ITALIANO: Il corso traccia la relazione tra gli esseri umani e i materiali da loro utilizzati fin dalla preistoria per la sussistenza, l'abbigliamento, il riparo, l'espressione dell'identità, l'accumulo di ricchezza, la guerra, il movimento e altri scopi. Il corso introdurrà gli studenti alla storia, ai processi produttivi e all'ampia gamma di metodi e approcci analitici utilizzati per la caratterizzazione, la datazione e la provenienza di numerose categorie di materiali archeologici, che costituiscono cultura materiale creata o modificata dall'uomo, nonché il concetto del materiality. Particolare attenzione sarà posta sui materiali organici (tessuti, cuoio, legno, materia dura animale, residui organici, adesivi), che hanno costituito la stragrande maggioranza della cultura materiale in passato ma rimangono grossolanamente sottorappresentati nella ricerca archeologica e storica. Al termine del corso gli studenti avranno familiarità con un'ampia varietà di approcci teorici e pratici, i loro vantaggi e svantaggi, e saranno in grado di applicarli a casi di studio specifici e di confrontarsi in modo informato con la letteratura scientifica.
ENGLISH: The course traces the relationship between humans and the materials they have used since prehistoric times for subsistence, clothing, shelter, identity expression, wealth accumulation, warfare, movement, and other purposes. The course will introduce students to the history, production processes, and the wide range of analytical methods and approaches used to characterise, date, and provenance numerous categories of archaeological materials, which constitute human-created or modified material culture, as well as the concept of materiality. Special emphasis will be placed on organic materials (textiles, leather, wood, animal hard matter, organic residues, adhesives), which constituted the vast majority of material culture in the past but remain grossly underrepresented in archaeological and historical research. Upon completion of the course, students will be familiar with a wide variety of theoretical and practical approaches, their advantages and disadvantages, and will be able to apply them to specific case studies and engage informedly with the scientific literature.
ENGLISH: The course traces the relationship between humans and the materials they have used since prehistoric times for subsistence, clothing, shelter, identity expression, wealth accumulation, warfare, movement, and other purposes. The course will introduce students to the history, production processes, and the wide range of analytical methods and approaches used to characterise, date, and provenance numerous categories of archaeological materials, which constitute human-created or modified material culture, as well as the concept of materiality. Special emphasis will be placed on organic materials (textiles, leather, wood, animal hard matter, organic residues, adhesives), which constituted the vast majority of material culture in the past but remain grossly underrepresented in archaeological and historical research. Upon completion of the course, students will be familiar with a wide variety of theoretical and practical approaches, their advantages and disadvantages, and will be able to apply them to specific case studies and engage informedly with the scientific literature.
- Docente: Margarita Gleba