30443 - Music Archaeology

Learning outcomes

This course focusses on the main events and problems concerning the musical cultures of the ancient world, in particular of the Mediterranean sea. At end of course students acquire the methodological foundations of the discipline and how critically apply to the contextualization of texts, pictures, musical instruments and other sound objects.

Course contents

First part

The general contents of the course cover: the history of the discipline, different typologies of sources, the ways of the transmission of the musical knowledge, the sound events, music and materiality: verbal and visual representation of sound events,  methods and bibliographical tools.

A number of methodological essays will be analysed, chosen as exemplary of the different perspectives in which musical archaeology is considered by archaeologists, philologists, musicologists, ethnomusicologists, anthropologists, and biologists.

At last, particular attention will be paid to the phenomena of circulation, contamination and hybridisation of musical instruments and musical practices in the different musical cultures of the ancient Mediterranean. Last but not least, the phenomenon of the globalisation of the ancient world from a musicological perspective will be reflected upon.

Second part

After an introductory section devoted to defining musical archaeology and providing an overview of the various types of sources employed by the discipline, the course will focus on the relationship between the archaeological context and the musical instruments and sounding objects discovered therein. Particular attention will be given to selected case studies, including the Tomb of the Poet in Piraeus and the domus of Vicus Habentia in Voghenza (Voghiera, Province of Ferrara).

For students attending the classes, the individual assignment will consist of a presentation on a case study of their choice, selected from among the collections of an archaeological museum. The oral examination will begin with a discussion of this topic.

 

Readings/Bibliography

Bibliography:

First part

E. Rocconi (ed. by), I suoni perduti. Musica ed eventi sonori in Grecia e a Roma, Milano, 2013.

D. Castaldo, Introduzione all'archeologia musicale, "Il Saggiatore musicale", 22, 2015, pp. 97-109.

E. Hickmann, s.v. «Archaeomusicology», in Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, I, 2001, pp. 848-854.

D. Restani, I suoni del telaio. Appunti sull'universo sonoro degli antichi Greci, in Mousike. Metrica ritmica e musica greca in memoria di Giovanni Comotti, a cura di B. Gentili e F. Perusino, Pisa - Roma, Istituti editoriali e poligrafici internazionali 1995, pp. 93-109.

Three texts of your choice from the following volume: G. Casali, P. Dessì, A. Zangrando (a cura di), Suoni e strumenti musicali nel mondo antico: per un sistema disciplinare e musicologico integrato, L'Erma di Bretschneider, Roma, 2024, pp. 107-238.

E. Poehlmann, Excavation, Dating and Content of Two Tombs in Daphne, Odos Olgas 53, Athens,"Greek and Roman Musical Studies", 1, 2013, pp. 7-24;

S. Psaroudakes, The Daphnē Aulos, "Greek and Roman Musical Studies", 1, 2013, pp. 93-121

C. Terzes, The Daphnē Harp, "Greek and Roman Musical Studies", 1, 2013, pp. 123-149.

E. Lygouri-Tolia,Two Burials of 430 B.C. in Daphne, Athens: Their Topography, and the Profession of the So-Called ‘Poet’ in Tomb 2, "Greek and Roman Musical Studies", 2, 2014, pp. 3-22:

D. Restani, D. Castaldo, A. Rodà, P. Dessì, Che suono avevano gli strumenti musicali degli antichi? Un progetto di ricerca e valorizzazione per lo strumento a fiato di età romana del Museo civico di Belriguardo, in: Taxidia: scritti dal mondo per Fede Berti, (“MOUSAI: Laboratorio di archeologia e storia delle arti”), Pisa, ETS, pp. 327-336.

L. Beccacece, P. Abondio, E. Cilli, D. Restani, L. Donati, Human Genomics and the Biocultural Origin of Music, «International Journal of Molecular Sciences», vol. 22 (10), pp. 1-17. DOI:10.3390/ijms22105397- ISSN:1422-0067 [https://cris.unibo.it/preview-item/599717?queryId=mysubmissions&]

Second part

G. Lawson, Sound Tracks. Uncovering Our Musical Past, London, The Bodely Head, 2024, parti 6-9, pp. 188-276.

At the end of the course, all the course materials will be available on the Virtuale platform, where you will also find specific exam preparation methods for both attending and non-attending students.

Attending students will receive specific reading instructions during the course and will be supported in their individual practice.

Non-attending students are not required to do the individual practice, but they will read all the bibliography indicated above and will integrate it with the following videos:

Rediscovering Ancient Greek Music (Oxford, 2017) 

or:

Patrimonio musicale dei popoli del mondo antico, I parte

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B8E_mzeblk

Patrimonio musicale dei popoli del mondo antico, II parte

Patrimonio musicale dei popoli del mondo antico, III parte

Foreign students which will not attend to the lessons will be required to keep in contact with the Professor one month before the exams at least.

Teaching methods

Reading and analyses of texts and images. Guided visits to archaelogical collections and temporary exhibitions related to the discipline. Partecipation to seminars and conferences.

Attending students can be trained in individual research projects.

To take up the challenge of Education for Sustainable Development (ESS), methods that stimulate skills through active learning will be favored. Therefore, the student will be put in contact with different research strategies which imply interdisciplinary knowledge.

Assessment methods

The exam consists in an interview to assess the student’s critical and methodological skills. Both "First Part" and the "Second Part" will be considered during the exam. Attending students will introduce their individual research during the exam. Each student will choose a source (text) to analyze according to the methodological guidelines provided. Particular emphasis will be given to the students ability to manage sources and bibliography in order to obtain the necessary information and to illustrate topics and issues finding connections between them.

The assessment will be based on: knowledge of the subject matter; concept analysis and synthesis; clarity of expression, proper terminology. Students who show proficiency in knowledge and critical perspective, as well as proficiency in expression and technical vocabulary will be granted the highest marks.

Students who show they have studied, but in a mnemonic way, and are able of synthesis and analysis expressed adequately, will be granted of medium marks.

Students who show basic knowledge, but inadequate vocabulary, will have a pass.

Students who show insufficient knowledge, inadequate vocabulary and don't know appropriately the bibliography, will not pass the exam.

Teaching tools

Audiovisuals, pc, films and stereo.

During the year there is the possibility of meetings, seminar lectures with professors from foreign universities and guided visits to museums or archaeological collections with musical instruments and iconography as part of the "Vedere i Suoni" and "RIMAnt" projects.

Individual tutoring may be provided for students attending the lessons.

Students who, for reasons dependent on disabilities or specific learning disorders (DSA), need compensatory tools may inform the teacher of their needs so that they can be referred to the contact persons and agree on the adoption of the most appropriate measures.

 

Links to further information

http://moisasociety.org

Office hours

See the website of Donatella Restani