07490 - Iranian Archaeology and Art History

Learning outcomes

The course aims at introducing the student into the difficult field of the archaeology of the Iranian world, with a special stress on the lands of the Iranian Plateau, through the presentation of the main archaeological evidences in a historical-cultural perspective. Also the specific problems of conservation of the latter are treated. At the end of the course the student has acquired a knowledge of the main archaeological evidences of the area, is able to place them in their historical-cultural context and to understand their specific conservation problems; is also able to learn from experts in other fields and to find out the relationships with other disciplines; has methodological rigour and accuracy.

Course contents

Introduction to the main themes of geography, history and history of religion, necessary for a cultural frame to the course subject. Examination of the different sources. Introduction to the archaeology and art history of ancient Iran, from the Medes to the Sassanians, with an illustration of the main archaeological, architectural and artistic evidence.

Readings/Bibliography

For the historical introduction, reading of J. Wiesehöfer, La Persia Antica, Bologna, il Mulino, 2003, is suggested.

For the archaeological evidence all the materials will be included in the web site.

Teaching methods

The course is proposed in blended learning, with 20 hours of tuition by the teacher, concerning the historico-cultural basic questions, and 40 hours in e-learning, concerning the archaeological evidence of Iran from the 7th century BC to the 7th century AD, grouped in 20 units. These units will contain written texts as well as graphs and figures.

Given that the culture of ancient Iran is not included in the programme of Italian high school, aim of the course is introducing the student to the basic concepts rather than insisting on single notions, which are always set in the global frame.

At the end of the lessons in e-learning, the teacher is ready to meet again the students in order to clarify any doubt on the e-learning units which have not been clarified through the e-learning channels.

Assessment methods

Oral examination, with the possibility of having on request control of the various parts of the programme. The oral dialogue has the function to assess the basic knowledges acquired in the field of the Iranian archaeology, regarding both the architectural and artistic evidences and their geographic and historic context. The knowledge of the chrono-geographic setting of the notions will therefore be evaluated.
Specialistic language is not considered a pre-requisite for a BA course, but will be positively evaluated.

The aim of the interview is also to assess the methodological and critical skills acquired by the student. Given the importance of class attendance for an appropriate training process two distinct grading scales are employed: for attending and non-attending students.

Attending students

Attendance and participation to the e-learning forum count for 30% of the final grade.

In particular, the ability of the student to participate actively in class, also using multimedia and collaborative tools provided within the course will be assessed; such capacity, if combined with the achievement of a coherent framework of the topics developed during the lessons, the application of critical sense and suitable means of expression, will be considered and evaluated with the maximum grading = A (27-30 con lode).

Attendance, if joint to a predominantly mnemonic acquisition of course's contents and discontinuous language and logical skills, will be assessed in a grading range from good (B = 24-26) to satisfactory (C = 21-23).

Attendance, with a minimum level of knowledge of the course contents, combined with training gaps or inadequate language and logical skills, will get as grade ‘barely passing' (D = 18-20).

The absence of a minimum level of knowledge of the course contents, combined with inadequate language and logical skills and training gaps, will produce a fail (E) grading, even in spite of an assiduous attendance.

Non-attending students

Non-attending students will be assessed primarily on the ability to use literature and multimedia tools made available, in order to properly expose the contents of the course. This ability, when combined with the achievement of a coherent framework of the course's themes, the application of critical sense, and suitable means of expression will be considered and evaluated with the maximum grading = A (27-30 con lode).

A predominantly mnemonic acquisition of course's contents along with discontinuous language and logical skills will be assessed in a grading range from good (B = 24-26) to satisfactory (C = 21- 23).

A minimum level of knowledge of the course contents, combined with training gaps or inadequate language and logical skills, will get as grade ‘barely passing' (D = 18-20).

The absence of a minimum level of knowledge of the course contents, combined with inadequate language and logical skills and training gaps, will produce a fail (E) grading.

Teaching tools

The 20 units of the e-learning part of the course will contain the texts as well as graphs and figures.

Office hours

See the website of Pierfrancesco Callieri