LATE MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLGY

The course is part of the archaeology group courses and is part of the area of ​​medieval archaeology, such as Medieval Archaeology sp., Medieval Topography and Late Ancient and Early Medieval Archaeology, integrating and completing students' knowledge and deepening specific themes.
The course will be a moment of advanced training in the use of archaeological sources for the study of the Modern Era. The course will present an updated, albeit synthetic, overview of the main archaeological research addresses in a global context and in regard of their theoretical approach to the problems. A part of the course will be dedicated to the examination of the main themes of post-medieval archeology through the analysis of case studies.

These are the modules that will be addressed:
- Introduction to the discipline, theoretical approaches, case studies
- Decorative and symbolic motifs, imaginary and reality

Expected results
Attendance and active participation in the activities (lectures, thematic in-depth seminars, laboratory) and individual study will allow:

1. Knowledge and understanding of
- Major theoretical directions in archaeology
- Methodologies applied to the study of material culture in the modern era
- Main themes of post medieval archaeological research in Italy

2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
- how to frame in the theoretical context case studies
- reading the thematic context of reference of various case studies
- how to frame glass and pottery chronologically

3. Judgment skills
- how to formulate hypotheses and argue dynamics of development and diffusion of objects and ideas
- develop a critical approach to the evaluation of alternative hypotheses.

4. Communication skills
- To be able to describe objects and related ideas with technical language, appropriate terminology and in a critical way.

5. Learning skills
- Knowing how to critically consult the bibliographic tools useful for dealing with in-depth studies and sector studies.

Medieval Archaeology and Medieval and Modern History

The course will present an updated, albeit synthetic, overview of the main archaeological research addresses in a global context and in regard of their theoretical approach to the problems. A part of the course will be dedicated to the examination of the main themes of post-medieval archeology through the analysis of case studies.

These are the modules that will be addressed:
- Introduction to the discipline, theoretical approaches, case studies
- Decorative and symbolic motifs, imaginary and reality between Middle Ages and Modern era, Mediterranean and New World

In the final part of the course there will be online guided visits to museum collections, based on the availability and interests of the students.

Archeologia Postmedievale: l’esperienza europea e l’Italia, Atti del Convegno Internazionale di Studi, Sassari, 17-20 Ottobre 1994, “Archeologia Postmedievale”, I (1997), pp. 13-25
Constructing post-medieval archaeology in Italy: a new agenda, Venezia, 24-25 Novembre 2006, a cura di Sauro Gelichi e Mauro Librenti
M. Johnson, An Archaeology of Capitalism, Oxford, 1996
Ferri, M., Moine, C., Sabbionesi, L., 2016. In & Around - ceramica e comunità, secondo convegno tematico dell'AIECM3: Faenza, Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche, 17 - 19 aprile 2015 Serie dell’insegnamento di archeologia medievale. Firenze. [pp. 11-122]

Further bibliography about each case study will be indicated at the beginning of the course.
Whenever possible the pdf will be made available in Moodle.

There will be two complementary ways of exam.
During the course, one or two short papers will be assigned (to be uploaded to the e-learning platform).
At the end of the course, an oral exam will discuss the short papers with some open questions about acquisition of the fundamental knowledge of the discipline and to test the argumentative capacity and the scientific lexicon.
The final grade is given by the evaluation of the participation during classes, the evaluation of the short papers and the skills demonstrated during the oral exam.

Non-attending students are invited to agree on the exam program with the teacher.

Articles and materials discussed during classes will be available in Moodle.
The course will include online lectures alternating with face-to-face and seminar lectures (oral presentation in turn, participation in class discussion).
The exact schedule of lectures (online or in presence) will be provided at the beginning of the course. Presence classes will be concentrated in the 4th period.
Active participation is recommended.
Online visits to some exhibitions, to be agreed at the beginning of the course and based on the interests of the students.

Italian

Please, contact the teacher for further info on supplementary activities of the Medieval Archeology Laboratory (excavations, study of materials).

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