OVERVIEW

The "deep history" or the historical process that precedes the spread of writing is the subject-matter of Paleoethnology, also known as Prehistoric Archaeology. The course will therefore deal with the interactions between biology, culture and environment from Palaeolithic to the beginning of the Metal Age, explaining the applied methodologies also with reference to some case studies.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide students with theoretical and interpretative methodologies and tools to deepen the problems of pre-protohistoric archeology; to make known - in an anthropological perspective - the interactions between man, culture and environment between Paleolithic to Bronze Age.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim of the course will be to illustrate the behavioural and cultural dynamics of the most ancient civilizations, from the bands of the Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers to the first stratified societies along with the analysis of some case-studies; some theoretical and methodological perspectives of prehistoric archaeology will also be discussed. At the end of the course, the student will have a thorough knowledge of the topics related to Palethnology, will be able to express them with clarity and capacity for contextualization and critical analysis, and will finally have a good command of the relative technical-specialist vocabulary. In addition to a good knowledge of the topics covered, a PPT presentation on a previously agreed topic will also be required.

Differences in learning outcomes between 9-CFUs teaching and 6-CFUs teaching will only concern content, properly reduced; 6-CFUs course programme will therefore be limited to only part of it. 

PREREQUISITES

The knowledge of the main periods in which Prehistory has been divided, as well as of the best-known cultural aspects, particularly with regard to Italy and Europe, is warmly requested.

TEACHING METHODS

- Use of PPT, videos and other material.

- Seminar activities on some topics.

- All students (non-attending too) must registered to aul@web.

- Lectures are given in person, with the possibility for students to follow them at a distance, i.e. online. Attendance is not compulsory but highly recommended.

- Students with certified DSA, disabilities or other learning disorders are invited to contact the teacher and the School/Department's relevant officer at the beginning of the course, to agree on possible teaching arrangements that, while respecting the teaching objectives, take into account individual learning methods

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course is divided into modules.

It will address a number of theoretical and methodological aspects, including the definition of the concept of 'prehistory' itself, the tools used for investigation and interpretation in the study of contexts, excavation and dating methods, the analysis of evidence, the use of theoretical or ethnographically mediated models, the study of techno-economic processes, and cognitive aspects and more strictly bioarchaeological investigations.

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

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Texts:

- Colin Renfrew, Paul Bahn 2012. Archaeology. Theories, Methods and Practice. Thames & Hudson. (Selected chapters only)

- Daniel Lord Smail, 2007.  On Deep History and the Brain. University of California Press.

- Marshall Sahlins, 2017 - Stone Age Economics. Routledge, London. (First chapter only)

- David Abulafia 2010 - The Discovery of Mankind: Atlantic Encounters in the Age of Columbus. (First chapter only)

Further bibliography will be indicated during the course.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

February 2026

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

- Oral exam.

 - Erasmus students not proficient in Italian may request a substitutive bibliography, and take the examination in English or French.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The oral exam will allow to verify if the student has acquired a good knowledge of the subject-matter dealt with, as well as his interpretative abilities in analysing some case studies. The competence in the use of the theoretical and investigative tools illustrated during the course will also be ascertained. A good oral presentation of the data, accompanied by a demonstrated ability to elaborate and summarize a topic of choice in the form of a PPT, will also be part of the overall judgment.