29647 - Etruscology and Italic Archaeology (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student knows in depth the various fields of Etruscan civilization and of the pre-Roman Italian world; (s)he knows how to use the critical tools for a correct reading of archaeological documentation integrating it with historical and epigraphic documentation; (s)he is able to know in depth the territory, also through visits to the main museums and archaeological areas of the region, which enable her/him to acquire a complete and conscious approach to the discipline.

Course contents

The course unit comprises two 30-hour modules. Students enrolled in the MA Degree Programmes in Historical Sciences and Classical Philology, whose first-year study plan includes only Module 1, may choose Module 2 during their second year by including it among their elective ECTS credits.

Teaching Schedule

Module 1: 15 September – 14 October 2026
Module 2: 9 November – 14 December 2026

Module 1

• Monday, 3.00–5.00 pm, Gambi Lecture Room
• Tuesday and Wednesday, 3.00–5.00 pm, Capitani Lecture Room

Module 2

• Monday, 3.00–5.00 pm, Gambi Lecture Room
• Tuesday and Wednesday, 1.00–3.00 pm, Capitani Lecture Room

The first class of each module will provide an overview of the course content and outline the assessment methods.

First Module: The Etruscans in The Po Valley

The birth of the Etruscan centers of Bologna and Verucchio and the territorial development during the Villanova and Orientalizing phases. The gentle power between funeral practices and stone sculpture. The restructuring of the whole area of Padana during the 6th century. The foundation of new urban centers such as Marzabotto, Spina, Bagnolo San Vito (Mantua) and other smaller centers. The commercial and productive system of Etruria Padana and the complex network of relations with Tyrrhenian Etruria, with the Adriatic and with the Greek world and with Northern Italy and the transalpine world. The urbanization of the Etruscan-Padan centers. The funeral ideology between VI and IV sec. B.C. through the analysis of the necropolis of Bologna, Marzabotto, Spina and other smaller centers. The grave sculptures of Bologna as an expression of the civic community. The crisis generated by the fall of the Gauls and the end of the Etruscan settlements in the Po valley. Guided tours are available at the main museums and archaeological sites of the Region (Bologna, Archaeological Museum; Ferrara, Archaeological Museum; Marzabotto, archaeological area), whose dates will be announced at the beginning of the course.

Second module: Funeral ritual between religion and identity features of Etruscan society

Necropolises are the best-known aspect of Etruscan civilization throughout its duration. The cult of the dead and funerary practices represent a valuable area of investigation for reconstructing the social and political structure, religion and identity traits of Etruscan society. The course aims to analyze funerary evidence diachronically, from the formative phase to the Romanization of Etruria, and thus it will be possible to retrace the stages of the evolution of Etruscan civilization through the specific funerary perspective. A theoretical approach to the topic will introduce the study of the necropolis, as an organized landscape in which the community enacts strategies of self-representation and the construction of a collective memory. The most current avenues of investigation that archaeology, with the help of other disciplines, manages to develop on the topic will be discussed with the aim of fixing the tools and methodological aspects of the analysis. Consideration will be given for each historical phase (from 9th-8th to 4th-2nd c. BCE) to tomb structures and decorative apparatus, traces of ritual actions performed on the tomb, the logic of composition of grave goods and selection of objects accompanying the dead, and craft and production activities related to burial. The analysis will explore the relationship between the society of the living and the community of the dead, the forms of social expression and the construction of a group and collective identity, the features of the cult of the dead and the ideology of the Afterlife in the Etruscan world. Comparison among the major centers of Etruria will bring out, within a shared language, specific choices that characterize local traditions.

Students interested in Pre-Roman Archaeology can attend also Italic and Celtic Archaeology (Prof. A. Gaucci) and Archaeology of Etruscan City (Prof. C. Pizzirani).

Readings/Bibliography

All the texts indicated are available in the Archeology library of the Department of History and Cultures.

Students without the preliminary skills to deal with lesson-related topics can fill gaps by reading the following manual: G. Bartoloni (a cura di), Introduzione all'Etruscologia, Roma 2012 or C. Riva, A Short History of the Etruscans, Bloomsbury, 2021.

First Module: The Etruscans in the Po Valley

To prepare the module, in addition to the lecture notes,

1-G. Sassatelli, Gli Etruschi nella Valle del Po. Riflessioni, problemi e prospettive di ricerca, in "Annali Faina" 15, 2008, pp. 71-114.

2-AA.VV., Spina etrusca. Un grande porto nel Mediterraneo (Catalogo della Mostra, Ferrara), Ferrara 2023, pp. 17-54, 73-82, 94-97, 143-153, 271-277, 319-326, 393-397.

4- E. Govi (a cura di), Marzabotto. Una città etrusca, Bologna 2007.

