Teaching code

4S02111

Academic staff

Diana Sergeeva Dobreva, Mara Gioia Migliavacca

Coordinatore

Diana Sergeeva Dobreva

Credits

6

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

L-ANT/10 - METHODS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH

Period

CuCi IB dal Nov 9, 2020 al Jan 9, 2021.

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars

Learning outcomes

The course on Methodology of Archaeological Research aims to direct the students into the set of problems relevant to the archaeological research in order to obtain theoretical knowledge of the methodological and technical fundamentals of Archaeology, to be improved additionally by practical exercises during field work and laboratory practises.      KNOWLEDGES: 1. To be familiar with interdisciplinary methods and approaches in Archaeology in order to read and understand the material culture data correctly. 2. To be aware of particular archaeological terminology of the field. SKILLS: 1. To understand the principal techniques and strategies in stratigraphy of the archaeological diggings. 2. To use correctly particular archaeological terminology. 3. To learn the variety of archaeometrical approaches that are usually used in the archaeological research (as durng the investigation of material culture evidence, landscapes, sites and so on).


Program

The course aims to illustrate methods and approaches usually used during the field research and during the elaboration and historical interpretation of the archaeological data. In particular, the course will be structured into two separate parts teach by two different lecturers.

In the first part (12 hours, held by Mara Migliavacca) will be addressed the following themes:
- Technical aspects and operational models in field and in lab (stratigraphic excavations and surveys).
- The contribution of the scientific disciplines (geomorphology, paleo botanic, achaeozoology, dendrochronology, archaeometry and so on) to the archaeological studies.
- Some aspects on etnoarchaeology used to interpret the archaeological data .

The second part (24 hours, held by Diana Dobreva) will be dedicated to the management of the archaeological finds recovered during the archaeological excavations and surveys and to some aspects of the public archaeology. The course will deal with:
- Methods of collecting, quantification and documentation of the archaeological finds;
- Notes on preliminary classification: parameters of classification and analytical study of the pottery finds recovered during archaeological investigations;
- Typological analyses and context data management of the archaeological materials;
- The use of the archaeological finds during the interpretation of the site and/or area;
- Some aspects related to the public archaeology and the valorisation and public fruition of archaeological sites and areas;

The meetings will be established in the dual mode system, delivering the courses concurrently for on-campus students and off-campus online students and using PowerPoint presentations that will be get available to the students through the Moodle platform.
To the students attending the course will be offered the possibility to participate to the archaeological excavations organised by the lecturers during the summer.

Reference list of titles
Notes of the lectures and of the illustrations made available through the e-learning platform (Powerpoint presentations from the lessons). Furthermore, it’s expected the study of:

R. FRANCOVICH, D. MANACORDA (a cura di), Dizionario di archeologia, Roma-Bari 2000 (items Archeobotanica; Archeometria; Archeozoologia; Architettura, archeologia della; Ceramica; Classificazione e tipologia; Comunicazione archeologica; Contesto; Datazione, metodi di; Diagnostica archeologica; Disegno ricostruttivo; Geoarcheologia; Post-processuale, archeologia; Processi formativi; Quantitativa, archeologia; Residuo; Scavo archeologico; Scavo, pratica e documentazione).

The students who are not able to attend the course are expected to integrate their own competences also by selecting one of the following titles:
F. CAMBI, Archeologia dei paesaggi antichi: fonti e diagnostica, Roma 2003.
D. MANACORDA, Lezioni di archeologia, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2008.
A. CARANDINI, Storie dalla terra, Einaudi, Torino ed. 2010.
A. GABUCCI, L’archeologia come mestiere. Dallo scavo al magazzino. I materiali, EUT, Trieste 2013 (it’s free avalilable on https://www.openstarts.units.it).

Examination Methods

The aim of the exam consists in testing the expected results of learning objectives previously listed.
The exam will provide an oral examination. The same admission requirements and assessment criteria are applied to off-campus on line students that choose the possibility to make the exam on line.