Degrees

Laurea (BA/MA) in Classical Archaeology (University of Pisa), PhD in Ancient History (University of Pisa)

Research interests

I am primarily interested in the long-term social-economic development of the Roman world, with a specific focus on the transformation of the urban and rural landscapes of Roman Italy. Having been extensively involved in a varied array of archaeological fieldwork in various parts of Italy (Liguria, Tuscany, Marche and Lazio), I am currently directing (together with Prof Martin Millett) an integrated research project (excavation, field survey and geophysical prospections) at the town of Interamna Lirenas (Southern Lazio).

Teaching interests

I teach a range of modules in Classical Art & Archaeology as part of the Classics course: from introductory courses to Roman art & archaeology (Prelim, Part 1A), to more thematic courses about Roman landscapes and the ancient economy (Part 1B) and the archaeology of the Roman empire as traced through its urban development (Part 2). In terms of College teaching, I mainly supervise Art & Archaeology modules as well as Latin translation/composition for Prelim students, although from time to time I am also involved in supervising Part 1A Latin translation and Ancient History.

Selected publications

Monographs

(2011). Peasants and Slaves. The Rural Population of Roman Italy (200 BC to AD 100). Cambridge.

Articles/chapters

(2017) Something old, something new: social and economic developments in the countryside of Roman Italy between Republic and Empire. In T. de Haas and G. Tol (eds.), The Economic Integration of Roman Italy: Rural Communities in a Globalizing World. Leiden. 85-111.

(2016) Finley and the Ancient Economy. In D. Jew, R. Osborne and M. Scott (eds.), M.I. Finley: An Ancient Historian and His Impact. Cambridge. 227-249

(2016) The economic impact of Flavian rule. In A. Zissos (eds.), Blackwell’s Companion to the Flavian Age of Imperial Rome. Oxford. 189-206.

(2015) The nature of the villa economy. In P. Erdkamp, K. Verboven and A. Zuiderhoek (eds.), Ownership and Exploitation of Land and Natural Resources in the Roman World. Oxford. 173-186.

(2014) (with G.R. Bellini and M.J. Millett) Roman colonial landscapes: Interamna Lirenas and its territory through Antiquity. In J. Pelgrom and T. Stek (eds.), Roman Republican Colonisation: New Perspectives from Archaeology and Ancient History. Rome. 255-275.

(2011) Investing in the countryside: villas and farms, landowners and tenants (200 BC to 100 AD). In FACTA – A Journal of Roman Material Culture Studies 5: 129-143.

(2009) La Val Polcevera dalla seconda Età del Ferro alla fine dell’Evo Antico. In Rivista di Studi Liguri 72/73: 5-34.

(2004) Experienced landscapes through intentional sources. In B. Croxford et al. (eds.), TRAC 2003. Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference. Oxford. 111-122.

Other interests

All those kinds of things that back in my day were considered typical of a ‘nerd’, although these days are often considered ‘cool’ (?!). Since I moved to (rainy) England, I have also discovered the pleasure of gardening.

Links

http://www.classics.cam.ac.uk/directory/alessandro-launaro