81709 - Archaeology of the Ancient City (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

The student, at the end of the class, will be familiar with the methods necessary for investigations both in the area of preventative and emergency urban archeology and of abandoned sites. To reach this result, the student, initially, will acquire the necessary knowledge base to understand the shape and development of ancient cities and their main architectonic features.

Course contents

This class will look at the themes of archeology research in an urban setting in reference to both sites continuously inhabited (urban archeology) and in abandoned centers with a particular focus on the Hellenistic and Roman era in the Mediterranean.

In all cases, the archeology of ancient cities will be linked to the historic geography of the places in which these centers developed and to the archeology of the surrounding landscape.

Particular attention will also be given to looking closer at some methodological aspects that make urban archeology and city archeology a generally modern discipline, which frequently involves dialogues with experts of various training and backgrounds.

The first part of the class, methodological in nature, will be dedicated to the main problems with urban archeology and to the development of more innovative methodologies for archeological investigations of abandoned centers. Another focus will be on the typical methods of preventative archeology (remote sensing, Geophysics, Topography) and to the development of potential archeological maps based on the study of geomorphology and thus on the reconstruction of the paleosols.

The second part of the class will be dedicated to the genesis and urban development of some main Ancient Cities such as Rome, Pompei, Paestum, Athen. This second part will be dedicated also to the dynamics that characterize the genesis and development of urban areas in the Adriatic and Ionian areas. Regarding the Ionian area, the forms of aggregation that led to the genesis and development of Greek cities will be analyzed, in particular in Epirus, looking at the differences that distinguish this area from the traditional urban Greek cities. In regards to Adriatic Area, the main types of city will be presented with particular reference to their administrative and urban structure (federated cities, Roman colonies, Latin colonies, municipalities) and to the early forms of aggregation (praefecturae, fora, conciliabula).

As part of the course, a number of meetings will be organised with other archaeologists involved in the investigation of ancient cities, in order to explore specific themes and case studies. These will mostly be ongoing research projects of the University of Bologna, such as Agrigento, Pompeii and Paestum; Phoenike and Buthrotum in Epirus; Suasa and Ascoli in the Piceno area and in Agro Gallico as well as Burnum in Dalmatia. This series of case studies will be a good example of the archeology of cities in an particular area of Greece (Epirus), of two centers with a long urban tradition characterized by an exceptional state of conservation (Agrigento on the Ionian Sea, Paestum and Pompeii on the Tyrrhenian Sea), of a series of Roman cities on the Adriatic coast and various urban and administrative forms (federated cities, Roman and Latin colonies, municipalities, castra).

Students attending the course will be offered the opportunity to participate in field research.

Readings/Bibliography

The students attending this course will need to study, besides attending the lessons, the following mandatory book:

F. Fabiani, L'urbanistica: città e paesaggi, Carocci 2014.

Students who do not attend this course will need to study the following mandatory books:

P. Gros, M. Torelli, Storia dell’urbanistica. Il mondo romano, Laterza 2010, pp. 5-270 (without the last part about the provincial cities);

E. Lippolis, M. Livadiotti, G. Rocco, Architettura greca. Storia e monumenti del mondo della polis dalle origini al V secolo, Bruno Mondadori 2007, pp. 24-27, 48-53 (dai Dark Ages alla formazione della Polis); 183-200, 429-462 (Atene e l'Attica).

F. Boschi, Looking for the Future, Caring for the past. Preventive Archaeology in Theory and Practice, Bologna University Press 2016, pp. 101-123 (City archaeology in Adriatic Area).

The foreign students, who do not have enough familiarity with Italian, will need to study the following mandatory books:

M. H. Hansen (ed.), A Comparative Study of Thirty City-State Cultures, Copenhagen 2000, pp. 141-228 (Hellenic and Italic Cities).

E. Giorgi, Landscape and Citizens during the early Roman era in Northern Epirus: Phoinike and the Chaonia region (2nd BC-2nd AD), in GROMA 2017 (groma.unibo.it).

F. Boschi (ed.), Looking for the Future, Caring for the past. Preventive Archaeology in Theory and Practice, Bologna University Press 2016, pp. 85 -214 (Cases Study of City archaeology).

A reading to be chosen among the following in Bibliography.

Students who also support the course of Archeology  of the Roman city will need to study the following mandatory books:

P. Gros, L'architettura romana. Dagli inizi del III secolo a. C. alla fine dell'alto impero, Longanesi 2001, pp. 134-300 (Edifici del centro monumentale: templi, fori, basiliche, curie).

E. Lippolis, M. Livadiotti, G. Rocco, Architettura greca. Storia e monumenti del mondo della polis dalle origini al V secolo, Bruno Mondadori 2007, pp. 24-27, 48-53 (dai Dark Ages alla formazione della Polis); 183-200, 429-462 (Athen and Actic Region).

M. Osanna, Magna Grecia e Sicilia, in H. Von Hesberg, P. Zanker (a c.), Storia dell'architettura italiana. 1. Architettura romana. Le città d'Italia, Milano 2012, pp. 268-295.

Bibliography

List of readings chosen for further information or for classroom presentations:

E. Greco (a c.), La antica. Istituzioni, società e forme urbane, Donzelli 1999 (a paper to be chosen).

L.M. Caliò, Asty. Studi sulla città antica, Quasr 2012, pp. 231-268 (Urbanistica del mondo ateniese) oppure pp. 269-308 (La città greca).

Paolo Moracchiello, La città greca, Laterza 2008.

