Archaeology

This course provides an introduction to archaeology for students who may or may not have studied the subject before. The course outlines what archaeology is, and how it is practiced. Topics include principles and methods of archaeological investigation, analysis, and reconstruction; human evolution and the hunter-gatherers of the Paleolithic; and early agricultural societies, which charts the crucial shift from hunting and gathering to farming in the Near East and Europe.

 

The course gives an introduction to the archaeology of the southern Levant between the second millennium BCE and the first century CE, which often is called "biblical archaeology", and its relationship to the biblical texts. Through an overview of the historical and cultural context in which the biblical narratives was written down, the course gives an in-depth critical review of a selection of controversial narratives described in the literary sources and how they relate to archaeological findings and relics. The course also covers the importance of biblical archaeology both for exegesis, and the understanding of ancient Israel's history and how this influences politics and religion today.

This is a special studies course involving an internship with a corporate, public, governmental, or private organization, arranged with the Study Center Director or Liaison Officer. Specific internships vary each term and are described on a special study project form for each student. A substantial paper or series of reports is required. Units vary depending on the contact hours and method of assessment. The internship may be taken during one or more terms but the units cannot exceed a total of 12.0 for the year.

From the 16th century, Europeans pushed to open trade routes to the east, increasingly disrupting earlier interactions between the southern African interior and the wider Indian Ocean region that had been in place from the 1st millennium AD. The European diaspora in southern Africa created new orders of power, control, and trade that had massive impacts on indigenous societies who were subjected to slavery, genocide, and eventually apartheid. This course examines these interactions and transformations from both foreign and local viewpoints, in which the idea of the frontier is a central theme. The focus is on archaeological evidence and the contribution it makes to understanding the texture of life on frontiers and the new identities that frontiers created. In doing this the relationship between archaeological evidence, written sources and oral history is critically addressed, particularly in the search for perspectives that address cultural change and continuity at the local scale. DP requirements: Attendance at lectures and practicals, completion of assignments. Assessment: Assignments and class tests count 50% towards the final mark and one 3-hour exam written in November counts 50%. A sub-minimum of 40% is required for the examination. Course entry requirements: AGE2011S or AGE2012F, or by permission of the Head of Department.

Examine the record of primate and human evolution, showing how fossil skeletons and artifacts are interpreted in terms of human behavior and evolutionary processes in Human Evolution. Consider genetic and other comparative evidence and answer questions such as: Why did our ancestors evolve in Africa? How did we evolve such large and complex brains? What advantage does bipedalism provide? When do humans begin to make tools? Why is human skin color so variable? What makes humans unique? DP requirements: Attendance at lectures and practicals and completion of assignments. Assessment: Assignments and tests count 50%; one 3-hour examination in October/November counts 50%. A sub-minimum of 40% is required for the examination. Any first-year Science course, or any first-year Humanities course from a related discipline such as Social Anthropology, Historical Studies, or Sociology is required. 

This is an independent research course with research arranged between the student and faculty member. The specific research topics vary each term and are described on a special project form for each student. A substantial paper is required. The number of units varies with the student’s project, contact hours, and method of assessment, as defined on the student’s special study project form.

This course introduces archaeology as it is practiced in Japan, focusing on its concepts, methods and achievements. It traces the cultural transition of prehistoric Japan in relation to environmental change and adaptation strategy. It includes fieldwork in ICU pre-Jomon and Jomon sites.  

This course provides an outline of the evolutionary history and morphological diversity of fossil reptiles. This class especiallly focuses on the origin, evolution and extinction of major groups such as turtles, crocodiles, marine reptiles, and dinosaurs. Fossil reptiles also include various extinct groups such as mammal-like reptiles and gigantic marine forms (e.g., ichthyosaurs) as well as flying giants (pterosaurs). Reptiles are also important for understanding origin of living birds and ma mammals. Visual instruments and real specimens would be used during the lectures for the aid of comprehension. Preparation of fossil materials would be organized for students in this lecture. Museum excursion or field trip should be organized as optional events on weekends. 

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 focuses on the concepts, methods, procedures and techniques concerning the archaeological research on the landscape. The main keywords, sources, issues, and approaches to the discipline will be presented and discussed, with particular attention to the most recent experiences in the Mediterranean area. From the first pioneering projects, the principal stages of the evolution of the subject matter will be presented, introducing the most innovative lines of research and future perspectives. The three main objectives of the contemporary discipline will be addressed: reconstruction of the landscapes of the past, proactive conservation of the contemporary landscape, public and social dissemination of knowledge. A special emphasis is given to non-invasive methods of exploration and mapping of subsoil and landscape, such as field walking surveys, remote sensing techniques, aerial photography and geophysical prospections. In all cases, methods and practices are considered in relation to different environmental, topographical, and archaeological conditions and problems. By the end of the course students understand and contextualize the approaches to the study of landscape in archaeology; know the main sources, the methods, tools and strategies applicable to the different contexts and scales of analysis; display awareness of the multidisciplinary nature of the subject, the importance of dialogue with subsidiary sciences and specialists in the study of landscape, and the various entities responsible for protecting, planning and managing the territory; have an updated understanding of the evolution of the discipline and of the current international scientific debate; have a global and critical approach to the study of the ancient landscape, attentive to both geographical, natural and anthropic aspects, whilst maintaining archaeological and historical research problems in central place; be versed in the main diagnostic non-invasive survey methods and know how to choose the most appropriate ones according to variables in the environmental and cultural context; and participate in debates on the contribution of information sources and methods of investigation and diagnosis.

This course analyzes the history of archaeological discoveries, from antiquity to the present day, relating these discoveries to the different historical stages in which they occurred, taking into account the social, political, philosophical, and ideological contexts of each of the stages, and how this has been reflected in the collecting of antiquities, in the history of museums, and in the formation of current museum heritage.