes and see if there are any connections to events occurring in each time, showing how myth--in particular the mythology of Demeter and Persephone--adapts to social and cultural changes in the civilizations that keep the stories alive.Item Searching for the oldest vineyards of Chianti : landscape analysis at Cetamura(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2025) Butler, Kurtis; Mogetta, Marcello[EMBARGOED UNTIL 05/01/2026] Chianti has been famous for wine, and especially the Classico recipe made from Sangiovese grapes, for centuries. However, wine production in the Chianti region of Tuscany predates this famous red by well over a millennium, as evidence dating to the Etruscan and Roman periods found at the site of Cetamura del Chianti indicates. Wine was an integral part of Etruscan and Roman society, and recently the archaeology of ancient wine has grown with the introduction of a variety of scientific approaches. Archaeobotanical remains of around 450 grape pips preserved in water and 83 carbonized specimens indicate the cultivation of wine grapes at or near Cetamura during the Etruscan and Roman periods. Early studies indicate the presence of domesticated grapes from the fourth century BCE, and two carbon tested specimens display a stable genetic continuity of a white grape berry variety for almost 600 years. Recently acquired LiDAR data for Cetamura provides an opportunity to study ancient Etruscan and Roman viticulture and to locate potential ancient vineyards by providing detailed landscape data for examination. Previous archaeological analysis indicates that GIS analysis of the landscape may help to inform us about anthropogenic adaptations of the landscape such as suitable locations for ancient vineyards and the presence of terracing. While the exact details of Etruscan viticulture are not as known as Roman counterparts, ancient vineyards from both eras are typically rare to find and difficult to differentiate from their antique and medieval counterparts. With GIS suitability analyses, potential sites for investigating Cetamura's viticulture are identified (specifically three potential agricultural terracing areas) for further examination with archaeological techniques, including optically stimulated luminescence dating. This in turn should allow for future archaeological excavation to locate potential diagnostic materials for these important agricultural features.Item Archaeometric approaches to Aegean-style pottery : three case studies from Late Bronze Age Cyprus and the southern Levant(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Czujko, Stephen; Langdon, Susan; Mogetta, MarcelloThis project offers a technological and analytical study of Aegean-style pottery in the Eastern Mediterranean from the terminal phase of the Late Bronze Age (13th-12th centuries BCE), a tumultuous archaeological phase marked by the appearance and disappearance of myriad cultural groups (e.g., the Mycenaeans, Hittites, and Philistines, among others). It identifies varied technological signatures and links these to artisans of different cultural and geographical backgrounds, in two key zones of interaction from this phase: Eastern Cyprus and the Central Jordan Valley. Assemblages of Aegean-style pottery from the sites of Enkomi along with Beth Shean and Tell es-Sa'idiyeh have been chosen for targeted study representative of these two zones. In practical terms, this project takes a multiscalar view towards these assemblages, sites, and regions, in effect, offering a cross-comparison. The goal is to enrich understanding of each of these regions by exploring the role played by Aegean pottery and the craftspeople who adopted and imitated it. The method used here differs from past approaches by applying archaeometric and quantification-based methods, specifically neutron activation analysis (NAA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thin-section petrography, in order to describe the decisions made by the potter(s) out of a range of choices available to them. This project uses these techniques to gather information on three specific technical decisions: raw materials selection; processes of producing ceramic fabrics; pyrotechnology. The decisions reflected by these learned skillsets are useful for identifying the origin of the craftspeople and/or the craft.Item Amicitia sola : a reading and analysis of friendship in Ovid's exile letters(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Bohan, Michael Taylor; Marks, Raymond"This dissertation focuses on and analyzes Ovid's depiction of friendship in real- life situations in his exile poetry. His similarities to philosophers, who wrote on friendship, are important to note. While Ovid himself was not a philosopher, he is clearly engaged with philosophical thought in his poetry. The experiences that he depicts in his exile, through his correspondence to his friends from his relegated position, show friendship through a less theoretical lens than has been shown in philosophical works done by people like Aristotle, Cicero, and Plato. These letters also reveal his relationship with Augustus, who, given their familial ties through marriage and their social ties through mutual friends, were amici by Roman definition. Ovid's friendship with Augustus is then discussed and analyzed, not just to provide context for Ovid's banishment to the Black Sea region, but also to understand the workings of friendship in the Empire as opposed to those in the Republic. Thus, the changing social situation in Rome during Ovid's life needs to be considered, and it is shown to have weighed heavily on Ovid while he was away from Rome. Additionally, Ovid writes to his friends, including Augustus, in exile as a way to demonstrate friendship and as a way to bring about his return home."--Page iv