Archaeology

ANTONIO FRANCESCO FERRANDES
ANTONIO FRANCESCO FERRANDES

The course will deal with the issues related to the archeology of production, trade and consumption, retracing the journey made by the main classes of artefacts studied from archaeologists from the moment of their making to that of final burial. After a brief introduction on the history of material culture, the production cycles of these materials (ceramics, glass, metal, stone, wood, fabrics, etc.) will be analyzed, retracing the individual chaînes operatoires. The systems used for the distribution of goods from the production to the consumption centers will then be considered, examining the terrestrial and maritime/fluvial routes, and the places connected to the storage and disposal of goods. Finally, the economic life of a sample center will be investigated as a case study. Taking advantage of the skills acquired in the first part of the course, the main stages of the economic life of this city will be studied, evaluating how – over time – local productions and imports have met the needs of its inhabitants. Particular attention will be paid to the sources, tools and methods used by archaeologists, historians, epigraphists, philologists, anthropologists, ethnologists in the reconstruction of the economy taken into account.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired a sound understanding of the archaeology of production, trade and consumption, tracing the ideal journey taken by the main categories of artefacts from the moment of their creation to their final burial and transformation into archaeological finds.

No specific prerequisites are required. Students who have never attended an archaeology course are asked to contact the instructor.

The course addresses the main themes of the archaeology of production, distribution and consumption, tracing the ideal journey taken by artefacts from the production stage through to their eventual abandonment and transformation into archaeological finds. Following an introduction to the main strands of research relating to the history of material culture, the production cycles of the principal categories of materials studied by archaeology—including pottery, glass, metal, stone, wood and textiles—will be examined, reconstructing their individual operational phases (chaînes operatoires) and working techniques.
A significant part of the course will be devoted to analysing the systems for distributing goods from production centres to places of consumption. The main land routes and maritime and river routes will be examined, as well as the structures and spaces used for the storage, redistribution and exchange of goods.
In the second part of the module, a representative urban centre will be analysed as a case study, with its economic life reconstructed through the examination of archaeological evidence and other available sources. Using this example, the main stages in the site’s history will be traced, and an assessment will be made of how, over time, local production and imports contributed to meeting the economic needs of the community. Finally, particular attention will be paid to the sources, tools and methods used by the various scholars involved in the study of ancient economies, highlighting the importance of an interdisciplinary approach in reconstructing the productive and commercial systems of the past.

Selected chapters from the following:
- N. Cuomo di Caprio, La ceramica in archeologia, Roma 2007.
- R. Francovich, D. Manacorda (a cura), Dizionario di Archeologia. Temi, concetti e metodi, Roma 2000.
- T. Mannoni, E. Giannichedda, Archeologia della produzione, Torino 1996.

Selected chapters from the following:
- E. Giannichedda, Uomini e cose, Bari 2006.
- S. Levi, Dal coccio al vasaio, Bologna 2010.
- C. Renfrew, P. Bahn, Archaeology. Theories, Methods and Practice, London 20126.
- W. Scheidel (ed.), The Cambridge companion to Roman economy, Cambridge 2012.
- W. Scheidel, I. Morris, R. Saller (eds.),The Cambridge Economic History of the Greco-Roman World, Cambridge 2008.

Additional bibliography will be provided to the students during the lessons.

The course comprises a series of lectures in which students will be introduced to the three main thematic areas relating to the production, trade and consumption of goods in the ancient world. Specialists will be invited to lead seminars presenting specific case studies relating to the various types of material (ceramics, glass, metals, stone, wood, etc.) examined during the course. We will also make use of some of the Department’s historical collections (materials from excavations carried out at Ostia, the Terme del Nuotatore, or in Rome, at Meta Sudans and the north-eastern Palatine Hill) to allow students to gain direct experience of the tools used in certain craft processes and the associated by-products (scrap, waste, etc.). An integral part of the course will be visits to archaeological sites, museums and exhibitions relevant to the topics covered in the lectures (Rome, Ostia, Portus, Pompeii).

In order to maximise learning about the material culture of the Greco-Roman world, attendance at the workshop dedicated to the theme ‘Understanding the material culture of Rome and the Mediterranean. Archaeologists at work: theory and practice of research’ is strongly recommended, although not compulsory.

Attendance is strongly recommended, although not compulsory. Classes will take place twice a week, totalling four hours. Students who are unable to attend will be required to supplement the course material with reading assignments agreed with the lecturer.

Students will be asked to write a short essay (4–5 pages) on one of the topics covered in the lectures, which they will discuss during the exam. During the oral examination, students’ acquisition of specific knowledge related to the course and, above all, of the relevant methodological approaches will also be assessed through questions. Finally, students will be asked to analyse a piece of traditional craftsmanship, highlighting how the knowledge acquired during the course has contributed to a better understanding of the dynamics that led to its production and marketing.

- What topics does the archaeology of production cover?
- What is the production process involved in making a ceramic artefact?
- What are the architectural features of the macellum in Pompeii?

• Archaeology and material culture: an introduction


• Archaeology and material culture: a theoretical approach


• Artefacts and functional contexts: introductory reflections


• Ceramic production - 1


• Ceramics production – a practical exercise


• Ceramic production - 2


• The glass-making process


• Metalworking


• Trade routes: water transport


• The archaeology of trade: the great harbors of Antiquity in the Mediterranean


• The contribution of underwater archaeology: an introduction


• The contribution of underwater archaeology: a case study


• Archaeological contexts and commercial dynamics: a methodological approach


• Classifying contexts from complex stratigraphies 


• The City of Rome and its food supply: Introductory Notes


• The city of Rome and its food supply: the Royal Period


• The city of Rome and its food supply: the early and middle Republican periods


• The city of Rome and its food supply: the late Republican period


• The city of Rome and its food supply: the early Imperial period


• The city of Rome and its food supply: the middle Imperial period


• The city of Rome and its food supply: the late Antiquity