I graduated from Reading University with a degree in Classical Studies with Major Latin, immediately followed by an MA in the City of Rome. This was succeeded by a DPhil (PhD) at Oxford University, on the subject of the sacred landscape of Iron Age Central Adriatic Italy (Marche). During my DPhil I began teaching for the Open University, as an AL, and also for the Department of Classics and School of Continuing Education at Reading University. For several years I worked in the School of Continuing Education (Reading University), where I was responsible first for Archaeology and Ancient History, then for all the short course and Certificate of HE programmes. I continued to work as an AL and began teaching on the Oxford University Continuing Education weekly class and Summer School programmes. I joined the Department of Classical Studies at the Open University as a lecturer in September 2012.
Contact: e.m.betts@open.ac.uk
My research focuses on Roman urbanism and religion in Roman and Iron Age Italy (primarily Picenum, modern Marche), with an emphasis on material culture and architecture, a focus on questions of individual and group identities and concepts and use of space, and a theoretical focus on the development and application of phenomenological approaches to archaeological landscapes. I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students who would like to work in any of these areas.
I am currently involved in two collaborative research projects: the UCL/NUIG Tavoliere-Gargano Prehistory Project and Recreating Rome, which uses a range of approaches, from phenomenology to reception studies, to explore how Roman urban space was created and experienced.
As Lecturer, my primary teaching role is to write the new beginners Latin module, A276 Classical Latin: the language of ancient Rome, which will be presented for the first time in October 2014. My other current and recent teaching contributions at the OU include participation in the presentation of AA100 The Arts past and present, A151 Making sense of things: an introduction to material culture, A251 Word Archaeology, A297 Reading Classical Latin, A219 Exploring the Classical World and A330 Myth in the Greek and Roman worlds.
Betts, E. (2013) ‘Cubrar matrer: goddess of the Picenes?’, in R.D. Whitehouse and J. B. Wilkins (eds.) Accordia Research Papers 12, London: Accordia Research Institute, University of London.
Betts, E. (2011) ‘Towards a multisensory experience of movement in the City of Rome’, in R. Laurence and D. Newsome (eds.) Rome, Ostia and Pompeii: Movement and Space. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.118-32.
Betts, E. (2003) ‘The sacred landscape of Picenum (900-100 BC): towards a phenomenology of cult places’ in J. B. Wilkins and E. Herring (eds.) Inhabiting Symbols: symbol and image in the ancient Mediterranean. London: Accordia Research Institute, University of London, pp.101-20.
The origins of ancient medicine: - ‘What the ancients did for us’ - BBC/OU
To find out more about the Picenes, you can watch this video interview filmed for Classics Confidential.
