Ancient Public
History
Public
history as a topic or subject is not as new as it may seem. Public history has
been around for hundreds and even thousands of years! I discovered this on a
trip to Rome, Italy two years ago. I went to Italy to participate in an
archaeological dig, but when I was not on the dig site my fellow diggers and I
toured in and around Rome. One weekend I went to Ostia Antiqua, an ancient
Roman ruin site just outside of Rome. In Ostia I discovered and fell in love
with what I now realize as an element of public history, mosaics!
Mosaics are
made up of tesserae cut from marble, tile, stone shells, glass, and/or pottery.
The tesserae usually measure around .5 to 1.5 cm and are arranged on a mortar
base to form pictures or images. Mosaics are found on the floors, walls,
ceilings, and fountains of both private and public buildings. I now realize
that by looking at and touching the mosaics at Ostia I was experiencing ancient
public history because by using mosaics Romans were teaching audiences and
providing them with information about their own history.
 |
| Alexander the Great |
Roman
mosaics depicted many images such as Roman activities that included gladiator
contests, sports, agriculture, and hunting. Famous people, such as Alexander
the Great were also featured in mosaics. Ostia has the earliest example of a
human figure depicted in a mosaic dating around 115 C.E. Animals from Greek
mythology are very prominent in the mosaics in Ostia showing the deep Greek
roots and influences that are embedded in Roman history and society. Mosaics
served as public images that taught and reminded Romans of their heritage and
where they came from.
Not only did mosaics reach out to audiences thousands of years ago, but they are still around for audiences today to experience a form of public history that started so very long ago.
Not only did mosaics reach out to audiences thousands of years ago, but they are still around for audiences today to experience a form of public history that started so very long ago.
More on Ostia!
That's a very interesting concept! In that regard, artists have often stepped in to share history with the public. The statues of famous citizens in Florence, the ancient cave paintings of triumphal hunts, and the like come to mind. Even in the Dayton area, one can see murals on walls that supposedly depict life in "the old days." Maybe this is a form of public history we need to pay more attention to. Thanks for sharing your musings.
ReplyDelete