Archaeological Materials Science

Educational objectives

The objective of the curricular unit “Introduction to Archaeometry” is to equip students with the basic theoretical and practical knowledge in: a) the chemical/mineralogical composition and nature of different types of archaeomaterials (ceramics, stone and mortars, pigments, organic residues, metals, glass, paper, textiles); b) the different types of advanced scientific techniques used in the characterization of archaeological materials. In particular, the focus of the unit would be to form students able to apply the correct “problem solving” analytical approach (“What-How-When-What for?”) and to provide answers to specific questions arising during the study of archaeomaterials and archaeological sites. The unit will include specialized seminars from invited scholars from the leading Institutions in the field.

Educational objectives

The objective of the module is to equip students with the basic theoretical and practical knowledge in the chemical/mineralogical composition and nature of different types of archaeomaterials (ceramics, stone and mortars, pigments, organic residues, metals, glass, paper, textiles). The focus of the unit would be to form students able to apply the correct “problem solving” analytical approach (“What-How-When-What for?”) and to provide answers to specific questions arising during the study of archaeomaterials. The unit will include specialized seminars from invited scholars from the leading Institutions in the field.

Educational objectives

The objective of the module is to equip students with the basic theoretical and practical knowledge in the different types of advanced scientific techniques used in the characterization of archaeological materials. The focus of the unit would be to form students able to apply the correct “problem solving” analytical approach (“What-How-When-What for?”) and to provide answers to specific questions arising during the study of archaeomaterials and archaeological sites. The unit will include specialized seminars from invited scholars from the leading Institutions in the field.

Educational objectives

The course intends to provide an understanding of the national and regional megaliths in terms of:
- Architecture;
- Spoils;
- Timelines;
- Raw materials;
- Relationship between man and the ecosystem in the past
- Process of selection of the preferred areas for construction of funerary monuments.

Educational objectives

The aim of the courses is to enable students to enrich the knowledge of curricular courses with topics of their choice

Educational objectives

The aim of the course is to provide students with the basic linguistic skills needed to deal with scientific communication in the field of archaeometry.

Educational objectives

To provide students with an overview of the Greek history of art and architecture and with an overview of field archaeology including land surveys, in the context of Greek archaeological stratification.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Identify essential characteristics of particular art and architectural styles in ancient Greece;
- Understand the procedures of antique/traditional techniques;
- Understand the basics of land surveying;
- Understand the basics of stratigraphic excavation in the context of Greek archaeological stratification.

Educational objectives

This module aims at providing students with a detailed overview of the physical properties of different types of archaeological materials.

Educational objectives

The unit on Analytical Chemistry Applications aims at providing students with a detailed overview of different methods and analytical techniques used for scientific investigation applied to archaeological area.

Educational objectives

This module aims at providing students with a detailed overview of the physical properties of different types of archaeological materials.

Educational objectives

This course is designed to provide students with a transdisciplinary view of the newest techniques and approaches in the conservation science/archaeometry field by attending specialized theoretical seminars on selected topics by leading experts from leading Research Institution in Europe and beyond.

Educational objectives

This course is designed to provide students with a transdisciplinary view of the newest techniques and approaches in the conservation science/archaeometry field by attending specialized theoretical seminars on selected topics by leading experts from leading Research Institution in Europe and beyond.

Educational objectives

This course is designed to provide students with a transdisciplinary view of the newest techniques and approaches in the conservation science/archaeometry field by attending field-based training selected topics by leading experts from the ARCHMAT Consortium.

Educational objectives

The aim of the courses is to enable students to enrich the knowledge of curricular courses with topics of their choice

Educational objectives

Objectives
The aim of the module on Environmental archaeology is to present and discuss the interactions between humans and their environment in the archaeological and historical past. This broad scope embraces a range of environmental specialisms within archaeology, such as archaeobotany, archaeozoology (both vertebrate and invertebrate), palynology, palaeoclimate reconstructions as well as more synthetic and theoretical approaches to the past human environment.

Specific objectives
- Knowledge and understanding: The student will acquire the knowledge and understanding of theoretical issues in environmental archaeology as well as criteria for selecting the most appropriate methods for the various applications.
- Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: The student will acquire the ability to apply environmental issues to support archaeological case studies.
- Critical and judgmental capacities: The student will develop critical and judgmental skills by analysing case studies and defining appropriate methods to reconstruct palaeoenvironmental conditions from archaeological contexts. These skills will be developed through interaction with the lecturer during the course and through the preparation of a review.
- Communication skills: The student will be asked to interact in the analysis of case studies and during the lectures to identify the appropriate palaeoenvironmental methods for archaeological studies.
- Learning skills: The student will acquire the theoretical and practical ability to apply the palaeoenvironmental methods to archaeological studies so as to be able to replicate it to real case studies and for the formulation of project proposals.

Educational objectives

General objectives
This modume on experimental archaeology is aimed to introduce and discuss the significance of “experiment, experimental, reference collection through experiments” in archaeology. In recent times, new analyses have complemented the classical and well-established framework defined as archaeometry. These analyses focus on how material culture discovered in the archaeological sites was produced and used. They are defined as technological analysis, use-wear analysis, residues analysis. Their approach is both qualitative and quantitative and is based on the reproduction of and uses of replicas of the archaeological artefacts that form the “reference collection” that allows to the archaeological interpretation.

