Archaeology

In Western culture, Antiquity has never been forgotten, but rather reworked and studied in different ways over the centuries. Already in the Renaissance, artists and scholars looked with interest at the remains of the Roman world, but it was between the 18th and 19th centuries that antiquarian research gradually transformed into scientific archaeology. The excavations of Herculaneum and Pompeii, the phenomenon of the Grand Tour, and the rediscovery of Paestum and Magna Graecia opened up new perspectives and fuelled a debate that involved scholars, travellers, and artists. In this context, archaeology established itself as an autonomous discipline, distinct but complementary to art history, with its own practices and methods. The course traces these developments, then focuses on the major excavations in Rome after the unification of Italy, a crucial moment for the construction of national identity and the definition of the discipline. Figures such as Pietro Rosa, Rodolfo Lanciani and Giacomo Boni marked a fundamental period with their discoveries and methods, which still today constitute a reference point in the history of Italian and European archaeology.

No prerequisites required

A. Schnapp, La conquista del passato. Alle origini dell'archeologia M. Barbanera, Storia dell'Archeologia Classica in Italia

Optional

Interview. Students evaluation will be based on the following parameters: knowledge, active involvement in classes, reasoning, learning.

For analysis of issues discussed during the course further readings will be also provided.

Lectures in the classroom with PowerPoint presentations and discussions.

In Western culture, Antiquity has never been forgotten, but rather reworked and studied in different ways over the centuries. Already in the Renaissance, artists and scholars looked with interest at the remains of the Roman world, but it was between the 18th and 19th centuries that antiquarian research gradually transformed into scientific archaeology. The excavations of Herculaneum and Pompeii, the phenomenon of the Grand Tour, and the rediscovery of Paestum and Magna Graecia opened up new perspectives and fuelled a debate that involved scholars, travellers, and artists. In this context, archaeology established itself as an autonomous discipline, distinct but complementary to art history, with its own practices and methods. The course traces these developments, then focuses on the major excavations in Rome after the unification of Italy, a crucial moment for the construction of national identity and the definition of the discipline. Figures such as Pietro Rosa, Rodolfo Lanciani and Giacomo Boni marked a fundamental period with their discoveries and methods, which still today constitute a reference point in the history of Italian and European archaeology.

No prerequisites required

A. Schnapp, La conquista del passato. Alle origini dell'archeologia M. Barbanera, Storia dell'Archeologia Classica in Italia

Optional

Interview. Students evaluation will be based on the following parameters: knowledge, active involvement in classes, reasoning, learning.

For analysis of issues discussed during the course further readings will be also provided.

Lectures in the classroom with PowerPoint presentations and discussions.