Course: Archaeological Sciences - Curriculum Applied sciences to cultural heritage materials and sites

Course: Archaeological Sciences - Curriculum Applied sciences to cultural heritage materials and sites | Moodle Scienze umane

Master Degree: Archaeological Sciences

Curriculum: Applied sciences to cultural heritage materials and sites


Course Type: Second Cycle degree	Location: Università di Padova
Italian Class of Degree: LM-2 - Archaeology	Brochure of the course
Language: English	Duration: 2 years
Apply Now The next call of applications will open in November 2023.	List of courses/contents
	Survival guide for foreign students, prepared by the International Desks

The Master’s degree acknowledges the recent scientific advances in the investigation of cultural heritage materials at different scales, from the site/landscape survey to diagnostics at the molecular and atomic levels, and the interpretation of derived information. Based on truly interdisciplinary collaborations, the programme offers the theoretical background and the necessary practical knowledge towards the application of scientific methods to archaeological and cultural heritage materials.

The course wishes to emphasise the role of materials in human history and prehistory, showing how innovative and state-of-the-art archaeometric techniques and methods may efficiently extract tangible and intangible information from cultural heritage materials. Furthermore the obtained scientific information must be interpreted in the context of the physical chemistry properties of the material itself, the production process, the socio-economic framework, the conservation process, and finally properly inserted into the historical / social / anthropological / artistic timeline. The cultural heritage materials must be understood as having a past, a present, and a future life, always connected with the ever shifting values of human cultures.

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Structure of the course
1st Year: Integrated analysis of cultural heritage materials, Geomorphology of archaeological landscapes and sites, Suite of courses on Materials properties and conservation (stone materials, binders, biomaterials), Geoarchaeology and micromorphology, Dating techniques, Geophysics for cultural heritage, Macromolecules and genetics, Communication and digital experience in CH

2nd Year: Historical buildings and sites, Suite of courses on Materials properties and conservation (ceramics, pigments, metals, glass), Remote sensing for archaeology, Databases and data processing, Authentication, History and theory of restoration, Urban history, Management and valorization of cultural heritage

Download the list of courses and contents or go to the syllabus page of the courses with all programs.

The programme structure and the focus on materials are very different from existing programmes in Italy and in most EU countries. Selected students may also have the possibility to achieve a double degree with the University of Haifa (Maritime Archaeological Heritage) and with the University of Bordeaux Montaigne (Archaeological Sciences). The students enrolling in Padova in academic year 2023/2024 will be able to select the double degree with Bordeaux or Haifa in 2024/2025.

Download the leaflet of the course.

International Desk (information on the course): international.dbc@unipd.it
Career opportunities
Graduates can work as:
archaeologists;
archaeological scientists;
consultants and planners for diagnostic programs of sites and CH objects;
managers of archaeological sites;
consultants and planners for Museums;
consultants and planners for conservation programs.

In Italy, they can specialize further and enroll in the list of professional archaeologists. Their competences and knowledge will be unique for the interpretation and valorization of archaeological and CH materials.
Dissertation tips
A few tips for selecting the thesis topic and tutors

1) Preferentially, you should select the topic and the tutors proposed in the list below, because they are available and they have been discussed between teachers.

2) if you are thinking about a specific topic that it is not included, please discuss the feasibility and timing in detail with the appropriate teacher(s) of the courses of the ASCH master

3) if you wish to work with other teachers or scientist not directly involved in the ASCH courses, they must necessarily contact one of the teacher and discuss the details of the activities, because you must have an internal tutor of the ASCH course

A few tips for planning and completing the dissertation.

1) Remember that you need to register for graduation, within the deadlines set up for each graduation period (https://www.unipd.it/en/graduation), communicating the name(s) of the tutor(s) and the final title of the Dissertation.

2) At the same time, you should communicate to the Director of the course and the Academic Board the language you want to adopt (usually English). If the thesis is in English, an extended abstract in Italian must also be included.

3) The format of the dissertation should follow the proposed template (file.pdf, file.docx).

