- Docente: Francesco Iacono
- Credits: 6
- SSD: ARCH-01/A
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: In-person learning (entirely or partially)
- Campus: Ravenna
- Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Archaeological and bioarchaeological sciences in terrestrial and maritime environments (cod. 6256)
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from Nov 10, 2026 to Dec 15, 2026
Learning outcomes
The course will comparatively analyze developments in the Central Mediterranean and the Aegean area from the 3rd to the end of the 2nd millennium BC. Particular attention will be devoted to the relationship between the Mediterranean paleoenvironment, material culture, and society. By the end of the course, students will acquire in-depth knowledge of the main dynamics that led the Mediterranean to become an inland sea for the peoples living along its coasts during the Bronze Age.; they will be able to understand the main historical and archaeological dynamics that characterize this region, mastering the principal theoretical and methodological approaches applied to them. They will also be able to navigate the major archaeological contexts, while learning how to describe, analyze, and interpret archaeological data. Finally, they will acquire a deep understanding of theories, methods, and evidence, enabling them to address specific topics and to achieve maturity and autonomy in scientific research.
Course contents
Neolithic
Social Changes at the Beginning of the Metal Age
State Societies of the Aegean 1
State Societies of the Aegean 2
Western Barbarians? Adriatic Bronze Age
Western Barbarians? Bronze Age in the Tyrrhenian and Western Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Network of the Late Bronze Age
The End of the Bronze Age
Iron Age
Readings/Bibliography
Broodbank, C., 2018. Il Mediterraneo (Piccola Biblioteca Einaudi 702). Torino: Giulio Einaudi Editore (Capitoli 7-10)
Iacono, F. 2019. The archaeology of late Bronze Age interaction and mobility at the gates of Europe: people, things and networks around the southern Adriatic Sea. London, UK: Bloomsbury Academic, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Dawson, H., & Iacono, F. 2026. Exchange and Identity: encounters between the central Mediterranean and the Aegean. S.l.: CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS.
Teaching methods
Il corso è organizzato in 15 sessioni di 2 ore ciascuna. Ogni 5 ore di lezione frontale, una è dedicata alla discussione degli argomenti trattati (seminar). La partecipazione a tali sessioni è fortemente incoraggiata in quanto rappresenta parte integrante del percorso didattico e di valutazione.
Assessment methods
The learning assessment methods include an oral exam, a short presentation of a group work agreed with the teacher during the course and, in the case of non-attending students, the creation of a written essay (of 2000-2500 words) on a topic to be agreed with the teacher (contacting him at least 4 weeks in advance). The paper must be submitted at least 3 weeks before the scheduled exam date.
Participation in the seminar discussion, or for those not attending the written paper, contributes to 10% of the final grade. The presentation (individual or group), including Powerpoint, contributes to 20% of the final grade. The oral exam contributes to 70% of the final grade.
Appeals normally take place at least:
2 between October and December
1 in January
2 between April and May
1 in July
Teaching tools
An essential part of the exam material will also be the presentations of the lessons which can be downloaded from the links made available on the VIrtuale platform
Students with DSA or temporary or permanent disabilities: it is recommended to contact the responsible University office in advance (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it): it will be their responsibility to propose any adaptations to the interested students, which must in any case be submitted, 15 days in advance, to the approval of the teacher, who will evaluate the opportunity also in relation to the educational objectives of the course.
Office hours
See the website of Francesco Iacono