Paul Zanker, La città romana, Laterza 2015.

H. Von Hesberg, P. Zanker (a c.), Storia dell'architettura italiana. Architettura romana. I grandi monumenti di Roma (a paper to be chosen).

H. Von Hesberg, P. Zanker (a c.), Storia dell'architettura italiana. Architettura romana. Le città d'Italia, Milano 2012 (a paper to be chosen).

P. Sommella, Italia antica. Urbanistica romana. La città regolare romana(capitolo IV), Jouvence 2002;

E.C. Portale, Un confronto: la Sicilia nel III secolo in La Magna Grecia da Pirro ad Annibale. Atti del Cinquantaduesimo Convegno di Studi sulla Magna Grecia Taranto 27-30 settembre 2012 (2015), pp. 697-736

A. Carandini, R, Cappelli (a c.), Roma, Romolo, Remo e la fondazione della città, Electa 2000, pp. 68-73, 95-150, 275-280.

A. Carandini, Roma. Il primo giorno, Laterza 2007.

E. Giorgi, J. Bogdani, Il territorio di Phoinike in Caonia. Archeologia del paesaggio in Albania meridionale, Bologna 2012, pp. 397-416 (Il Paesaggio in Caonia).

I. H. Hansen, Hellenistic and Roman Butrint, Butrint Foundation 2009.

A. Campedelli, E. Giorgi, Burnum Project. Ricerche della Missione archeologica dell'Università di Bologna in Croazia (2005-2015), Ante Quem 2018.

S. De Maria, E. Giorgi, Urbanistica e assetti monumentali di Suasa. Novità dalle ricerche recenti, in «ICHNIA» 13 (2013);

E. GIORGI, F. DEMMA, Riflessioni sulla genesi e lo sviluppo urbano di Asculum nel Piceno. Dalla città federata alla colonia romana, in Atlante Tematico di Topografia Antica 28 (2018), pp. 26.

F. Vermeulen, From the mountains to the sea. The Roman Colonisation and Urbanisation of Central Adriatic Italy, pp. 61-107 oppure 108-160 (Colonisation and Consolidation).

F. Vermeulen, G.-J. Burgers, S. Keays and C. Corsi (eds.), Urban Landscape Survey in Italy and the Mediterranean, Oxbow 2012 (a paper to be chosen).

P. Johnson, M. Millett (eds.), Archaeological Survey and the City, Oxbow 2012 (a paper to be chosen).

F. Boschi, Looking for the Future, Caring for the past. Preventive Archaeology in Theory and Practice, Bologna University Press 2016 (a paper to be chosen).

Teaching methods

The lessons will be seminars with the use of presentations and case studies of the current research projects led by the professors.

Students will be required to take an active part in the lessons.

Students will have to report one of the reading listed in the bibliography.

Conferences will be organized, additional and open to the public.

Assessment methods

The active participation in lessons, conferences and teaching activities will also be evaluated.

The final vote will be determined by an oral exam.

The questions will cover the following topics:

1. Urban Archaeology and Archaeology of Ancient Cities (Methods and problems of research)

2. Urban and Monumental Development of Athen, Rome and of ancient Italic cities

3. Urban genesis and Development in Adriatic and Ionian Area

 

For non-attending students, the interview will focus on the same topics, paying particular attention to the volumes being studied.

The following evaluation parameters will be adopted, for attending students and non-frequenting students.

Attending Students

Excellent evaluation (30 and praise-28): active participation of the student in the lessons; the student will have to demonstrate the possession of high level knowledge, the ability to interpret the landscape problems correctly and showing a certain autonomy of reasoning. The student will demonstrate the ability to move well within the "parure" of sources presented in class. Excellent oral expression skills including in the technical languages presented.

Good grade (27-23): The student has attended the course and will demonstrate possession of knowledge at a good level, but mainly mnemonic; the interpretation of the problems proposed will be correct, but not always precise and autonomous. The language used will be appropriate with some problems in the more technical aspects.

Sufficient rating (22-18): The student has attended the course, demonstrates possession of the basic knowledge of the discipline, but assumed in mnemonic form; the interpretation of the problems is mostly correct, but conducted with inaccuracy and little autonomy. The language used will be fair, but lacking in technical language.

Insufficient evaluation: the lack of acquisition of the basic concepts of the discipline, combined with a poor ability to make use of the sources presented and an adequate language will be evaluated with insufficient score, which provides for the repetition of the exam.

Non-Frequenting Students
Non-frequenting students will be evaluated primarily on the basis of their ability to gain awareness of the issues inherent in Landscape resulting from manual and bibliographic study, combined with adequate language.

Excellent evaluation (30 cum laude -28): the student will demonstrate a solid understanding of the subject matter, the demonstration of a critical sense in evaluating the sources to be drawn upon in reconstructing the ancient landscape. He/she will express him/herself in language appropriate to the subject, even in its technical parts.

Good evaluation (27-23): the student will demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the subject, but will not have fully succeeded in developing a critical sense, with verbal expression and reasoning on the issues proposed not always perfect.

Sufficient rating (22-18): the student will demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the subject matter, but will have failed to develop a critical sense, with verbal expression and reasoning on proposed problems not fully satisfactory.

Insufficient assessment: lack of acquisition of basic concepts of the discipline, coupled with a poor ability to make use of the sources presented and adequate language will be assessed with an insufficient score, which requires retaking the exam.

Teaching tools

The presentations used during the lessons will be available on the web portal of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Enrico Giorgi