Proposed and assigned topics for dissertation work - A.Y. 2022-23

Available dissertations
Title	Supervisors (institutions)	please contact
Pigment identification and degradation in mural paintings	Gilberto Artioli (UNIPD), Alfonso Zoleo (UNIPD), Luca Nodari (CNR)	gilberto.artioli@unipd.it
Prehistoric slags: characterization of the early copper smelting	Gilberto Artioli (UNIPD), Ivana Angelini (UNIPD)	gilberto.artioli@unipd.it
Turquoise authentication: how can we distinguish real and fakes?	Gilberto Artioli (UNIPD), Gregorio dal Sasso (CNR)	gilberto.artioli@unipd.it
Characterization of prehistoric and protohistoric metals: metallography, metal chemistry, isotopes	Gilberto Artioli (UNIPD), Ivana Angelini (UNIPD), Caterina Canovaro (UNIPD)	gilberto.artioli@unipd.it
The Egyptian blue pigment: identification, manufacturing techniques, provenance	Gilberto Artioli (UNIPD), Ivana Angelini (UNIPD)	gilberto.artioli@unipd.it
African trade beads: glass characterization and provenancing	Ivana Angelini (UNIPD), Gilberto Artioli (UNIPD)	gilberto.artioli@unipd.it
The 3th millenium painted pottery from Mahtouthabad, Jiroft (Kerman, Iran): an integrated archaeometric approach to define the production technology of the polychrome decoration system	Lara Maritan (UNIPD), Massimo Vidale (UNIPD), Francois Desset (University of Teheran-Iran)	lara.maritan@unipd.it
The bricks of ancient Nora (Sardinia, Italy): production technology and raw material provenance	Lara Maritan (UNIPD), Jacopo Bonetto (UNIPD)	lara.maritan@unipd.it
Archaeometric analysis of Middle Age ceramic materials from Castelseprio and Monselice (Northern Italy)	Lara Maritan (UNIPD), Alejandra Chavarria (UNIPD)	lara.maritan@unipd.it
Ceramic alteration in underwater sites	Lara Maritan (UNIPD), Patrick Quinn (UCL), Maja Mise (Cambridge), Emanuela Mascaro (UNIPD)	lara.maritan@unipd.it
Archaeometric study of green stones from Iran and Oman	Lara Maritan (UNIPD), Massimo Vidale (UNIPD), Claudio Mazzoli (UNIPD), Chiara Coletti (UNIPD)	lara.maritan@unipd.it
Geoarchaeological map of the Sile River catchment (Treviso): analysis of long-term human-environmental interactions through GIS, remote sensing and fieldwork	Giacomo Vinci (UNIPD), Paolo Mozzi (UNIPD), Alessandro Fontana (UNIPD)	giacomo.vinci@unipd.it
Underwater stone heritage vs. climate change: an experimental investigation of the effects of ocean acidification	Claudio Mazzoli (UNIPD), Luigi Germinario (UNIPD)	claudio.mazzoli@unipd.it
From quarries to monuments: extraction and use of Istrian limestone in the Roman age	Claudio Mazzoli (UNIPD), Caterina Previato (UNIPD)	claudio.mazzoli@unipd.it
Deterioration of archaeological stone in ancient Greek-Roman underwater sites of the Mediterranean Sea	Claudio Mazzoli (UNIPD), Luigi Germinario (UNIPD)	claudio.mazzoli@unipd.it
Quantitative analysis of use-wear traces of Prehistoric stone tools	Claudio Mazzoli (UNIPD), Luigi Germinario (UNIPD)	claudio.mazzoli@unipd.it
Reconstructing the weathering trends of historical building materials via experimental microclimate monitoring	Claudio Mazzoli (UNIPD), Luigi Germinario (UNIPD)	claudio.mazzoli@unipd.it
Evolution of the constructive techniques in the periphery of the Venice Lagoon between Late Antiquity and early Medieval times: the case of the San Mauro Monastery	Michele Secco (UNIPD), Alessandra Cianciosi, Sauro Gelichi (UNIVE)	michele.secco@unipd.it
Exploitation of natural resources for construction purposes: the volcanic breccias of the Euganean Hills and their use in ancient times	Michele Secco (UNIPD), Claudio Mazzoli (UNIPD), Caterina Previato (UNIPD)	michele.secco@unipd.it
Architectures of the Rocca di Monselice during the early and late Middle Ages: architectural sequence, construction techniques and archaeometric analysis of the binders	Alexandra Chavarria Arnau (UNIPD), Michele Secco (UNIPD)	michele.secco@unipd.it
The multimethodological geophysical approach in rural archaeological sites	Rita Deiana (UNIPD)	rita.deiana@unipd.it
Application of GPR and ERT for archaeological research in urban areas	Rita Deiana (UNIPD)	rita.deiana@unipd.it
Application of non-invasive methods to study historical buildings and monuments	Rita Deiana (UNIPD)	rita.deiana@unipd.it
Application of non-invasive techniques to the analysis of decorations, artworks, and objects of interest in Cultural Heritage	Rita Deiana (UNIPD)	rita.deiana@unipd.it

