CHRONOLOGY AND CULTURES OF THE ITALIAN MESOLITHIC AND NEOLITHIC
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2021/2022
- Teacher
- ANNALUISA PEDROTTI
- Credits
- 6
- Didactic period
- Secondo Semestre
- SSD
- L-ANT/01
Training objectives
- The course aims to provide students with the technical language, methodological knowledge, and base concepts of Mesolithic and Neolithic studies.
First part: acquisition of main knowledge about specific subjects of Mesolithic research Second part: acquisition of main knowledge about specific subjects of Neolithic research. Prerequisites
- A general knowledge on the theories and methods for archaeological research and the terminology used for the description of lithic artefacts and pottery is required. For those who do not have this preparation reading the handbook of Manuela Cocchi (2009), Preistoria, Qui Edit, chapter 1 p. 11- 53 will help to fill the gap.
Course programme
- The course consists of two parts: 1) Synthesis of the main aspects of the Mesolithic and of the spread of agriculture from the Near East to the European continent, with a particular focus on the Italian peninsula; for both periods the following topics will be discussed: chronology, cultural aspects, technology, settlements, economy and symbolic behaviour; 2) close examination of Mesolithic and Neolithic aspects in agreements with students.
Didactic methods
- The course is articulated into lectures and seminars. The topics covered in the sessions will be supported by individual and group presentations aimed at promoting the active participation of students. For example, students will have to organize a workshop dedicated to the oral presentation of their essays (max 15 minutes). The topic will be agreed with the teachers. Lectures can be integrated with exercises in the "B.Bagolini" laboratory and visits to archaeological exhibitions.
Learning assessment procedures
- A oral examination is foreseen including the following parts:
-open questions of a general character
-Chronological and cultural definition of archaeological items from a table of drawings/pictures
The final note is calculated by summing up the evaluation obtained in the oral examination to that of a short written paper (tesina) and a presentation with PowerPoint concerning a specific topic selected in accordance with the teacher and which must be delivered before the written exam (max 3 points). Reference texts
- Mesolithic (prof.ssa Federica Fontana)
Your are asked to read three papers among the following:
Crombe´ P., Robinson E., 2014. European Mesolithic: Geography and Culture. In C. Smith (ed.) Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology, New York: pp. 2623-2645 (PDF).
Marchand G., Perrin T., 2017. Why this revolution? Explaining the major technical shift in Southwestern Europe during the 7th millennium cal. BC. Quaternary International, 428, 73-85 (PDF).
* Fontana, F., Govoni, L., Guerreschi, A., Padoanello, S., Siviero, A., Thun Hohenstein, U., Ziggiotti, S., 2009. L'occupazione sauveterriana di Mondeval de Sora 1, settore I (San Vito di Cadore, Belluno) in bilico tra accampamento residenziale e campo da caccia. Preistoria Alpina 44, 207-226. (PDF)
Fontana F., Visentin D. 2015. Between the Venetian Alps and the Emilian Apennines (Northern Italy): highland vs. lowland occupation in the early Mesolithic. Quaternary International -http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2015.12.014. (PDF)
Lo Vetro D., Martini F. 2016. Mesolithic in Central-Southern Italy: Overview of lithic productions. Quaternary International - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2015.12.043. (PDF)
**Martini F., 2006. Sepolture e riti funerari del Mesolitico in Italia. In Martini F. (a cura di) La cultura del morire nelle società preistoriche. Studio interdisciplinare dei dati e loro trattamento informatico. Origines, Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria, pp. 67-86. (PDF)
-Fontana F., Cristiani E., BertolaS., BrioisF., GuerreschiA., ZiggiottiS. (2020) A snapshot of Late Mesolithic life through death: An appraisal of the lithic and osseous grave goods from the Castelnovianburial of Mondevalde Sora (Dolomites, Italy). PLoSONE 15(8): e0237573. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237573
* FOR ENGLISH SPEAKING STUDENTS TO REPLACE with Fontana et al 2009: Fontana F. et al. 2011. The Early Mesolithic occupation of Mondeval de Sora (Belluno, Dolomites): a residential site or a hunting camp? In XIX Congresso dell’Associazione Antropologica Italiana. Torino, 21-24 settembre 2011, Journal of Biological Research, LXXXIV (2011), 1, pp. 80-84. (PDF)
** FOR FRENCH SPEAKING STUDENTS TO REPLACE with Martini 2006: Gazzoni V., F. Fontana, 2011. Quelle mort ? Quelle vie ? Pratiques funéraires et organisation sociale des chasseurs–cueilleurs de la péninsule italienne - What death? What life? Mortuary practices and social organisation of hunter-gatherers in the Italian peninsula. Bull. Mém. Soc. Anthropol. Paris, DOI 10.1007/s13219-010-0028-5 (PART ON THE MESOLITHIC) (PDF)
PDF of the papers will be provided to the students
Neolithic prof.ssa Annaluisa Pedrotti
Fowler Ch., Harding J.,Hofmann, 2015, The Oxford Handbook of Neolithic Europe, Oxford University Press, 81-99; 175-194
Your are asked to read three papers among the following:
GibajaJ. F., IbánezJ.J., Mazzucco N., TerradasX., 2018, The Neolithicexpansionin the Western Mediterranean: Understanding a global phenomenonfrom regionalperspectives, QuaternaryInternational 470, B, 207-528
Scientific Papers will be provided during the course.
