PREHISTORY AND PROTOHISTORY

CODE	65093
ACADEMIC YEAR	2026/2027
CREDITS	9 cfu anno 1 CONSERVAZIONE DEI BENI CULTURALI 11954 (L-1) - GENOVA 9 cfu anno 3 STORIA 8459 (L-42) - GENOVA
SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINARY SECTOR	ARCH-01/A
LANGUAGE	Italian
TEACHING LOCATION	GENOVA
SEMESTER	1° Semester

OVERVIEW

The disciplines concerned with Prehistory and Protohistory aim to investigate the biological, cultural, and technological processes that shaped the origin and evolution of our species up to the emergence of urban societies and the spread of writing. Within this framework, the course seeks to provide students with a solid grounding in human evolution and the development of prehistoric cultures across the long chronological span extending from the Lower Palaeolithic to the beginnings of the Metal Ages.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching of "Prehistory and Protohistory" aims to provide a general framework of the development of the human cultures from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age, starting from the key concepts for each period and then focusing on the cultures that characterized the evolution of the italian Prehistory and Protohistory.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to illustrate the evolutionary history of humankind and to provide a comprehensive overview of the development of human cultures from the Lower Palaeolithic to the beginning of the Metal Ages. After introducing the main methodological and interpretative issues of the discipline, the course will focus on the analysis of the cultures that characterized the Prehistory and Protohistory of the Italian Peninsula.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired a solid understanding of the principal themes and processes that define Prehistory and Protohistory. They will be able to discuss these topics using appropriate academic language, historical contextualization, and critical analysis, while demonstrating a correct command of the discipline’s technical and specialized terminology.

Differences in the learning outcomes between the 9-credit and 6-credit versions of the course will concern exclusively the breadth of the topics covered. In the 6-credit version, the content will be appropriately reduced, as specified in the syllabus.

PREREQUISITES

No specific prerequisites are required. However, a general knowledge of ancient history and of European and Mediterranean geography, as well as good reading comprehension and text analysis skills, will be beneficial for attending the course.

TEACHING METHODS

• Teaching activities will make use of multimedia presentations (PowerPoint), audiovisual materials, digital resources, and other documentation useful for the in-depth study of the topics covered.

• All students, whether attending or non-attending, are required to register on the course AulaWeb platform, which serves as the primary means of communication between the instructor and students. The platform will provide up-to-date information regarding lectures, laboratory activities, field trips, office hours, and teaching materials.

• Classes will be held primarily in person, with the possibility of participating remotely through online access. Although attendance is not mandatory, it is strongly recommended.

• Students with certified Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), disabilities, or other special educational needs are encouraged to contact both the instructor and the School/Department Disability and Inclusion Coordinator at the beginning of the course in order to arrange any appropriate teaching accommodations and support measures. Such arrangements will be made in accordance with the learning objectives of the course while taking individual learning needs into account.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course aims to provide students with a solid foundation in the origin and evolution of humankind and the development of human cultures across the long chronological span extending from the Lower Palaeolithic to the beginning of the Metal Ages. The topics covered will be approached from a predominantly anthropological perspective, with the objective of understanding the biological, cultural, economic, and social processes that shaped the formation and transformation of human communities during Prehistory and Protohistory, also in relation to climatic and environmental changes.

Particular attention will be devoted to the processes of hominization, the earliest Palaeolithic cultures, the evolution and disappearance of Neanderthals, the origin and spread of anatomically modern humans, the hunter-gatherer societies of the Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, the development of symbolic thought and artistic expression, the processes of sedentarization, the emergence and diffusion of agriculture during the Neolithic, the discovery of metallurgy, the formation of the first complex and urban societies, and, finally, the gradual transition from Prehistory to History.

While special emphasis will be placed on the archaeological record of the Italian Peninsula, the course will also examine case studies from other regions of the Mediterranean and from different parts of the world in order to better understand the origins, diffusion, and variability of the cultural phenomena under discussion.

The course will also introduce the principal methods and the most up-to-date scientific techniques employed in prehistoric and protohistoric archaeology, which are essential for the proper interpretation and contextualization of archaeological evidence.

The 6-credit version of the course will cover the methodological foundations of the discipline and the main cultural processes spanning the period from the Upper Palaeolithic to the beginning of the Metal Ages.

There is no difference in the syllabus between attending and non-attending students.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

FABIO NEGRINO

Ricevimento: On line or at my office (Via Balbi, 2 - 3rd floor). Only on appointment.

LESSONS

LESSONS START

September, 2026

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

• Assessment will consist of an oral examination designed to evaluate students’ knowledge of the topics covered during the course, as well as their ability to discuss them clearly, accurately, and with critical awareness.

• Erasmus students who do not possess an adequate command of the Italian language may agree with the instructor on an alternative syllabus and reading list and may take the examination in English or French.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The oral examination is intended to assess students’ level of knowledge and understanding of the topics covered during the course. Students will also be evaluated on their ability to critically analyse and contextualise the main historical processes and phenomena discussed, placing them correctly within their chronological and cultural framework. Particular attention will be paid to clarity of presentation, argumentative skills, and the appropriate use of the discipline’s technical and specialized terminology.