C9391 - Archaeological Theory and Practice: The Key Concepts (LM)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will show acquaintance with the main trends of archaeological thought, from the earliest days to recent times. They will be familiar with important theoretical areas of contemporary archaeology, including processual and post-processual archaeology, the archaeology of identity and gender, and the relationships between archaeology, history and politics. They will know about central themes such as the evolution of strategies and methods of field research (excavation and survey), the representation and communication of archaeological data. The skills acquired will enable students to study different types of archaeological contexts starting from solid theoretical and methodological bases, equipping them to address the planning of field research and interpretation of collected data. Students will also be able to conceive different forms of presentation and communication of archaeological data, based on an in-depth knowledge of the many options existing in this field.

Course contents

This module, part of the course “Archaeological Theory and Practice”, will explore the main practical and theoretical issues in the field of archaeology.

The course will start by the outline of a brief history of the discipline, followed by the analysis of some of the most relevant fieldwork case studies (i.e. excavations, surveys and other kinds of archaeological investigations).

By the end of the course, students will be able to tackle archaeological data from a critical point of view, as much as to understand the theoretical bases which lay behind other scholars' fieldwork.

Readings/Bibliography

Compulsory reading

B. Fagan, N. Durrani, Bigger than History: Why Archaeology Matters, London 2019.

C. Renfrew, P. Bahn (eds.), Archaeology. The Key Concepts, Routledge, London-New York 2005 - the following entries: Key ideas in excavation; Historical archaeology and text; Survey; Holistic/contextual archaeology; Principles of stratigraphic succession.

 

Suggested reading

M. Carver, Making Archaeology Happen. Design versus Dogma, Walnut Creek 2011.

Teaching methods

Lectures

Assessment methods

The final exam consists of an oral colloquium, conceived in order to evaluate the accomplishment of the main targets of the course. The final mark is the average of the evaluation of the answers concerning three specific topics which are part of the program.

Regular attendance is strongly recommended, as it facilitates successful completion of the examination. Students are considered to have attended the course if they attend at least 75% of the scheduled classes.

Examination sessions will be held approximately once a month.

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities are encouraged to contact the University's dedicated support office as early as possible: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en . The office will work with eligible students to propose any necessary accommodations. These accommodations must be submitted to the instructor for approval at least 15 days before the examination. The instructor will assess their appropriateness in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

Teaching tools

The course will be organized in lectures held by the teacher himself. The teacher will make use of an overhead-projector, computer presentations and photocopies of the texts. All these tools will be available on-line on the web-page of the course, at the end of it.

Artificial intelligence (AI) may be used to support independent study through supplementary explanations, summaries, and self-assessment activities. However, the use of AI during in-person examinations is not permitted. Any such use will be regarded as a breach of academic integrity.

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.

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Augenti