Object Study of Mausoleum of Augustus, Rome.

1.  Provide a basic object description (roughly 1 page):

• date or rough date of construction
• location of the structure
• type of structure and material used to construct it (some examples below not an exhaustive list)
  • temple
  • home
  • basilica (etc.
  •  

2. Discuss the purpose or meaning of the structure (the core of your paper, around 2-3 pages):

We study material culture to gain an understanding of past cultures. Describe the purpose of your chosen structure in the society for which it was made and used. In other words, you are contextualizing this building. Each building in these studies is Roman. Ask What was this used for? ‘Who visited here and why?’ Where was it placed and what was around it? (was it in the Forum, off in the country; on a major road or in the suburbs?) You will need to discuss the historical, cultural and/or archaeological significance of the structure with respect to the people who created, used, and/or viewed it. Ask yourself: What do buildings communicate, how, and why? Look in the learning materials for how buildings are discussed there.

3. State of current scholarship and relevance to current scholarship/study (concluding paragraphs, around 1-2 pages):

What has been discovered in the current scholarship about the building so far? Try to highlight the most recent scholarship. Here, you will discuss what you feel is important about the building you have chosen, what story needs to be told about it and why. Note that many Roman structures were rebuilt over and over, especially if they held some important cultural or ideological purpose. Pay attention to that, and cover the major renovations but don’t let yourself get bogged down with details if there is too much. Think about what you can include that represents the main or most important points concerning the different phases of that structure.