Archaeology

This course examines the fate of the later Roman empire from the fall of Rome through the establishment of the barbarian kingdoms in the west and the rise of Constantinople in the East to the eve of the Arab conquests (AD400-700), interrogating models of decline, catastrophe, and transformation through the most recent archaeology. There is, however, much more to the study of the late antique world than the problem of how and why the Roman empire collapsed. The course explores key themes such as decline and fall, barbarians and ethnicity, urbanism, rural settlement, Christianization, the army and the economy and compare the different trajectories of Europe, Northern Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean in this period.

This course interrogates the history, research potential, ethical considerations, and institutional practices associated with museum collections of world archaeology. The course equips students with the skills to engage critically with and conduct research on archaeology collections, provide a basic understanding of best practice in managing archaeological collections and give an insight into the museum as an institution. This course introduces students to the history, theory, and practice of managing and researching archaeological collections in museums. It provides a critical framework for approaching legacy collections from previous generations of fieldwork, as well as future acquisitions from ongoing fieldwork, practical experience of conducting object-based research in a museum context and direct insight into how museums function. Through case-studies, museum site visits, and hands-on practicals the course seeks to develop students' understanding of museum archaeology as reflexive practice.

This course introduces students to various aspects of archaeological excavation, commencing with the historical development of such investigations. The course traces the main stages internationally, from the work of antiquarians right through to that of modern archaeologists. The methods involved in modern archaeological excavation are presented. In addition to all of this internationally relevant material, some Irish-specific content is explored. This includes the legal framework governing archaeological excavation in Ireland, a practical account of the licensing system and a taste of how it works.  

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor.  The course deals with the study of the Aegean civilizations of the Bronze Age (third and second millennium B.C.E). Lessons firstly deal with geography and history of the researches; then with the Cycladic civilization; the Cretan sites and the different paths that brought about the formation of the first Minoan palaces; the impact of the Cretan civilization outside the island and on the Greek mainland communities; and eventually the Mycenaean civilization, with the analysis of a few key-sites, such as Lerna, Mycenae, Tiryns, and Pylos. Last but not least, attention is given to the causes and long-lasting factors that brought about the decline and eventual collapse of the Mycenaean palatial states.

At the end of the seminar, students are able to interpret issues related to specific historical phenomena in a diachronic and transversal perspective within the Aegean Bronze Age framework, thought the elaboration and synthesis of the data coming from the analysis of written records and material sources and from the collective debate originated from the contact with other people, especially the civilizations originating in the Near East and Anatolia. They are able to formulate autonomously and in an organized way a research path or an intellectual work, using the specific acquired tools with methodological rigor, precision, and accuracy.

In this course students explore central theoretical issues in modern social anthropology and in the history of the discipline; key figures and their contributions to the history of anthropology; important ethnographic case studies; connections between ethnographic materials and theoretical positions; cross-cultural similarities and differences in a number of social and cultural domains; and the relevance of social anthropology for 21st century citizens.

This course examines the history of imperial and colonial archaeology in the nineteenth and twentieth century, and the ways in which archaeological extraction often went hand-in-hand with the European and North American imperial or colonial ventures. It covers the artefacts that arrived in museums as a result of these ventures and what that says about our current “encyclopedic” style of museum that purports to share knowledge of the world yet is also a testament to western intervention in Indigenous societies at home and in other parts of the world. 

This course offers an introduction to the chronology and material culture of the Neolithic of Britain with reference where relevant to Ireland. A series of themes which have emerged in recent years as major research areas are addressed, including the chronology and mechanisms of the beginning and end of the Neolithic; the significance of material culture and materiality; regionality and identity; and settlement and everyday life.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. This course examines archaeological research on the human body and dress in ancient civilizations, in terms of clothing, ornamentation, and body modification. The course considers different approaches and sources to define the topic and explores the way and extent to which these matters contribute to our understanding of ancient societies. By integrating textual sources, iconographic documents, and archaeological evidence, the course delves into dress as a dynamic index in the construction of identity and instrumental in mediating social, political, and ritual relationships within the cultural environment. Through the study of various case studies across the Mediterranean, students acquire theoretical and practical knowledge of the discipline and are able to critically engage with the current debate in relation to wider social processes. By the end of the course students will have verified the procedures used in archaeological research, ranging over the entire process from discovery to publication; they will be au fait with the state of knowledge on field work, on responsible technical and scientific productions and on designing international research. The skills acquired equip them to tackle the requirements of research, conservation, and protection of the archaeological heritage within their own competences.