Ateneo - UPO

Fundamentals of post-classical archaeology

Attendant students:
1) "Appunti del corso" and image folders (on DIR);
2) A. AUGENTI, Archeologia dell’Italia medievale, Roma-Bari 2016;
3) C. GIOSTRA, Rompere e distribuire sulle tombe longobarde: le cinture come veicolo di conservazione della memoria e di trasmissione dello status, in Antropologia e archeologia a confronto. Archeologia e antropologia della morte 2. Corpi, relazioni e azioni: il paesaggio del rito, Atti dell’Incontro Internazionale di studi, a cura di V. Nizzo, Roma 20-22 maggio 2015, Roma 2018, pp. 225-231 https://www.academia.edu/38166832/Rompere_e_distribuire_sulle_tombe_longobarde_le_cinture_come_veicolo_di_conservazione_della_memoria_e_di_trasmissione_dello_status
4) R. SANTANGELI VALENZANI, Edilizia residenziale in Italia nell’altomedioevo, Roma 2011, pp. 15-32.

Non attendant students:
1) "Appunti del corso" and image folders (on DIR);
2) A. AUGENTI, Archeologia dell’Italia medievale, Roma-Bari 2016;
3) C. GIOSTRA, Rompere e distribuire sulle tombe longobarde: le cinture come veicolo di conservazione della memoria e di trasmissione dello status, in Antropologia e archeologia a confronto. Archeologia e antropologia della morte 2. Corpi, relazioni e azioni: il paesaggio del rito, Atti dell’Incontro Internazionale di studi, a cura di V. Nizzo, Roma 20-22 maggio 2015, Roma 2018, pp. 225-231 https://www.academia.edu/38166832/Rompere_e_distribuire_sulle_tombe_longobarde_le_cinture_come_veicolo_di_conservazione_della_memoria_e_di_trasmissione_dello_status
4) R. SANTANGELI VALENZANI, Edilizia residenziale in Italia nell’altomedioevo, Roma 2011, pp. 15-32;
5) F. MARAZZI, Città, territorio ed economia nella tarda antichità, in Storia d’Europa e del Mediterraneo, I. Il mondo tardoantico, dir. A. Barbero, sez. III, L’ecumene romana, a cura di G. Traina, vol. VII, L’impero tardoantico, Roma 2010, pp. 651-696. https://www.academia.edu/5981320/citt%C3%A0_territorio_ed_economia_nella_tarda_antichit%C3%A0
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Other (non mandatory) texts to deepen the treated topics :
“Archeologia dell’Architettura”, XXII, 2017 – Costi, tempi e metri cubi. Quantificare in architettura. Giornata di Studi (Padova, 28 ottobre 2016)
“Archeologia dell’Architettura”, XXIV, 2019 – La datazione delle malte in architettura tra archeologia e archeometria

The course aims to provide students, at a basic level, with the acquisition of:
- the fundamental knowledge related to the history, methodologies and the main themes of Post-classical Archaeology (transformation of towns and countryside, religious architecture, funerary practices);
- the ability to identify sites and artefacts correctly and to frame them in spatial and chronological terms, together with the main phenomena dealt with during the course;
- the ability to analyse and discuss the main historiographical positions dealt with, clearly summarising the state of knowledge on a given topic.

At a more advanced level, the aim of the course is to acquire:
- an in-depth knowledge of a historiographical and critical framework of Post-Classical Archaeology;
- the ability to place what has been learnt in a broader historical, religious and cultural context;
- the ability to express reasoned critical judgments on the themes discussed, and to present the contents through a fluent and precise presentation, using the specific terminology.

Lectures, museums and archaeological sites’ visits and personal researches allow the students to apply the acquired knowledge, by means of a direct experience with sites and artefacts. Lecture notes and all the images of the course are available on DIR. The non- attending students have to refers to these latter. In-class discussions are scheduled, in order to focus the main topics treated, to develop critical awareness on these and to improve adequate skills in exposing and presenting.

