MATERIALS ARCHAEOTECHNOLOGY
Academic year and teacher
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2021/2022
- Teacher
- STEFANO GIALANELLA
- Credits
- 6
- Didactic period
- Primo Semestre
- SSD
- ING-IND/22
Training objectives
- To illustrate the main aspects of the materials production technologies and relevant effects on human civilisations.
Prerequisites
- Although no specific prerequisite is required, an introductory course on archaeometry may help.
Course programme
- In this Course the development of the some technologies relevant to the main classes of materials used will be considered, with possible extension to present days, if this turns out to be interesting for a better understanding of processes started in ancient times. Similarly, the inter-relationships among different processes fields, like metallurgy and ceramurgy will be highlighted. For all topics, real case studies will be presented for a more effective comprehension of the importance of specific materials properties and processes.In this regard, the main archaeometric approaches useful for the characterization of materials and artifacts, will be recalled.
From stone to advanced ceramics: at the center of human civilisation, ever.
1- Stone and lithic materials: a constant presence in human cultures.
Ceramics: pyrotechnology and raw materials selection.
Building materials: from daub to concrete: materials, techniques, applications.
2- Metallurgy: the technology that beats the time of human history.
Copper and its alloys: raw materials, extraxìction processes, casting and metal working processes.
Iron and steels: from solid state to liquid extraction processes
Noble metals and other metallic alloys: aspects of an apparently lesser metallurgy.
Recent developments: light Al-, Mg- and Ti- based alloys.
3- Glass: the strength and the brittleness
Natural glasses: obsidians, tektites and others.
Artificial glasses: Raw materials. Evolution of the manufacturing and processing techniques
4- Materials for "writing": the memory of civilisation.
Painting and writing: a common start.
Early materials.
Paper: raw materials and manufacturing techniques over the years.
Other communication and information storage materials
5- Epilogue.
Materials and technologies have accompanied life and development of human civilizations. With reference to some, both past and contemporary, examples, the reasons and aims of technological choices will be discussed even in the attempt of understanding possible future developments. Didactic methods
- The Course comprises 30 lecture hours.
Lectures are given using computer assisted presentations, whose content is available, as pdf, on request. Learning assessment procedures
- Oral exam, that can be given either in a standard way or as a seminar on a course subject assigned 24h in advance.
Reference texts
- A complete list of references is available and pdf files of the lecture slides.
