1. Students will understand the role of technology in Greek and 
Roman cultures between the eighth century BC and the sixth 
century AD

2.  Students will gain knowledge of fundamental themes and 
approaches in the history of technology from study of the Greek 
and Roman Mediterranean 

3. Students will evaluate the importance of discovery and 
invention, functionality, innovation, technology diffusion and 
transfer, and stagnation in the Greek and Roman worlds

4. Students will understand ancient technology’s relationships 
with politics, culture, and environment  

5. Students will learn how historians and archaeologists answer 
questions about the past through evidence-based research

6. Students will produce writing and research appropriate to the 
subject matter of the course and to the disciplines of classics 
and archaeology

I.  The sources for ancient technology history: written sources, 
representations, archaeology

II. Approaches to the history of ancient technology: 
historiography and theory

III. Primary extractive technologies: mining, quarrying, energy, 
agriculture, animals

IV. Engineering and complex machines

V. Secondary processes and manufacturing: food, metalworking, 
woodworking, textiles, tanning and leather, ceramics, glass

VI. Trade and transport: roads and bridges, ships and navigation

VII. Technologies of death: warfare and fortifications

VIII. Technologies of the mind: information technology, time, 
calculation, gadgets