5- E. Govi, Lo studio delle stele felsinee: approccio metodologico e analisi del linguaggio figurativo, in Annali per la Fondazione del Museo Claudio Faina, vol. XXI, 2014, pp. 127-186.

Those students not attending classes have to prepare also:

-G. Sassatelli, Bologna etrusca. La città "invisibile", Bologna 2024

-Ravenna e l'Adriatico dalle origini all'età romana (a cura di F. Boschi), Bologna 2013, pp. 1-90.

Second Module: Funeral ritual between religion and identity features of Etruscan society

To prepare the module, in addition to the lecture notes, 

- La ritualità funeraria tra età del Ferro e orientalizzante in Italia (Atti del Convegno, Verucchio 2002), Pisa-Roma 2006: only pp. 67-78; 95-102.

- Il viaggio oltre la vita. Gli Etruschi e l’Aldilà tra capolavori e realtà virtuale (Catalogo della mostra, Bologna 2014), Bononia University Press 2014: only pp. 27-89.

Those students not attending classes must prepare also the essays in the volume Tra Etruria, Lazio e Magna Grecia: indagini sulle necropoli (Atti dell’Incontro di studio), Pandemos 2009:

-E. Govi, L’archeologia della morte a Bologna: spunti di riflessione e prospettive di ricerca, pp. 21-36;

-C. Pizzirani, Iconografia dionisiaca e contesti tombali tra Felsina e Spina, pp. 37-50;

-L. Tomay, Le necropoli di Fratte, pp. 143-168;

-R. Bonaudo, M.Cuozzo, E. Mugione, C.Pellegrino, A. Serritella, Le necropoli di Pontecagnano: studi recenti, pp. 169-208.

 

Teaching methods

The course is organized with frontal lectures. The second module, dedicated to Etruria Padana, also includes visits to the main museums of the region (Archaeological Museum of Bologna, Museum and archaeological site of Marzabotto, National Museum of Ferrara).

Students interested will be able to integrate the course's teaching with practical laboratory within the training offers offered by the Department, with particular regard to the possibility of excavating experiences in the Etruscan city of Marzabotto (Bologna).

In consideration of the types of activities and teaching methods adopted, the attendance of the laboratory and the excavation activity requires the performance of all students of Modules 1 and 2 in e-learning mode and the participation in Module 3 of specific training on safety and health in the places of study. Information on dates and methods of attendance of Module 3 can be consulted in the specific section of the degree program website.

Assessment methods

Assessment consists of an oral examination designed to evaluate students' knowledge of the prescribed textbook and of the topics covered during the course. Students will be assessed on their ability to present the knowledge they have acquired using appropriate academic terminology and to situate individual topics within their broader historical and cultural context.

Outstanding marks will be awarded to students who demonstrate a comprehensive and well-integrated understanding of the course content and the prescribed bibliography, show the ability to engage critically with the material, and present their arguments clearly and accurately using appropriate specialist terminology. Good marks will be awarded to students who demonstrate sound knowledge of the subject, together with satisfactory analytical and synthetic skills, although their use of disciplinary terminology may not always be fully precise. Students whose preparation is limited, whose knowledge reveals significant gaps, or whose use of terminology is inadequate will achieve no more than a pass mark. Serious deficiencies in subject knowledge, inappropriate terminology, an inability to contextualise the topics discussed, or inadequate familiarity with the prescribed reading will result in a failing mark.

More specifically, assessment will be based on the following criteria:

• 18–19 (Pass): Knowledge of a very limited number of topics covered in the course; analytical skills demonstrated only with substantial guidance from the examiner; generally correct use of language.
• 20–24: Knowledge of a limited range of course topics; ability to undertake independent analysis only in straightforward contexts; generally accurate use of disciplinary language.
• 25–29: Good knowledge of a broad range of course topics; ability to develop independent critical analysis; confident command of the appropriate specialist terminology.
• 30–30 cum laude: Thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the topics covered in the course; excellent ability to undertake independent critical analysis, establish connections across different themes, and develop well-reasoned arguments; complete mastery of specialist terminology together with a high level of critical reflection.

 

Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered to be attending.

6 CFU course can be chosen as a part of the 12 CFU Integrated Course “Etruscology and Italic Archaeology (C.I.) (LM)".

For the 2027 academic year, examination sessions are scheduled for January, March, June, July, and September.

 

Teaching tools

During the lessons professor will use visual media, especially power point that the student can download from virtuale.unibo.it.

Students with specific learning disabilities (SpLDs) or temporary or permanent disabilities are encouraged to contact the University's dedicated support service at an early stage (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it ). Where appropriate, reasonable adjustments may be proposed. Any such arrangements must be submitted to the course lecturer for approval at least 15 days before the examination. Approval will be granted where the proposed adjustments are consistent with the intended learning outcomes of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Elisabetta Govi