Assigned Dissertations
Title	Supervisors	Student (year of admission)
Characterization and degradation of mural paintings from Caesarea Maritima, Israel	Michele Secco (UNIPD), Giulia Ricci (UNIPD), Yotam Asscher (IAA)	Nelli-Spyridoula Maniki (2021/2022)
Characterization and degradation of mural paintings from Motza, Israel	Michele Secco (UNIPD), Giulia Ricci (UNIPD), Yotam Asscher (IAA)	Chloe Kelly (2021/2022)
3D virtual reconstruction	Emanuel Demetrescu (CNR)	Giada Tronca (2021/2022)
Use/wear analysis of bone fragments and tools from Nora	Jacopo Bonetto (UNIPD), Rémy Chapoulie (UBM), Isabelle Sidéra (UBM)	Martina Naso (2021/2022)
The Egyptian blue pigment: identification, manufacturing techniques, provenance	Gilberto Artioli (UNIPD), Ivana Angelini (UNIPD)	Martina Pellegrina (2022/2023)
"Art Deco" malachite glass: distinction of originals and recent copies	Ivana Angelini (UNIPD), Gilberto Artioli (UNIPD)	Anna Kamani (2022/2023)
Characterization of unusual materials in art objects of the MNU-UNIPD Museum of Anthropology	Gilberto Artioli (UNIPD), Alfonso Zoleo (UNIPD), Ivana Angelini (UNIPD)	Tanner Elizabeth Sprankle (2022/2023)
Influence of clay processing on mineralogy and bulk chemistry in ancient pottery production	Lara Maritan (UNIPD)	Vania Filippou (2022/2023)
A 4th millennium BCE activity area on the surface of the Mehrgarh 2 site, Baluchistan, Pakistan	Massimo Vidale (UNIPD), Lara Maritan (UNIPD)	Irene Caldana (2021/2022)
Ceramic alteration in underwater sites: the case of Torre Santa Sabina (Puglia, Italy)	Lara Maritan (UNIPD), Emanuela Mascaro (UNIPD)	Hasti Pezeshkanjalili (2021/2022)
Disclosing the provenance and production technology of Meroitic ceramics from Sedinga (northern Sudan)	Lara Maritan (UNIPD), Romain David (SFDAS-Sudan)	Ciara Nicola Mc Carthy (2021/2022)
Virtual reconstruction: The Al Khiday site, Sudan	Emanuel Demetrescu (CNR), Gilberto Artioli (UNIPD)	Kimia Jahangiry (2021/2022)
Ancient textiles	Margarita Gleba (UNIPD), Gilberto Artioli (UNIPD), Alfonso Zoleo (UNIPD)	Nina Jaanske Schuurman (2021/2022)
Early degradation detection in historical buildings	Michele Secco, Francesca da Porto (UNIPD)	Paula Stipanovic Restrepo (2021/2022)
Tracing temper and temperature: a study of pottery production techniques in the Meroitic Kingdom	Lara Maritan (UNIPD), Ruth Shahack-Gross (Haifa), Marta Dal Corso (UNIPD)	Max Meir (2023/2024)
A high-resolution approach to the site formation processes of Tinshemet Cave, Israel	Cristiano Nicosia (UNIPD), Ruth Shahack-Gross (Haifa)	Pedro Garcia Villa (2021/2022) (Haifa)
The hydraulic mortars of the Byzantine City Wall (Long Structure) in Tiberias beach at the Sea of Galilee and the relation with the lake level fluctuations	Michele Secco (UNIPD), Emmanuel Nantet (Haifa), Ruth Shahack-Gross (Haifa)	Konstantinos Thomas (2021/2022) (Haifa)

Completed dissertations
Title	Supervisors	Student (year of graduation)
Traces of polychromy on stone monuments	Rémy Chapoulie (UBM), Rita Deiana (UNIPD), Monica Salvadori (UNIPD)	Chiara Giusti (July 2023)

Cultural heritage materials and sites