Course aims:

Correct definition and presentation of the main concepts used in historical studies, of the major stages and processes in human history, of the current state of historiography, and of the main methods of archaeological research.
Applying the methods of criticism to the study of published historical sources (material evidences) in order to restore historical facts as accurately as possible
Identifying existing limits in the analysis of information about the historical past, determining the causes of these limits, and proposing alternative hypotheses regarding the archaeological evidences.

Course Entry Requirements:

N/A

Course contents:

Funerary archaeology. The study of human behavior related to death from an archaeological perspective; Mortuary practices and funerary monuments; Funeral rites and rituals. Inhumation and cremation in prehistory. Tthe treatment of bodies; Prehistoric necropolises. Topography, planimetry, characteristics; Grave goods and offerings. Social status of the deceased; Ancestors cult and the "signs" of remembrance. Cenotaph tombs; Archaeology of conflicts in prehistory; Ceremonial sites and sacrificial practices; The phenomenon of tumular burials; Funerary archaeology in the Iron Age; Funeral practices in the Roman age; Archaeological demography. Population structure. Social organization; Bioarchaeological evidence on migration.

Teaching methods:

Power Point presentation

Learning outcomes:

The acquisition of the basic knowledge in archaeology and the ability to operate with the specific concepts of this field

Learning outcomes verification and assessment criteria:

80% - oral examination; 20% - paper presentation from the seminar themes

Recommended reading:

Guilaine, J., Zammit, J., The Origins of War. Violence in Prehistory, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, 2005,
Duday, H., The Archaeology of the Dead. Lectures in Archaeothanatology, Oxbow Books, Offord, 2009,
Chamberlaine, A., Demography in archaeology, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2006,