67497 - Archaeological Museography

Learning outcomes

The course aims to convey in-depth theoretical and practical knowledge about the debate on archaeological museum facilities. It intends to provide an accurate framework for the definition of the epistemological statute of the discipline of museography, expressly applied to the exhibition context of an archaeological type. At the end of the course the student masters the discipline that pertaines to the dynamics inherent in the design transcription of a museum proposal and deals with the design and construction of buildings, museum spaces, set-ups and museum paths; is able to approach various cases of museum design, applied both to permanent exhibitions (museums), and to temporary exhibitions (exhibits), with regard to museum spaces (reception and information, management services and services for the public, visitor-archaeological manufact relationship), exhibition solutions (paths, showcases and display cases, supports, chromatisms), educational supports (visiting routes, signage, communication plan), equipment (lighting and air conditioning).

Course contents

The history of museology applied to the preservation of archaeological sites and what found in them during digs will be accompanied by the investigation of possible solutions and measures for the safety of places exposed to anthropogenic and natural risks, through examples and advanced methods.

Readings/Bibliography

1. D. Manacorda, Il sito archeologico: fra ricerca e valorizzazione, Carocci editore, Roma 2007

2. M. Limoncelli, Il restauro virtuale in archeologia, Carocci editore, Roma 2012

3. G. Pinna, Il museo verso l'ignoto, pp.3-10; A. Zifferero, Allestimenti museografici e identità storica dei musei, pp.59-79; M. Marini Calvani, Dallo scavo al museo e ritorno, pp. 125-129, in Archeologia del museo. I caratteri originali del museo e la sua documentazione storica fra conservazione e comunicazione, Editrice Compositotori, Bologna 2004

4. J. Clair, La crisi dei musei. La globalizzazione della cultura, Skira, Milano 2008

5. Atti del Convegno internazionale di studi SCIENCE FOR PRESERVATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE AT RISK, a cura di D. Biagi Maino e G. Maino, Edifir, Firenze 2020

Teaching methods

Lessons will be held remotely.

The frontal lessons will be supplemented with visits to restoration laboratories and museums.

This initiative is within the limits granted by the country's health conditions.

Assessment methods

Oral examination.

The verification of the learning takes place through the oral examination alone, aimed at ascertaining the critical knowledge and skills acquired by the student along the educational path.

The candidate will be led to demonstrate the acquired critical understanding of the history of archaeological museology and issues related to the conservation and safety of archaeological sites in areas of anthropogenic and natural risks through the discussion of the texts and images addressed and discussed during the course and indicated in bibliography, so as to attest to the acquired awareness of the fluidity of the concept of museum and conservative practice and the need for a firm critical consciousness for each intervention to be planned before the restoration interventions.

The mastery of the content, the appropriate expression and the appropriate language for the subject matter, as well as the ability to summarize and analyse the concepts discussed in the lessons, will be assessed.

The understanding of the problems related to the planning of an archaeological museum, the knowledge of what is necessary to the definition of the modern concept of the museum, the mastery of the specific language of the discipline and, of course, the in-depth knowledge of the texts of the program will be evaluated with excellent grades.

The only mnemonic knowledge of matter, the ability to synthesis and analysis not properly developed in an appropriate language will lead to discrete assessments.

Training gaps or lack of the appropriate lexicon, lack of knowledge of the analysis tools and the problems related to restoration interventions will lead to sufficientness alone.

Poor knowledge of the scheduled texts, inadequate lexicon, lack of understanding of the criticality of the topic and the conservative problem will be evaluated negatively.

Teaching tools

Pictures, digital imaging, 3D reconstructions, slides, PowerPoint presentations

Office hours

See the website of Donatella Biagi