Prehistory of art - basic course

Course objectives

In consistency with the educational purposes of the whole teaching course, aim of the teaching unit is to give students a basic knowledge and comprehension skills in the field of PREHISTORY OF ART, with the help of advanced textbooks. Moreover, it will make the student able to apply the acquired knowledge in an expert and reflective way, making autonomous judgments, communicating ideas, problems and reflections in a clear and correct way, and developing the knowledge required to go further in the studies. The specific objective of the course is the introduction to the theory, methods, and interpretative models for the study of prehistoric art, from the first symbolic forms to the various artistic manifestations that have characterized the deep history of the cultures of the past. A particular emphasis is dedicated to rock art from different continents.

Channel 1
MARINA GALLINARO Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
This course introduces students to the study of movable and rock art from the earliest known historical evidence. The first part of the course will address the origin of symbolic thought and the earliest visible manifestations of material culture. The second part of the course will focus on selected case studies, which will vary in chronology and geographical area. This will allow for the analysis of the different theoretical and methodological approaches and interpretative models adopted. These will include, for example, those based on stylistic orientations, contextual, genre, and phenomenological approaches, as well as those that adopt a holistic view of the different manifestations of the visual material culture of the past.
Prerequisites
Foreign language skills in English and French are recommended for literature that is available only in the original language.
Books
The course syllabus, which will be available during the course, details essential readings for each lecture. The literature is provided here as a general reference for the topics discussed in the course. Lesure, R. (2011). Interpreting Ancient Figurines: Context, Comparison, and Prehistoric Art. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.McDonald, J. and Veth, P.M. (2013). A companion to rock art. Blackwell Publishing Ltd Whitley, D. (2016). Introduction to rock art research. Routledge.
Frequency
Attendance is recommended. Those unable to attend are requested to indicate their interest to the lecturer to arrange the program.
Exam mode
The oral examination will test the knowledge of the topics covered in the lectures, supported by the bibliographical references provided in the syllabus.
Lesson mode
The course will have a modular structure and include different teaching models to achieve the educational objectives through student involvement. Frontal lectures with telematic support and seminars will facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and understanding. By the end of the course, basic knowledge and the most up-to-date theoretical and methodological approaches will have been acquired.
  • Lesson code10607095
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseArchaeological Sciences
  • CurriculumArcheologia preistorica, classica, medievale
  • Year3rd year
  • Duration12 months
  • SSDL-ANT/01
  • CFU6