72520 - Celtic Antiquities (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

Thanks to the course, students become acquainted with the historical and archaeological context of the Celts in Italy and are aware of the relationships between Celts and both Greek and Etruscan world.

Course contents

The Celts in the Po Valley

During the course, all themes will be analysed in both historical and archaeological perspectives.

The first lesson will be intended to present the general programme of the course and the assessment method. Furthermore, a generale framework of the Archaeology of pre-Roman Italy will be offered, in which we can understand the phenomenon of the arrival of Celtic populations.  

The course will examine the following topics: 1) a general framework on the arrival of the Celts in the Po Valley, thanks to ancient Greek and Latin literature and archaeological sources; 2) the oldest representations of Celtic presence in northern Italy; 3) the Celts and their connection to the Golant Culture; 4) the invasion of the Gauls in the 4th century BC: dynamics of integration between Etruscans and Gauls and the decline of Etruria; 5) the Gauls in Bologna area. The occupation of the territory of Bologna: case studies from Marzabotto and Casalecchio di Reno; 6) the settlements of Monte Bibele and Monterenzio: village and necropolis; 7) the survival of the enclave in the coastal settlements of Etruscan Spina and Adria and the Gauls' presence on the Adriatic sea; 8) the Gauls in Marche: the Senones. 

Visits to sites and museums in the region, the dates of which will be communicated at the beginning of the Course, are an integral part of the learning process (lesson 9 and 10).

Attendance to the class is highly recommended.

Readings/Bibliography

S. Moscati, O.H. Frey, V. Kruta, B. Raftery, M. Szabó (a cura di), I Celti (Catalogo della mostra, Venezia 1991), Milano 1991, seguenti contributi:

V. Kruta, La riscoperta degli antichi Celti, pp. 29-34; G. Dobesch, Le fonti letterarie, pp. 35-41; L. Kruta Poppi, Le fonti archeologiche, pp. 42-50; A.L. Prosdocimi, Lingua e scrittura dei primi Celti, pp. 51-59; O.-H. Frey, “I primi principi celti” nel VI secolo a.C., pp. 75-92; R.C. de Marinis, I Celti golasecchiani, pp. 93-102; O.-H. Frey, La formazione della cultura di La Tène nel V secolo a.C., pp. 127-146; V. Kruta, I Celti della prima espansione storica (IV secolo a.C.), pp. 195-213; L. Pauli, I passi alpini e le migrazioni celtiche, pp. 215-218; D. Vitali, I Celti in Italia, pp. 220-235; A. Rapin, L’armamento, pp. 321-331;

D. Vitali, I Celti a sud del Po, in G. Cuscito (a c.), I Celti nell'Alto Adriatico (Atti delle tre Giornate Internazionali di Studio, Trieste, 5-7 aprile 2001) («AAAd» 48), Trieste 2001, pp. 227-239;

L. Minarini, D. Vitali, L’arrivo dei Galli, in A. Donati, G. Sassatelli (a cura di), Storia di Bologna. Bologna nell'antichità, Bologna 2005, pp. 339-385;

D. Vitali, La nécropole de Monte Bibele. Préliminaires pour une analyse spatiale et chronologique, in D. Vitali, S. Verger, Tra mondo celtico e mondo italico. La necropoli di Monte Bibele (Atti della Tavola Rotonda, Roma 1997), Bologna 2008, pp. 9-52;

V. Kruta, I Senoni nel Piceno, in Eroi e Regine. Piceni popolo d'Europa (Catalogo della mostra, Roma 2001), Roma 2001, pp. 174-175.

L. Tori, I Celti tra Rimini e Spina. Per un bilancio critico, in F. Lenzi (a cura di), Rimini e l’Adriatico nell' età delle guerre puniche (Atti del Convegno Internazionale di Studi, Rimini 2004), Bologna 2006, pp. 159-189;

G. Sassatelli, Celti ed Etruschi nell'Etruria padana e nell'Italia settentrionale, in Ocnus 11, 2003, pp. 231-257.

Per i non frequentanti oltre ai testi sopra indicati, sono necessarie anche le seguenti letture:

D. Vitali, Les Celtes d'Italie, Paris 2007.

D. Vitali, I Celti in Italia, in Guerrieri, principi ed eroi fra il Danubio e il Po, Trento 2004, pp. 315-329;

G. Sassatelli, Statuaria in pietra tra Etruschi e Celti, in L’indagine e la rima (Scritti per Lorenzo Braccesi), Hesperìa 30, 2013, pp.1225-1241.

Teaching methods

Teaching method consists in lessons, seminaries and visits to the main Museums of Emilia Romagna dealing with the subject of the course. 

A few specialists of Celtic Archaeology in Italy will be involved during the course to speak about specific themes of the subject.

Assessment methods

The exam consists in an oral test. It is required knowledge of indicated bibliography and of topics covered during lessons. Three general questions are the starting point of a more detailed discussion. 

Attendance to the class is very helpful to pass the exam.

The overall evaluation will consider the following parameters:

- an excellent knowledge of the topics, the ability to analyse themes, to refer them by using the field-specific terminology and to discuss specific issues critically, arguing their own opinion, will be rewarded with an excellent mark.

- a mnemonic knowledge of the subject with the ability to analyse, with correct, although not always field-specific command of the language will be rewarded with a 'fair' mark.

- minimal knowledge of the subject will not be enough to pass the exam.

Teaching tools

During the lessons visual aids will be widely used, especially slides and projections from computer. Explanatory paper materials, concerning specific subjects of the course, will be handed out in classroom.

Office hours

See the website of Giuseppe Sassatelli