The course will develop through paths that illustrate: history, theory, techniques and methods of archaeological research.

The course will be structured in two teaching units: the first theoretical one, where the topics indicated in point 1 will be addressed. the second teaching unit will be dedicated to the deepening of the different fields of investigation indicated in points: Two, three, four, five.

1) The complexity and the paths of archaeological investigation:

the research on literary and documentary sources, the recognition (survey), the field investigation: brief history of the "conquest" of the method (from the excavation to the conscious research of the antiquarian of the XVII-XVIII century until the acquisition of the stratigraphic method; the relationship with the humanities and with those scientific disciplines);
application aspects: the reading of archaeological traces and remains, excavation techniques and strategies
Data collection: graphic documentation (surveying) and photographic documentation (excavation and materials): traditional systems and new techniques;
Data acquisition and cataloguing: cards, databases and the internet;
Interpretation: data processing and dissemination; scientific publication and communication.

2) The fields of investigation:
Landscape archaeology and environmental archaeology;
Architectural and urban archaeology;
The European Commission, DG XIII;
Cave archaeology


3) Archaeology and science:

Remote and proximal sensing
3) Archaeological thinking:
Theoretical archaeology: the archaeological process and post-trial

4) Communication in Archaeology:
Valorization, Public Archaeology and Participatory Archaeology

5) Preventive archaeology

A. CARANDINI, Storie dalla terra. Manuale di scavo archeologico, Torino 1996
E.C. HARRIS, Principi di stratigrafia archeologica, Roma 1983
Gli altri testi saranno forniti nel corso delle lezioni.

Student not attending:
DE MINICIS et alii, Archeologia del rupestre nel Medioevo, Bari 2020
F. CAMBI, Manuale di archeologia dei paesaggi, Roma 2011