C8947 - Funerary Landscape in the Etruscan World (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have acquired an understanding of the social, political, and cultural dynamics underlying the construction of funerary landscapes in Etruria during the first millennium BCE. They will be able to critically analyze environmental and architectural aspects, along with ritual practices that define the identity of the various Etruscan communities and their ideological frameworks. Students will deepen their understanding of the funerary landscape as a place of memory, also in relation to the city. They will develop autonomy in the critical analysis of funerary themes in the Etruscan world and, more broadly, of the most current research trends on funerary rituality and the construction of memory landscapes.

Course contents

This course explores the development of the Etruscan funerary landscape from the Early Iron Age to the Roman conquest, with particular attention to the emergence of monumental funerary architecture and its social, political, and cultural significance. Etruria played a leading role in the Mediterranean in the development of monumental funerary art between the seventh century BCE and the Roman conquest. Its necropoleis constitute one of the most remarkable archaeological legacies of first-millennium BCE Italy and of the ancient Mediterranean more broadly. The UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Cerveteri and Tarquinia provide outstanding case studies for the study, preservation, and management of archaeological funerary landscapes.

Adopting an integrated approach, the course examines the archaeological evidence through multiple perspectives, including architecture, sculpture, wall painting, funerary assemblages, and epigraphy. These sources will be used to investigate the relationship between necropoleis and urban settlements, as well as the social, cultural, and political meanings embedded in funerary space as a place of memory, social identity, and civic representation.

The course is organized chronologically. It begins with the earliest funerary evidence of the formative period (ninth–eighth centuries BCE), continues with the emergence of monumental tomb architecture and large-scale figurative arts during the seventh century BCE, and examines the social transformations of the sixth and fifth centuries BCE. The final part of the course focuses on the Hellenistic period, when aristocratic traditions of self-representation experienced a renewed flourishing. Throughout the course, the evolution of the funerary landscape is examined in relation to changing social and political structures and to the cultural interactions between Etruria and the wider Mediterranean world.

Readings/Bibliography

C. Riva, A Short History of the Etruscans, London 2021.

A. Naso, The Origin of Tomb Painting in Etruria, in Ancient West and East 9 (2010), pp. 63-86.

A. Naso, Death and Burial, in A. Naso (ed.), Etruscology, 2017, pp. 317-339.

M. Sannibale, Orientalizing Etruria, in J. Macintosh Turfa (ed.), The Etruscan World, London and New York, 2013, pp. 99-133.

S. Steingraber, Architecture of the Tombs, in N. Thomson De Grummond, L. Pieraccini (eds.), Caere, Texas University Press, 2016, pp. 97-121.

S. Steingraber, Abundance of Life: Etruscan Wall-Painting, Los Angeles 2006.

Non attending Students have to study also:

M. Torelli (ed.), The Etruscans, London and New York 2001 (F. Prayon, Funerary Architecture; F. Roncalli, The Wall Painting; S. Bruni, The Sculpture)

Teaching methods

Teaching method consists in frontal lectures, collective discussions on readings dealing with the subject of the course.

Students are strongly encouraged to actively take part in the discussions and visits.

Assessment methods

Attending students

It is required knowledge of specified bibliography and of topics covered during lessons. Attendance to the lessons, active participation to collective discussions and visits to Museums is very helpful to pass the final evaluation. A student who attends at least 75% of the lectures is considered to be attending.

The evaluation will be based on a written work and an oral exam. The topic will be previously agreed with the teacher, and the work could employ the readings discussed during lessons, the general bibliography as well as a more specific set of bibliographical references that each student is required to create.

The essay (about 16,000 characters including notes and bibliography) should be structured by presenting the topic, the aims of the work, the analysis and conclusions. Specific guidelines will be provided. If the student is found to have cheated (that is presenting the work of others as your own) or plagiarized (that is using information and quotations of others without clearly acknowledging the source), he/she won’t pass the exam.

The essay will be discuss with the teacher during an oral exam among the scheduled ones.

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.

 

Use of Artificial Intelligence

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) during the assessment is strictly prohibited. Any use of AI tools during the examination constitutes a violation of the University's principles of academic integrity.

2027 exam sessions are scheduled in may, june, july and september.

Teaching tools

Each lesson will be accompanied by presentation slides with a wide repertoire of images and conceptual maps, subsequently accessible through VIRTUALE.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Students with special learning needs, students with disabilities will be supported during the course and in the preparation of the exam through individual interviews with the teachers, who will provide all the necessary tools (e.g. bibliography in a foreign language for foreign students; concept maps for students with learning disabilities). Please express personal needs from the beginning of the course or by contacting the teacher by e-mail.

Office hours

See the website of Elisabetta Govi