PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY ARCHAEOLOGY

Academic year
2023/2024 Syllabus of previous years
Official course title
PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY ARCHAEOLOGY
Course code
C38-9 (AF:490374 AR:272977)
Modality
On campus and online classes
ECTS credits
6 out of 12 of PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY ARCHAEOLOGY AND DIGITAL CULTURAL HERITAGE
Degree level
Bachelor's Degree Programme
Educational sector code
L-ANT/10
Period
2nd Semester
Course year
1
Where
VENEZIA
The course has two main topics and modules: Public/Community Archaeology and Digital Archaeology. These subdisciplines will be considered a complex intertwined system of theories, tools and practices to provide a contemporary global concept of archaeological activity. Archaeology is deeply entrapped in western value systems and epistemologies, which follow geographical and chronological patterns. This course will offer an alternative global perspective to archaeological practices reconsidering the role of the archaeologist in present-day society.

Module 2, Public and Community Archaeology: The classes will review the legislation that shapes archaeological exercise, media representations of archaeology, and the transformative partnerships between archaeologists and the public. The classes will focus on the bottom-up critical concepts of participatory archaeology and community archaeology as opposed to the top-down archaeological perspective in public and heritage tourism. The course will study the concepts of sustainability and ethics applied to archaeology, underlying the importance of civic engagement.
Expected learning outcomes:
Expected learning outcomes Module 2, Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
- Ability to recognize the roles of public opinion and the tourism industry in the protection and interpretation of Cultural Heritage;
- Ability to recognize suitable methodologies of Digital Archaeology for specific cases and planning the research;
- Ability to manage GIS environment and exploit multiple 2D and 3D data.
3) Judgement skills:
Ability to mediate the recent debates about ownership, responsibility, and definitions of Cultural Heritage.
Ability to critically investigate and evaluate digital archaeological sources;
Ability to develop critical thinking skills concerning Digital Archaeology.
Module 1, PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY ARCHAEOLOGY.
Students who want to attend this course are not required to possess any other prerequisite for admission
Module 2, Public and Community Archaeology, Specific Topics:
1. Cultural Heritage Definition. What is Cultural Heritage? Who protects it? From what? For whom? Who does own the Heritage? Heritage / Modernity / Materiality
2. Histories, Memories, and Heritage. The Authorized Heritage Discourse. Subaltern and dissenting Heritages. Heritage as a cultural process
3. Uses and Abuses of the Past: Politicians, Propaganda, and Nonsense. The political character of archaeological Heritage. Past and present propaganda.
4. The Rules and the Manuals: Cultural Heritage Law, Principles, and Guides Today
5. 1945-2020: Heritage and European Identities. National cultures, European approaches.
6. Archaeology of Localities/Nationalisms/Identities.
7. What makes archaeology Public? Defining research, value, and impact.
8. Community-Based Participatory Research. Inclusive archaeology.
9. Tourism and Presenting Cultural Heritage to the Public. Sustainable Heritage and Tourism.
10. Archaeological Heritage and Tourism.
11. Archaeology as activism. Contemporary archaeology and its impact. Changing world, Migrations, climate change and archaeology. Archaeology "on the fields": migrations/wars/famines.
12. Tag it. Like it. Post it. Archaeology, Heritage and social media. Social media narratives. Social media communications and communicators.
- Class notes and pdf of the lessons will be available on Moodle.
- An array of specific paper and book chapters and internet videos that will be available on Moodle
Referral text will be:
C. Westmont, Critical Public Archaeology: Confronting Social Challenges in the 21st Century, 2022
G. Moshenska, Key concepts in Public Archaeology, 2017
L. Smith, E. Waterton, Heritage, Communities and Archaeology, 2013
R. Harrison, "Heritage. Critical Approach.", 2013
T. Ireland, T. Schofield (eds.), "The Ethics of Cultural Heritage", 2015
L. Meskell, "A Future in Ruins. Unesco, World Heritage, and the Dream of Peace", 2018
L. Meskell, P. Peels, "Embedding Ethics", 2005
R. S. Peckham (ed.), "Rethinking Heritage. Cultures and Politics in Europe", 2003
H. Rued-Cunliffe, A. Copeland (eds.), "Participatory Heritage", 2017
L. Smith, "Uses of Heritage", 2006
A. Stille, "The Future of the Past", 2002
G. Volpe, "Patrimonio al Futuro. Un Manifesto per i Beni Culturali", 2015
S. West (ed), "Understanding Heritage in Practice", 2010
M. Forte, S. Campana S., Digital Methods and Remote Sensing in Archaeology. Archaeology in the Age of Sensing, 2016
E. Watrall, L. Goldstein, Digital Heritage and Archaeology in Practice: Presentation, Teaching, and Engagement, 2022
F. R Cameroon, The Future of Digital Data, Heritage and Curation: in a More-than-Human World, 2021
Grades: Minimum of 18 to a maximum of 30/30 cum laude.
Criteria:
- comprehensiveness and clarity in the presentation of the acquired information;
- aptitude in critical and personal assessment;
- capacity to make the attained knowledge relevant to the personal experience and original contents/cases.

Assessment of knowledge:
Assessment will grade the class participation (25%) and the final oral examination (75%), in which students will be evaluated as to the knowledge and the competencies they acquired during the course.
asses with activities in and outside the class, interaction between professor and students, GIS exercises. Attendance is strongly recommended. Whenever needed, the didactic material will be made available through the Moodle e-learning platform.
English
oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development

Definitive programme.
Last update of the programme: 20/06/2023