GEOSPATIAL AND LANDSCAPE ARCHAEOLOGY

The course aims to provide students with some guidelines regarding landscape archeology. To do this, we will first explore the main theoretical currents on the subject. Secondly, students will be offered practical exercises: the aim is to provide basic knowledge on the main softwares in use in the archaeological field, with particular reference to algorithms capable of processing data of various kinds at the scale of landscapes.

Students will be more aware of the complexity inherent in the theme of landscapes, from whatever study perspective they are considered.
Students will acquire a basic knowledge on a practical level: this will allow them to orient their studies in an updated and critical way with respect to the current state of research regarding landscapes.

No prerequisites are required.

Lessons will be divided into 10 blocks corresponding to the main topics of the course.

Each block will occupy, more or less, 2 lessons.

Topics list:

Definitions: space, landscape, geo-, archaeology
What about environmental archaeology?
Perspectives from the world: traditions and methodological vanguards
Case studies: spatial archaeology
Case studies: landscape archaeology
Case studies: geo-archaeology
Anthropocene and Archaeosphere
Practical issues: how to make
spatial archaeology
landscape archaeology
geo-archaeology

Albarella U. 2018, Environmental Archaeology: The End of the Road?, in Pişkin E., Marciniak A., Bartkowiak M. (eds), Environmental Archaeology Current Theoretical and Methodological Approaches, London-New York, pp. 15-18.
Arıkan B., Mohr F., Bürgi M. 2020, Exploring the common ground of landscape ecology and landscape archaeology through a case study from eastern Anatolia, Turkey, «Landscape Ecology», 21.
Arponen et alii 2019 = V.P.J. Arponen, W. Dörfler, I. Feeser, S. Grimm, D. Groß, M. Hinz, D. Knitter, N. Müller-Scheesel, K. Ott, A. Ribeiro, Environmental determinism and archaeology. Understanding and evaluating determinism in research design, «Archaeological Dialogues», pp. 1-11.
Attema P. 2002, Two Challenges for Landscape Archaeology, in P. Attema, G.-J. Burgers, E. van Јoolen, M. van Leusen, B. Mater (eds), New Developments in Italian Landscape. Archaeology Theory and Methodology of field survey, Land evaluation and landscape perception, Pottery production and distribution, Proceedings of а three-day conference held at the University of Groningen (April 13-15, 2000), pp. 18-27.
Ballivián Torrez J. A. 2009, La arqueología de Paisaje como Teoría y Método, in XXIII Reunión Anual de Etnología Mueso de Etnografía y Folklore “Repensando el Mestizaje”, Seminario de arqueología y arte rupestre, La Paz, pp. 169-176.
González Villaescusa R. 2006, Una disciplina denominada Arqueología del Paisaje, «Apuntes de Ciencia y Tecnología» 20, pp. 28-36.
Ingold T. 1993, The temporality of the landscape, «World Archaeology» 25:2, pp. 152-174.
Vanni E., Saccoccio F., Cambi F. 2021, Il Paesaggio come strumento interpretativo. Nuove proposte per vecchi paesaggi, «Stratigrafie del Paesaggio» 1, pp. 2-15.
Verhagen P. 2012, Biting off more than we can chew? The current and future role of digital techniques in landscape archaeology, in S.J. Kluiving, E.B. Guttmann-Bond (eds), Landscape Archaeology between Art and Science From a Multi- to an Interdisciplinary Approach, Amsterdam, pp. 309-320.
Walker J. H. 2012, Recent Landscape Archaeology in South America, «Journal of Archaeological Research» 20: 4, pp. 309-355.

Leveau P. 2005, L’archéologie du paysage et l’antiquité Classique, «Agri Centuriati» 2, pp. 9-24.
Rodning C. 2009, Place, Landscape, and Environment: Anthropological Archaeology in 2009, «AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST» 112, pp. 180-190.

Examination: 4 questions – the first three topics are chosen by the teacher; the last topic will be chosen by the candidate.
Each answer will be evaluated from 0 to 10 points.
The candidate topic will provide the possibility to raise the total evaluation.

Power-point presentations; debate

English

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Natural capital and environmental quality" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development