76010 - Research Methods and Topics in Prehistory

Course contents

The course explores key themes in current European prehistoric research through an integrated approach combining environmental, biological, and archaeological evidence. Particular attention is devoted to human mobility, interactions between different European regions, Holocene climate fluctuations, economy and production, and the social and political organisation of prehistoric communities from the Palaeolithic to the Iron Age.

Students requiring accommodations due to disabilities or specific learning disorders (SLD) are encouraged to contact the instructor to discuss appropriate support measures in accordance with University regulations.

The course is organised around the following topics:

• Transformational processes in European prehistory.
• Human mobility studies, including ancient DNA, strontium, and oxygen isotope analyses.
• Demography and social organisation; bioarchaeological analysis of cemeteries; economy and resource exploitation; craft production and exchange; ideology and ritual.
• Mountain landscapes, upland archaeology, seasonal pastoralism, and transhumance.
• From excavation to laboratory: artefacts as evidence of technological processes, historical dynamics, and collective memory.
• Production and technology: analytical methods and reconstruction of the chaîne opératoire.

Readings/Bibliography

Fowler C., Harding J., Hofmann D. 2019, The Oxford Handbook of Neolithic Europe, Oxford.

Fokkens H., Harding A. 2020, The Oxford Handbook of the European Bronze Age, Oxford.

Teaching methods

Teaching is based on lectures supported by PowerPoint presentations, which constitute an essential component of the course and should be regarded as a key resource for learning. Regular attendance is strongly recommended and will be positively considered in the final assessment.

Students are expected to have a working knowledge of English, particularly reading skills, in order to engage with the international scholarly literature.

Assessment methods

For attending students, assessment consists of an oral examination covering the topics discussed during the lectures and the assigned readings. Attending classes will make passing the exam easier. A student is considered to be attending if they participate in at least 75% of the lessons. Non-attending students are required to contact the instructor to agree on an alternative examination programme.

The assessment evaluates students' understanding of the course topics, their ability to critically engage with the assigned bibliography, and their knowledge of the geographical contexts examined. Outstanding performance will demonstrate a thorough command of the subject matter, the ability to discuss the topics critically, and the appropriate use of disciplinary terminology.

Insufficient knowledge of the chronological, historical, and geographical framework, together with the inappropriate use of technical terminology, will result in a lower assessment.

The exam sessions will be held once a month throughout the entire academic year.

Teaching tools

The PowerPoint presentations used during the lectures will be made available through the instructor's online course portal.

Students who require accommodations due to a disability or a specific learning disorder (SLD) should first contact the University's Disability and Specific Learning Disorders Support Office in order to arrange the appropriate support measures.

Office hours

See the website of Claudio Cavazzuti