Specific objectives
- Knowledge and understanding: The course will present the state of the art of these three analyses through the discussion of cases studies related to different archaeological questions.
- The course will be characterized by a broad practical part aimed to organize and carried out experimental sessions for reproducing replicas to be observed and discussed through the observation with optical and digital equipment. Having successfully completed this module, students will be able to demonstrate:
- General knowledge of the technological, use-wear analysis and residues analyses;
- General knowledge of the experimental approach needed to create reference collection.
- Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: General knowledge of how and when to organize an experimental protocol. Basic knowledge of the use of OLM and SEM for technological, use-wear and residues analyses
- Critical and judgmental capacities: Skill to document an experimental protocol and to critically evaluate the obtained results in terms of technology, use-wear and residues applied to archaeological contexts.

Communication skills
- Skill to clearly communicate the results of the analysis of an archaeological context or assemblage through experimental and archaeometric approaches
- Skill to communicate the results of the analysis to people not trained in archaeology
- Learning skills
- Skill to organize and realize an experimental protocols
- Skill to apply a preliminary technological and functional analysis of archeological items or replicas of them.

Educational objectives

Objectives
The aim of the module on Environmental archaeology is to present and discuss the interactions between humans and their environment in the archaeological and historical past. This broad scope embraces a range of environmental specialisms within archaeology, such as archaeobotany, archaeozoology (both vertebrate and invertebrate), palynology, palaeoclimate reconstructions as well as more synthetic and theoretical approaches to the past human environment.

Specific objectives
- Knowledge and understanding: The student will acquire the knowledge and understanding of theoretical issues in environmental archaeology as well as criteria for selecting the most appropriate methods for the various applications.
- Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: The student will acquire the ability to apply environmental issues to support archaeological case studies.
- Critical and judgmental capacities: The student will develop critical and judgmental skills by analysing case studies and defining appropriate methods to reconstruct palaeoenvironmental conditions from archaeological contexts. These skills will be developed through interaction with the lecturer during the course and through the preparation of a review.
- Communication skills: The student will be asked to interact in the analysis of case studies and during the lectures to identify the appropriate palaeoenvironmental methods for archaeological studies.
- Learning skills: The student will acquire the theoretical and practical ability to apply the palaeoenvironmental methods to archaeological studies so as to be able to replicate it to real case studies and for the formulation of project proposals.

Educational objectives

General objectives
The aim of the madule is to introduce the student to the analysis of archaeological materials using the methods typical of condensed-matter physics and material science. The course includes both lectures and lab sessions.

Specific objectives
- Knowledge and understanding: The student will acquire the knowledge of basic concepts in condensed matter physics and how these relate to specific analysis techniques.
- Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: The student will acquire the ability to interpret microscopy, imaging, x-ray, and radioactivity data from archeological materials.
- Critical and judgmental capacities: The student will develop critical and judgmental skills by analysing case studies and defining appropriate physical methods for archaeological studies. These skills will be developed through interaction with the lecturer during the course.
- Communication skills: The student will be asked to interact in the analysis of study materials and during the lectures to identify the appropriate physical methods in archaeological studies.
- Learning skills: The student will acquire the theoretical and practical ability to apply physical methods to the identification and dating of archeological materials.

Educational objectives

General objectives
The aim of the madule is to introduce the student to the analysis of archaeological materials using the methods typical of condensed-matter physics and material science. The course includes both lectures and lab sessions.

Specific objectives
- Knowledge and understanding: The student will acquire the knowledge of basic concepts in condensed matter physics and how these relate to specific analysis techniques.
- Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: The student will acquire the ability to interpret microscopy, imaging, x-ray, and radioactivity data from archeological materials.
- Critical and judgmental capacities: The student will develop critical and judgmental skills by analysing case studies and defining appropriate physical methods for archaeological studies. These skills will be developed through interaction with the lecturer during the course.
- Communication skills: The student will be asked to interact in the analysis of study materials and during the lectures to identify the appropriate physical methods in archaeological studies.
- Learning skills: The student will acquire the theoretical and practical ability to apply physical methods to the identification and dating of archeological materials.

Educational objectives

Objectives
The aim of the course is to introduce the student to the study of different types of biological remains from archaeological contexts, through extensive sessions of laboratory work under stereo- and light microscopes.

Specific objectives
- Knowledge and understanding: The student will acquire the knowledge of fossilization processes and identification methods of plant and animal remains, as well as criteria for selecting the most appropriate methods for the various applications.
- Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: The student will acquire the ability to identify biological remains to support archaeological case studies.
- Critical and judgmental capacities: The student will develop critical and judgmental skills by analysing case studies and defining appropriate biological methods for archaeological studies. These skills will be developed through interaction with the lecturer during the course.
- Communication skills: The student will be asked to interact in the analysis of study materials and during the lectures to identify the appropriate biological methods in archaeological studies.
- Learning skills: The student will acquire the theoretical and practical ability to apply the identification of fossil remains to archaeological interpretations so as to be able to replicate it to real case studies and for the formulation of project proposals.

Educational objectives

The course is aimed at giving a general overview of Roman archaeology, being focused on the main artistic, architectural and urban topics of Rome and of the Roman Empire. It is expected that the students can acquire autonomous competences in evaluating and interpreting Roman art and architecture, through the analysis of selected and paradigmatic examples. The possibility of visiting, during the course, some main sites and monuments at Rome will give the opportunity for interactive activities and seminars, which will improve the critical capacities of the students, useful for their future career.

Educational objectives

The final exam consists of the discussion of a Master's thesis, comprising a written document, in English, which presents the results of an original study on a problem of an applicative, experimental or research nature. The preparation of the thesis is carried out under the guidance of an advisor during the fourth semester.