Medieval Archaeology 2023/2024

Introduction to Medieval Archaeology The course aims to introduce students to the main themes and methodologies of medieval archaeology. The lectures will therefore cover: an introduction to the methods and history of the discipline; the ways of inhabiting and cultivating the countryside from the first centuries of the Middle Ages to the threshold of the modern age; the birth and transformations of castles; changes in funerary practices with special reference to the period of the barbarian migrations; the transformations of construction techniques and buildings between the 6th and 15th centuries; the history of objects and crafts from the end of antiquity to the end of the medieval period

Rome and Other Cities The course will first present the overall transformations that cities of ancient origin or new foundations underwent between the end of the ancient world and the Middle Ages and how they developed during the early and late Middle Ages. In particular, the urban history of Rome, read through the lens of archaeology, will be explored. Some other important cities in Italy and the Mediterranean will also be discussed, such as: Pisa, Venice, Palermo, Constantinople, Cordoba and Cairo/Fustat