The course introduces the main archaeological research methods applied to the study of material culture. Students will acquire the theoretical and practical foundations to understand the analytical and interpretive approaches to archaeological artefacts, with particular attention to multidisciplinary perspectives.
The main classes of materials will be presented: ceramics and clay artefacts, metals, glass, pigments, stone materials, and organic remains. The course provides an introduction to archaeological and archaeometric methods used to study production techniques, processes of circulation and use, and dating of artefacts.
Conceptual tools for interpreting material culture as an indicator of cultural interaction, trade, economic and social organisation, as well as symbolic and ideological expression, will be discussed.
The relationship between humans and environment will be illustrated through examples concerning the use of raw materials in production processes and the application of archaeometric methods to organic remains from archaeological contexts.
Finally, examples of sampling practices and case studies from different chronological, historical, and geographical contexts will be presented.
The main classes of materials will be presented: ceramics and clay artefacts, metals, glass, pigments, stone materials, and organic remains. The course provides an introduction to archaeological and archaeometric methods used to study production techniques, processes of circulation and use, and dating of artefacts.
Conceptual tools for interpreting material culture as an indicator of cultural interaction, trade, economic and social organisation, as well as symbolic and ideological expression, will be discussed.
The relationship between humans and environment will be illustrated through examples concerning the use of raw materials in production processes and the application of archaeometric methods to organic remains from archaeological contexts.
Finally, examples of sampling practices and case studies from different chronological, historical, and geographical contexts will be presented.
Curriculum
scheda docente
materiale didattico
Topics include: definition of material culture and object biography; principles of stratigraphy and archaeological context; microarchaeological approaches to the study of cultural sediments; relative and absolute dating techniques; systems of classification and typological analysis; production technologies and archaeometric methods applied to ceramics, glass, metals, stone materials, mortars and pigments.
The course also addresses the study of organic evidence and ecofacts, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, organic residue and isotopic analyses, as well as the principles of preventive conservation and artefact documentation. Selected case studies and sampling strategies are discussed in an interdisciplinary perspective.
Michael P. Richards, Kate Britton (eds.), Archaeological Science: An Introduction, Cambridge University Press.
Additional readings and supplementary materials will be provided by the lecturer during the course.
Programma
The course introduces the main archaeological research methods applied to the study of material culture and to the archaeometric analysis of artefacts. It presents both theoretical and practical approaches to the analysis, classification and interpretation of archaeological materials, with examples drawn from different chronological and geographical contexts.Topics include: definition of material culture and object biography; principles of stratigraphy and archaeological context; microarchaeological approaches to the study of cultural sediments; relative and absolute dating techniques; systems of classification and typological analysis; production technologies and archaeometric methods applied to ceramics, glass, metals, stone materials, mortars and pigments.
The course also addresses the study of organic evidence and ecofacts, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, organic residue and isotopic analyses, as well as the principles of preventive conservation and artefact documentation. Selected case studies and sampling strategies are discussed in an interdisciplinary perspective.
Testi Adottati
A. Mark Pollard, Ruth Ann Armitage, Cheryl A. Makarewicz (eds.), Handbook of Archaeological Sciences, Wiley-Blackwell, 2023.Michael P. Richards, Kate Britton (eds.), Archaeological Science: An Introduction, Cambridge University Press.
Additional readings and supplementary materials will be provided by the lecturer during the course.
scheda docente
materiale didattico
Topics include: definition of material culture and object biography; principles of stratigraphy and archaeological context; microarchaeological approaches to the study of cultural sediments; relative and absolute dating techniques; systems of classification and typological analysis; production technologies and archaeometric methods applied to ceramics, glass, metals, stone materials, mortars and pigments.
The course also addresses the study of organic evidence and ecofacts, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, organic residue and isotopic analyses, as well as the principles of preventive conservation and artefact documentation. Selected case studies and sampling strategies are discussed in an interdisciplinary perspective.
Michael P. Richards, Kate Britton (eds.), Archaeological Science: An Introduction, Cambridge University Press.
Additional readings and supplementary materials will be provided by the lecturer during the course.
Programma
The course introduces the main archaeological research methods applied to the study of material culture and to the archaeometric analysis of artefacts. It presents both theoretical and practical approaches to the analysis, classification and interpretation of archaeological materials, with examples drawn from different chronological and geographical contexts.Topics include: definition of material culture and object biography; principles of stratigraphy and archaeological context; microarchaeological approaches to the study of cultural sediments; relative and absolute dating techniques; systems of classification and typological analysis; production technologies and archaeometric methods applied to ceramics, glass, metals, stone materials, mortars and pigments.
The course also addresses the study of organic evidence and ecofacts, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, organic residue and isotopic analyses, as well as the principles of preventive conservation and artefact documentation. Selected case studies and sampling strategies are discussed in an interdisciplinary perspective.
Testi Adottati
A. Mark Pollard, Ruth Ann Armitage, Cheryl A. Makarewicz (eds.), Handbook of Archaeological Sciences, Wiley-Blackwell, 2023.Michael P. Richards, Kate Britton (eds.), Archaeological Science: An Introduction, Cambridge University Press.
Additional readings and supplementary materials will be provided by the lecturer during the course.