BASA041 - CULTURA MATERIALE POST CLASSICA

courses

ID:

BASA041

Duration (hours):

42

CFU:

SSD:

ARCHEOLOGIA CRISTIANA E MEDIEVALE

Located in:

CHIETI

Url:

Course Details:

BENI ARCHEOLOGICI E STORICO-ARTISTICI/CORSO GENERICO Year: 2

Year:

2025

Course Catalogue:

https://unich.coursecatalogue.cineca.it/af/2025?co...

Date/time interval

Secondo Semestre (01/03/2026 - 31/05/2026)

Course Objectives

The course aims to complement students’ historical and archaeological training through the acquisition of specific knowledge and skills related to the analysis of material culture from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages. In particular, it provides the tools necessary for the analysis, interpretation, and contextualisation of material culture in the Late Antique, Early Medieval, and Medieval periods, with attention to the spatial, chronological, socio-economic, and cultural dimensions of artefacts.
The course is designed to train professionals capable of working in the fields of archaeology, museums, research, and cultural heritage protection, equipped with critical and methodological tools for studying postclassical material sources in both excavation and survey or cataloguing contexts.
Expected Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students are expected to demonstrate the following:
Knowledge:

in-depth understanding of the main categories of postclassical archaeological materials (ceramics, metals, glass, building materials, everyday objects);

command of the main theories and methodologies for the study of material culture (typology, chronology, production technologies, distribution, uses and meanings);

awareness of the historical and cultural frameworks relevant to the interpretation of material contexts from Late Antiquity to the High Middle Ages.

Skills:

ability to analyse and critically interpret material finds, linking them to archaeological contexts and historical processes;

ability to apply tools and methods for the classification and documentation of material culture (cataloguing sheets, information systems, GIS);

ability to integrate archaeological data with historical sources for reconstructing economic, social, and cultural practices.

Transversal competences (Dublin Descriptors A4.c):

ability to communicate acquired knowledge clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing, including through digital tools;

ability to develop independent judgments based on critical analysis of material sources;

ability to learn independently and to keep up to date with current developments in scholarly research.

Course Prerequisites

No specific prerequisites are required, nor are there any formal prerequisites.

Teaching Methods

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Teaching is primarily delivered through in-class lectures, supported by multimedia materials and case study presentations aimed at introducing students to post-classical material culture.
Guided practical exercises are also included, involving typological and functional analysis of archaeological finds.
The course may also involve educational visits to archaeological sites or museums, in order to enhance direct understanding of settlement dynamics and documentation methods.
All activities are designed to promote active learning and to encourage student participation, in line with the course objectives.

Assessment Methods

The oral examination is designed to assess the student’s understanding of the course content, critical thinking skills, and appropriate use of discipline-specific terminology.
The exam will cover the entire syllabus and may include the analysis and discussion of images and archaeological contexts.
During the examination, the student is expected to:

demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the core content of the course, with particular reference to the main categories of post-classical materials and their interpretation within archaeological contexts;

organise the acquired knowledge in a coherent and well-structured way, showing the ability to make connections between different topics and the case studies discussed;

engage in critical discussion of concrete examples or methodological issues addressed during the course;

express ideas clearly and accurately, using appropriate archaeological terminology.

The final grade will be awarded on a scale of thirty points (minimum 18/30, maximum 30/30 with honours).
The assessment will be based on the following criteria:

Knowledge of content (up to 12/30)

Ability to reason critically and link topics (up to 10/30)

Clarity of presentation and use of specialist terminology (up to 8/30)

The sum of the partial scores will determine the final grade.
Optional activities (e.g. practical exercises, short written assignments, additional readings) may be taken into consideration for the overall assessment, in agreement with the lecturer, but are neither compulsory nor a substitute for the final exam.
The assessment methods are aligned with the expected learning outcomes and are designed to reflect the different levels of competence and autonomy achieved by the student.

Texts

E. GIANNICHEDDA, s.v. Cultura materiale, in Dizionario di archeologia. Temi, concetti e metodi, a cura di R. Francovich e D. Manacorda, Bari 2003, pp. 99 – 10.
E. CIRELLI, Archeologia e cultura materiale nel Medioevo, Bologna 2021.
E. GIANNICHEDDA, Declinare manufatti (e cultura materiale) al presente, in M. Nucciotti, E. Pruno (a cura di), Florentia, Studi di archeologia: vol. 5 - Numero speciale - Studi in onore di Guido Vannini, Firenze 2024, pp. 297-306.

M. MILANESE, Le classi ceramiche nell'archeologia medievale, tra terminologie, archeometria e tecnologia, in S. Gualtieri, B.Fabbri, Bruno, G. Bandini (eds), Le classi ceramiche: situazione degli studi: atti della 10. Giornata di archeometria della ceramica, Roma, 5-7 aprile 2006, Bari 2009, pp. 47-56.

D. STIAFFINI, Il vetro nel Medioevo. Tecniche Strutture Manufatti, Roma1999, in part. pp. 89-132.

F. ZAGARi, con appendice di V. La Salvia, Il metallo nel Medioevo. Tecniche Strutture Manufatti, Roma 2005 (l’indicazione delle pagine specifiche verrà fornita dal docente durante il corso).

All of the texts listed above will be available on the Moodle platform.
Additional bibliographic references may be provided by the lecturer during the course.

The course offers a critical overview of the evolution of material culture from Late Antiquity to the High Middle Ages, covering a chronological span from the 4th to the 13th–14th century. Particular attention is given to the role of objects in daily life, in the construction of social identities, and in processes of economic, settlement, and cultural transformation.
The main topics covered include:

Definition and methods for the study of material culture: theoretical and interdisciplinary approaches; material and written sources; classification, function, and context.

Production, circulation, and consumption: craft techniques and changes in production; exchange networks; continuity and innovation from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages.

Objects and society: tools and containers for domestic life; clothing and ornaments; material culture and the representation of power, gender, and social groups.

Material culture and settlement: objects and structures in urban, rural, monastic, and fortified contexts; building materials and the organisation of domestic space.

Funerary contexts and the culture of memory: grave goods, burial practices, and rituals; transformations in funerary customs from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages.

Continuity, ruptures, and hybridisations: changes in material repertoires; “Germanic”, Islamic, and Byzantine cultures in the West; local interactions and global dynamics.

Course Language

Italian

More information

The lecturer is available to meet students on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11:00 to 13:00 during the teaching period. Outside the teaching semester, office hours are held on Wednesdays from 11:00 to 13:00.
For any enquiries, please contact the lecturer by email at: sonia.antonelli@unich.it.