Professor Frank Sear
Professor
- Telephone:
- (+61 3) 8344 6886
- Email:
- fsear@unimelb.edu.au
- Fax:
- (+61 3) 8344 4161
- Location:
- Room G16, Old Quadrangle
The University of Melbourne VIC 3010
Academic Profile (click on the link for more information)
Biography
Qualifications: MA , PhD (Camb), F.A.H.A, F.S.A.
Frank Sear is a Cambridge graduate, he lived for five years in Rome and has taught at Oxford, Cambridge, London and Adelaide Universities. He has worked on many archaeological digs in the Mediterranean world, especially North Africa. He has also directed archaeological projects at Pompeii, Gubbio in northern Italy, Taormina in Sicily, Orange in France and Jerash in Jordan. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.
Recent grants and awards
- 2008 Honorary Associate, Museum Victoria
- 2006-8 A.R.C. grant for the study of Roman concrete buildings
- 2005 Trendall Fellowship, British School at Rome
- 2003 Edward Clarence Dyason Universitas 21 Fellowship
- 2003 Centenary Medal
Research strengths
Roman architecture, especially Roman theatres, a study of their design and development, using material, epigraphic and literary evidence. Roman wall and vault mosaics, with special reference to the glass used in the manufacture of mosaic tesserae. Pompeian houses, especially their architecture and their water systems. Roman concrete structures, including analysis of the materials used to make Roman concrete.
Current projects
Roman wall and vault mosaics
Brief Description:
This project is an updating and revision of a book published in 1977: Roman Wall and Vault Mosaics, Kerle (Heidelberg) 1977. A study of the antecedents of early Christian and Byzantine mosaics. This type of mosaic is usually composed of polychrome glass tesserae and is found on the walls and vaults of Roman building from the first century BC up to the 4th century AD.
Pompeii, an architectural study of a number of Pompeian houses in Region VII, Insula 4
This study extends to the water cisterns under the houses, the drains, lavatories and the piped water system.
Roman architecture especially Roman theatres, their design, development and variant forms.
The collection and analysis of the epigraphic and literary material relating to Roman theatres forms part of this research.
The technological advances in large-scale Roman concrete buildings during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC.
An ARC-funded project in collaboration with members of the Departments of Architecture and Engineering.
Select publications
Books
- F. Sear, Roman Theatres, An architectural study, Oxford University Press, 2006.
- F. Sear, Casa della Caccia Antica (Häuser in Pompeji 11, Hirmer Verlag, Munich 2002), pp. 168, figs 271 (with P.A. Allison).
- F. Sear, Roman Architecture. 1st edition, 1982, Batsford/Cornell U.P; 2nd (revised) edition, 1989; new edition, Routledge 1998.
- F.Sear, Roman Wall and Vault Mosaics, Kerle (Heidelberg) 1977.
Book Chapters (from 2002)
- F.Sear, “The Roman Theatre at Gubbio,” in Festschrift in Honour of J.Richard Green (Mediterranean Archaeology 17, 2004), 213-22.
- F.Sear. “Il teatro di Taormina,” in Teatri Antichi nell’area del Mediterraneo (Palermo 2007) 38-44
- F. Sear, “The Theatre at Butrint: parallels and function,” in O.Gilkes (ed), The Theatre at Butrint (British School at Athens, suppl. 35, 2003) chapter 7, pp. 181-194.
Journal Articles (from 2002)
- F.Sear, “Cisterns, drainage and lavatories in Pompeian houses, Casa dei Capitelli Colorati (VII.4.51), Casa della Caccia Antica (VII.4.48), Casa dei Capitelli Figurati (VII.4.57),” Papers of the British School at Rome 74 (2006) 163-201.
- F.Sear, “Roman Theatres in a Greek world,” AAIA Bulletin 3 (2005), 16-22.
- F. Sear, "Cisterns, drainage and lavatories in Pompeian houses, Casa del Granduca (VII.4.56)," Papers of the British School at Rome 72 (2004) 125-166.
- F. Sear, “The South Theater at Jarash, 1996 campaign,” Studies in the History and Archaeology of Jordan, 8 (2003) 389-395 (with A.Hutson).
Recent Presentations (from 2002)
- 2008 (30th January) “Lead pipes and lavatories,” A.S.C.S. Annual conference (Christchurch, N.Z. 27-31 January)
- 2006 (19th September) “The shape of the ancient theatre,” Close relations. The Spaces of Greek and Roman theatre (Melbourne 19-23 September)
- 2005 (23rd November) Trendall lecture, British School at Rome: “Water systems in Pompeii.”
- 2005 (12th May) Annual lecture, Australian Archaeological Institute, Athens: “Roman theatres in a Greek world.”
- 2004 (14th October) Paper: “Il teatro di Taormina.” II Convegno Internazionale di Studi. Conservazione programmata e fruizione sostenibile delle strutture teatrali antiche in Europa e nel bacino del Mediterraneo. (Syracuse 13th to 17th October 2004).
- 2003 (12th November) Seminar: “The Earliest wall mosaics in Italy.” Department of Archaeology, University of Nottingham.
- 2003 (10th November) Public lecture: “Roman Theatres – the work of the Australian team.” Department of Archaeology, University of Nottingham.
- 2002 (September) Two lectures on Roman theatre design to the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts in Moscow.
- 2002 (18th April) Public lecture: “Roman theatres: the work of the Australian team.” British School at Rome.