Unit 1
Soils and mankind: role of soils in human life and history. Can we define soil as cultural heritage? Discussion and presentation of the historical, artistic and ethno/anthropological values of soil according to the “cultural heritage” definition. Soil and art: soil is individuated and discussed through different art expressions such as paintings, installations and visual arts. Critical analysis of the different attention given by artists to the soil resource from the past to present times.
Soils functions (ecological and socio-economical). Presentation of the active and passive role of soil for the conservation concept.
Soils and archaeology: potential support of soil sciences to archaeological sciences. Presentation of the methodological approaches to the study of burial context:
1) Characterization of soils properties: conservation parameters
2) Functional analysis of archaeological areas to infer their original function.

Unit 2
Pedoarchaeology: pedology in archaeological contexts, genesis, properties and characteristics of soil in the past with respect to the environment reconstruction where man interacted. Pedon: definition and characteristics. The pedogenesis: factors and processes of soil formation and genesis. Overview of soil classification systems. The characteristics of pedogenetic and diagnostic horizons. The anthropic factor in pedogenesis. Description of the profile of a soil. The physical and chemical properties of soil modified by human activity. Detail stratigraphy: possible matrices. Micromorphological and geochemical analysis, isotopic dating. Case studies related to the analysis of stratigraphic sequences in buried soils between the Bronze (sometimes the early Holocene) and the late Middle Ages (holoceic pedophile complex).

Unit 1
Teaching material is provided by the professor and further divided in relation to the different curriculum.
Soil and culture, 2010 – E.R. Landa, C. Feller – Springer (optional readings)
Unit 2
Basi di Pedologia. Giacomo Certini e Fiorenzo Cesare Ugolini. Edagricole
Soil Science for Archeologists. Stewart Reed, Nathan Bailey, Oghenekome Onokpise
Edited by: Michael Russo and Virginia Horak

Unit 1.
Soils and mankind: role of soils in human life and history. Can we define soil as cultural heritage? Discussion and presentation of the historical, artistic and ethno/anthropological values of soil according to the “cultural heritage” definition. Soil and art: soil is individuated and discussed through different art expressions such as paintings, installations and visual arts. Critical analysis of the different attention given by artists to the soil resource from the past to present times.
Soils functions (ecological and socio-economical).Presentation of the active and passive role of soil for the conservation concept.
Soils and archaeology: potential support of soil sciences to archaeological sciences. Presentation of the methodological approaches to the study of burial context:
1) Characterization of soils properties: conservation parameters
2) Functional analysis of archaeological areas to infer their original function.

Unit 2.
Pedoarcheology: pedology in archaeological contexts, genesis, properties and characteristics of soil in the past with respect to the environment reconstruction where man interacted. Pedon: definition and characteristics. The pedogenesis: factors and processes of soil formation and genesis. Overview of soil classification systems. The characteristics of pedogenetic and diagnostic horizons. The anthropic factor in pedogenesis. Description of the profile of a soil. The physical and chemical properties of soil modified by human activity. Detail stratigraphy: possible matrices. Micromorphological and geochemical analysis, isotopic dating. Case studies related to the analysis of stratigraphic sequences in buried soils between the Bronze (sometimes the early Holocene) and the late Middle Ages (holoceic pedophile complex).

Unit 1
Teaching material is provided by the professor and further divided in relation to the different curriculum.
Soil and culture, 2010 – E.R. Landa, C. Feller – Springer (optional readings)
Unit 2
Materilas provided by lessons
Basi di Pedologia. Giacomo Certini e Fiorenzo Cesare Ugolini. Edagricole