98981 - ARCHEOLOGIA E CULTURA MATERIALE DELLE PROVINCE ROMANE

Learning outcomes

The aim of the Course is to transmit to the student a clear concept of Archeology in the Roman provincial world, analyzing the historical and cultural processes that lay at its roots, deepening the fundamental themes like Urbanistics, Architecture and Economics. At the end of the Course, the student will be capable of knowing the peculiarities, greatness and limits of Roman Culture outside Rome, objectively evaluating its aspects and problematics.

Course contents

The course will be divided into two parts devoted respectively to the general themes that characterize the discipline (analyzing in particular Urbanistic and Economic aspects), and to the Epyrus as a case study.

The first part will be devoted to the concepts of "Romanisation" and "colonisation" and to a general framework (chronological, geographical and administrative) of the Provinces. Particular emphasis will be given to the urbanistic aspects in the western and eastern provinces and to the economic ones, appreciable through the study of the material culture attested in the Empire, mirror of the interaction dynamics between the Roman and provincial cultures, but also of the influence of the latter on the economy of the capital.

The second part will be dedicated to the provinces of the Balkan and Greek area, with particular attention to the Epirus area: the investigations of the University of Bologna underway at Phoinike, the ancient capital of Epirus, and at Butrint, a Greek emporium and commercial port which had an enormous urban and territorial development after the establishment of the Roman province, allow to present these cities and their territories as case studies. The presentation of the material culture attested in these sites, will show their degree of homologation and autonomy with respect to Rome.

Readings/Bibliography

ATTENDING STUDENTS are required to study:

1. One of the following handbooks, limited to the parts indicated:

   A) P. Gros, M. Torelli, Storia dell'urbanistica. Il mondo romano, Bari 2007, just pp. 271-469 (chapters 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th).

   B) G. Bejor, M.T. Grassi, S. Maggi, F. Slavazzi, Arte e archeologia delle Province romane, Milano 2011, just chapters 1-2, 4 (pp. 1-159; 297-327).

2. Personal notes taken during the classes and ppt presentations that will be available on  "Virtuale".
3. A. Gamberini, Polybius' Phoinike through the analysis of Material Culture, in 9th Scientific Meeting on Hellenistic Pottery, Athina 2018, pp. 699-722

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS: Underlining the opportunity to contact the professor before preparing for the final exam for any doubts or clarifications, it is requested or study of

1. P. Gros, M. Torelli, Storia dell'urbanistica. Il mondo romano, Bari 2007, just pp. 271-469 (chapters 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th).

2.  G. Bejor, M.T. Grassi, S. Maggi, F. Slavazzi, Arte e archeologia delle Province romane, Milano 2011, just chapters 1-2, 4 (pp. 1-159; 297-327).

3. I.L. Hansen, Hellenistic and Roman Butrint - Butrinti Helenistik dhe Romak, London 2009. PDF
4. G. Lepore, Scavi recenti nella città di Phoinike, Annuario SAIA 97 (2017). Scaricabile dalla rete: https://www.academia.edu/45169216/Scavi_recenti_nella_citt%C3%A0_di_Phoinike_Albania_meridionale_
5. One lecture among the following:

a) D. Gandolfi, Sigillate e ceramiche da cucina africane, in D. Gandolfi (a cura di), La ceramica e i materiali di età romana. Classi, produzioni, commerci e consumi, Bordighera 2005, pp. 194-232.

b) D.Malfitana, Le terre sigillate ellenistiche e romane del Mediterraneo orientale, in D. Gandolfi (a cura di), La ceramica e i materiali di età romana. Classi, produzioni, commerci e consumi, Bordighera 2005, pp.121-153.

c) A. Gabucci, La sigillata gallica: siti produttori e centri di consumo, in A. Gabucci, Attraverso le Alpi e lungo il Po. Importazione e distribuzione di sigillate galliche nella Cisalpina, Roma 2018. disponibile in rete: https://books.openedition.org/efr/3241

Teaching methods

The lessons will be seminar and students will be asked to participate actively and to intervene with observations and personal contributions.

In order to facilitate the identification of the ceramics classes presented, during the lessons will be given the opportunity to manipulate ceramics from different sites.


Some cycles of additional lessons, held by researchers actively involved in the field, can also be organized, dedicated to some provincial sites subject to research in progress of particular specific interest.

The presentations of the lessons and other teaching materials will be made available in the appropriate spaces of the course website.

Assessment methods

The learning assessment will be conducted orally through individual interviews.
Starting with a topic of choice from those covered in class (attending students) or those presented in the bibliography (attending and not attending students), the student will be asked to answer at least three questions. The acquisition of specialized language will be highly valued, as will the methodological and critical skills acquired through the study of the assigned bibliography.
Given the importance of class attendance, the following evaluation parameters will be adopted for both attending and not attending students.

Attending students
Attending students will be required to be familiar with both the content of the lectures (and related slide shows) and the bibliography listed above.

The student's ability to participate actively in the lectures will be evaluated: this ability, combined with the ability to link together the various topics covered in lectures and addressed in the chosen bibliography, the achievement of a complete understanding of the subject, the demonstration of critical sense and appropriate means of verbal expression, will be evaluated with maximum scores (27-30 cum laude).
Class attendance, associated with a predominantly mnemonic acquisition of the course subject matter and verbal expression and logical skills that are not fully satisfactory, will be assessed with scores between good (24-26) and satisfactory (21-23).
Class attendance, associated with minimal acquisition of the course subject matter and inadequate verbal expression and logical skills, will be scored as sufficient (18-20).
Lack of minimal acquisition of the course subject matter coupled with inadequate verbal expression and logical skills will be assessed with an insufficient score, which requires retaking the exam.

Not attending students
Not attending students will be evaluated primarily on their ability to use the bibliography indicated, to expose the course content appropriately. Any knowledge of the course multimedia content, available to all students, will be evaluated positively but is not a prerequisite for the maximum grade.

Knowledge of the bibliography indicated and the ability to link the various topics together, together with the achievement of a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter, demonstration of critical thinking and appropriate means of verbal expression, will be evaluated with maximum marks (27-30 with honors).
A predominantly mnemonic acquisition of the course subject matter, with verbal expression and logical skills not fully satisfactory, will be evaluated with scores between good (24-26) and satisfactory (21-23).
Minimal acquisition of the course subject matter, with inadequate verbal expression and logical skills, will be scored as sufficient (18-20).
Absence of minimal acquisition of the course subject matter coupled with inadequate verbal expression and logical skills will be assessed with an insufficient score, which includes retaking the entire exam.

Teaching tools

During the lessons, teaching material will be provided and ppt presentations will be used. These will be made available to the students.

Office hours

See the website of Anna Gamberini