Archaeology

PAOLO CARAFA

In consistency with the educational purposes of the whole teaching course, aim of the teaching unit is to give students knowledge and comprehension skills in the field of GREEK AND ROMAN ARCHEOLOGY I A, that complete and/or reinforce those acquired in the first grade of studies. Moreover, it will make the students able to approach orginal themes in a research context, making more complex judgments, communicating knowledge and its process, and studying the subject in an independent and self-educational way.

Widening of monuments, materials and contest of the Roman world starting from concrete cases of study in the context of the ritual habits, of the architecture and the urbanism, of the artistic and material culture. Learning of the systems of classification and philological analysis; methodological problems: quantitative and qualitative analyses. Reconstruction of the cultural phenomenon on the basis of the specific archaeological indicators; comparison with the other knowledge systems. Practical laboratories.

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 Roman Archaeology 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 module provides a critical analysis of the modern debates and knowledge in Roman culture, art, and archaeology from the middle Republican to the imperial periods. The display of the major documents related to Roman civilization (Including art, architecture and town planning) will encompass major works and major monuments of Ancient Latium of political power through centuries to which these cultural expressions were structurally related. We will consider the character of the functional components of the ancient city, by discussing forms, functions and meanings of various types of documents, buildings and monuments of the public and private sphere; we will analyze themes, messages, and the figurative language of the various artistic expressions.

No previous experience/classes needed

Cities, Urban Architecture and Landscapes of Ancient Latium. The course aims to deepen the understanding of urban landscapes and architecture in Ancient Lazio (Latium Vetus and Adiectum), with reference to archaeological documentation, the history of research, and methodological problems. In-depth analyses of Roman monuments, materials, and contexts will be conducted starting from concrete case studies in ritual practices, architecture and urban planning, and artistic and material culture. Classification systems and philological analysis, methodological issues, as well as quantitative and qualitative archaeological analyses will be considered. In particular, the module will examine the succession of urban landscapes of the most important and/or best-known centers of Latium Vetus and Adiectum, deepening the knowledge of artifacts, works of art, and architecture from 338 BCE to the Imperial period. Part of the lessons will also be dedicated to the understanding and use of computer systems for data classification and analysis, the philological analysis of various information sources, and the consideration of methodological issues.

First week. The general characteristics of the Lazio landscape, the geomorphology of its various sectors, and its structure will be presented from a diachronic perspective. The methodology necessary to define the territorial arrangements of the different centers, their extent, and their boundaries will be illustrated, providing an overall framework of the monumental contexts present within them. Furthermore, methodologies for analyzing and reconstructing ancient urban landscapes will be presented, starting from classification systems and the philological analysis of evidence related to architectural and topographical contexts, and their integration within an information system.

Second week. Methods of analysis and reconstruction of ancient landscapes will be explored in depth through the examination of specific case studies. Through the analysis of literary sources and archaeological data, the history of several cities and their development after Rome's victory in the so-called Latin War in 338 BCE will be reconstructed. The settlement and socio-cultural characteristics of various Lazio communities, along with any transformations documented throughout the considered chronological spans, will be examined using diverse contexts and monuments (places of worship, necropolises, residential and production buildings, etc.). For each context, the available information dossier – comprising ancient and modern literary, archaeological, and iconographic evidence – will be presented.

Third week. The narrative will continue by addressing new centers that characterized ancient Lazio during the Middle and Late Republican periods. The method of presenting and analyzing archaeological data and literary sources will remain the same as in previous lectures. Following a general introduction to the historical period, the documentary corpora related to individual monuments and complexes will be analyzed to propose reconstructions of the architecture and the contexts in which they were situated.

Fourth week. The exploration of the evolution of urban landscapes in the centers of Latium Vetus and Adiectum will continue. The method of presentation and analysis of archaeological data and literary sources will follow the same approach as previous lessons. After a general introduction to the historical period, the documentary corpora related to individual monuments and complexes will be analyzed to arrive at proposed reconstructions of the architecture and their surrounding contexts.

Fifth week. The account of the history of urban landscapes in Latium Vetus and Adiectum will proceed with the analysis of Lazio cities during the Late Republican and Imperial periods. The method of presenting and analyzing archaeological data and literary sources will remain the same as in the previous classes. Following a general introduction to the historical period, the documentary corpora related to individual monuments and complexes will be analyzed to propose reconstructions of the architecture and the contexts in which they were set.

Sixth week. Specific and particularly significant contexts will be considered in detail, deepening the methodology of analysis and reconstruction of the monuments erected within them. The nature and informative value of literary sources, along with their relative interpretative issues, will be evaluated. Subsequently, archaeological evidence relating to individual contexts will be examined – also in light of how they were published – along with the remaining evidence useful for integrating the architecture and understanding its associated cultural, political, and social implications.

Seventh week. The course will conclude with two guided field trips, lasting approximately 5 hours each, where students will be guided through several of the sites examined during the course. This will allow them to observe firsthand, map in hand, the material evidence discussed during the classes.

Regular lessons

Meeting attendance

Interview. Students evaluation will be based on the following parameters: knowledge, active involvement in classes, reasoning, learning.

Description of the different life phases of a place or monument of an Ancient Latin City

• Introduction


• What is Ancient Lazio?


• Method and procedures


• The Myths of the Ancient Latium


• The Urban Centres of the Ancient Latium