Lectures, museums and archaeological sites’ visits and personal researches allow the students to apply the acquired knowledge, by means of a direct experience with sites and artefacts. Lecture notes and all the images of the course are available on DIR. The non- attending students have to refers to these latter. In-class discussions are scheduled, in order to focus the main topics treated, to develop critical awareness on these and to improve adequate skills in exposing and presenting.
The texts include differentiated materials: the handouts, pertinent to Post-Classical Archaeology, and the images constitute a precise support to the course, resuming in written form what has been illustrated in the lessons; the texts indicated in the bibliography are materials for use by the scientific community, which are useful to students to study specific themes in depth, but also to approach specialist literature, to analyse and recognise the argumentative procedure, to identify applicative contexts of the disciplinary terminology, in order to also reach the targets of the course at a more advanced level.
During the lessons there will be moments of group discussion on the topics dealt with, in order to facilitate, through the direct involvement of the students, the recognition of the main themes, the critical reflection and the acquisition of adequate presentation methods.
During the lessons, the teacher will also focus on the specific terminology used for the topics dealt with, in order to facilitate its understanding and assimilation.

The course is available also for "Metodologie della Ricerca Archeologica"

The exam is oral and will be organized as follows: 1) checking the acquired knowledge on topics treated during the course, in relation to specific themes concerning the material culture and main contexts in the post-classical period (example of question: “which are the main characteristics of the domestic buildings in the Late Antiquity?” or “describe and analyze the Montebarro castrum”); 2) check of the ability to apply knowledge and its understanding, by contextualizing the main examined phenomena, in time, space and in an appropriate historical framework (example of question: “what is the historical and chronological context of the so called “the end of villas”?); 3) check of the ability in expressing critical assessments about the historiography considered and the bibliography proposed (example of question: do you think that in the essay “X” the issue of the transformation of the towns in post-classical period is exhaustively treated?”); 4) check of the ability in communicating acquired knowledge and in organizing a synthetic presentation of the main problems (example of question: “would you give a synthetic presentation of the main functions of the pieve?”).
During the exam, at least 3 questions will be posed; the identification and critical comment of images concerning sites/contexts/artefacts analyzed during the course will be considered as an important part of the exam.
The grades are given in thirtieths, according to the following parameters:
1) knowledge and understanding of the basic notions and contexts treated in the course and their clear exposition: 18 points out of 30 (sufficiency);
2) adequate skill in acknowledging images and in making comments on them, as well as in contextualizing them, from an historical, archaeological and historiographical perspective: 6 points out of 30;
3) adequate skill in connecting subjects and methodological approaches as well as in using scientific terminology associated to the discipline: 6 points out of 30.

The course aims to provide basic knowledge on main topics and methods of the post-classical archaeology: the transformations of the town and country, ritual complexes, productions and trade, between the Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages.
Didactic unit 1: Introduction to Post-classical Archaeology’s main topics
Didactic unit 2: Methods of the discipline
Didactic unit 3: urban settlement in post-classical age: layout and transformations
Didactic unit 4: rural settlement in post-classical age: layout and transformations
Didactic unit 5: ecclesiastical complexes
Didactic unit 6: funerary archaeology

In order to achieve the knowledge, competences and skills and abilities corresponding to the basic level, students are asked to show:
- (knowledge and understanding): to have acquired the fundamental knowledge related to the history, methodology and main topics of Post-Classical Archaeology (towns and country transformations);
- (applying knowledge and understanding): to be able to recognise, through the images shown in the examination, the site/ artefact and to provide a commentary highlighting its characteristics and specificity, with a correct chronology;
- (making judgments): to be able to discuss the historiographic positions presented during the course, in particular those relating to key aspects as the idea of "Late Antiquity").
- (communication skills): to be able to present, with clear formulation, relevant considerations on artefacts, sites and general issues;
- (learning skills): to be able to use the methodological tools provided in the lessons (for those attending) and making use of the handouts available on DIR and of the essays included in the bibliography of the exam (for all), in order to identify the key subjects.

In order to achieve an advanced level, students must show:
- (knowledge and understanding): to have a thorough knowledge of the course content and to have understood the transformation processes over the Post-Classical Age:
- (ability to apply knowledge and understanding): to be able to place the sites or artefacts dealt with during the course in a broad topographical, production, historical and cultural context;
- (making judgments): to be able to assess and discuss the role of material sources for the historical reconstruction of the long post-classical period;
- (communication skills): to organise the presentation of the required topic with coherence and logical sequence, showing the ability to synthesise, as well as fully mastering the subject, with the appropriate terminology, including the specialistic one;
- (learning skills): to be able to make connections autonomously between sites with similar characteristics (in terms of architecture, organisation of settlements, building techniques etc.), as well to develop personal deepening.