PREHISTORY AND PROTOHISTORY OF EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN I

This course is included in the archaeological curriculum within the Bachelor's Degree programme of Conservation of Cultural Heritage and Performing Arts Management. It offers a general introduction on the prehistoric and protohistoric cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean, outlining the developments of the Bronze Age civilizations (about 3100-1200 BC) in mainland and insular Greece, and their exchange relations with the civilizations of the Anatolian and Levantine coasts, as well as of Cyprus.

At the end of the course the student will be able to contextualise the main archaeological sites of the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean, with particular reference to the mainland Greece, the Cyclades and Crete; to identify contexts and classes of materials from the Mediterranean regions discussed during the course; to communicate and discuss the main developments of the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean civilisations with a proper terminology.

It is advisable to have a basic knowledge on the methodology of the archaeological research.

The course offers a general introduction on the Neolithic and Bronze Age civilizations of the Eastern Mediterranean, with specific reference to the developments of the Helladic, Cycladic and Minoan cultures.

Books/chapters to study in order to prepare the exam:
- E. BORGNA, “La civiltà minoica”, in Storia d'Europa e del Mediterraneo, Il mondo antico I, 2, Roma, Salerno editrice, 2006, pp. 125-166.
- E. BORGNA, “I Micenei”, in Storia d'Europa e del Mediterraneo, Il mondo antico I, 2, Roma, Salerno editrice, 2006, pp. 227-268.
- BOMBARDIERI L., GRAZIADIO G., JASINK M., Preistoria e Protostoria Egea e Cipriota, Firenze University Press 2015, pp. 1-59 (only chapters 1-2).
- L. GODART, L'invenzione della scrittura. Dal Nilo alla Grecia, Torino, Einaudi 1992 (entire book).

Enciclopedia dell'Arte Antica, Suppl. 1970-1995, Roma, Istituto Enciclopedia Italiana, 1994-1997:
- Cicladica, Arte (J. DAVIS);
- Elladica, Arte (L. VAGNETTI);
- Minoico-Micenea, Civiltà e Arte (F. CARINCI, V. LA ROSA, L. VAGNETTI).
This part has to be integrated with images from:
- P. DEMARGNE, Arte Egea, Milano, BUR, 1980 (solamente la prima parte, pp. 1-268).
- J.-C. POURSAT, L’Art égéen 1. Grèce, Cyclades, Crète jusqu'au milieu du 2. millénaire av. J.-C., Picard, 2008.
- J.-C. POURSAT, L’Art égéen 2. Mycènes et le monde mycénien, Paris, Picard, 2014.

Other books (not mandatory):
- E. H. CLINE (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of the Bronze Age Aegean (Oxford Handbooks in Archaeology) Oxford University press, Oxford 2010.
- C. W. SHELMERDINE (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to the Aegean Bronze Age, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2008.
- English lessons by J. RUTTER, The Prehistoric Archaeology of the Aegean, on http://www.dartmouth.edu/~prehistory/aegean/?page_id=104
- M. CULTRARO, I Micenei, Roma 2006.

An oral exam will take place. The questions are related to: a) Neolithic and Bronze Age chronology in the Eastern Mediterranean and relative issues; b) developments of the main civilizations of the Aegean world: Cycladic, Helladic, Minoan; c) relations of these civilizations with those of the Anatolian and Levantine coasts, as well as of Cyprus. The student will be asked to identify plans/photos of archaeological sites and/or objects belonging to the artistic productions of the three aforementioned civilizations.

Traditional classroom lessons will take place. The Power Point Presentation will be used to show images and texts.

Italian

Attendance of the classes is not mandatory, but highly recommended.

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