PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY ARCHAEOLOGY

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.

As regards Module 2, Public and Community Archaeology:
The classes will examine the legislation governing archaeological practice, media representations of archaeology, and the transformative collaborations between archaeologists and the public.
Particular attention will be given to bottom-up critical concepts such as participatory archaeology and community archaeology, in contrast to the top-down approaches typical of public archaeology and heritage tourism.
The course will explore the concepts of sustainability and ethics as applied to archaeology, highlighting the importance of civic engagement.
A key focus will also be the evaluation of the political dimensions of archaeological activities—at both international and global levels—with a view toward decolonising the discipline.

1) Knowledge and Understanding:
• Familiarity with the concepts of Community Heritage, Public Heritage, and Community Archaeology, and their implications for cultural heritage management and archaeological research;
• Understanding of the theoretical foundations of Public and Community Archaeology;
• General knowledge of key techniques in Social Archaeology, archaeological communication, and dissemination;
• Awareness of methodological approaches for designing and implementing community and public archaeology projects;
• Knowledge of ethical issues in Digital Archaeology.

2) Ability to Apply Knowledge and Understanding:
• Ability to understand the political implications of heritage processes, including heritagization and de-heritagization;
• Ability to identify and apply appropriate methodologies in Public and Community Archaeology;
• Ability to assess the roles of public opinion and the tourism industry in the protection and interpretation of Cultural Heritage;
• Ability to plan research activities using suitable Public Archaeology methodologies for specific case studies.

3) Judgement Skills:
• Ability to engage with contemporary debates on ownership, responsibility, and definitions of Cultural Heritage;
• Ability to critically assess the political and ethical implications of heritage practices from a decolonial perspective;
• Ability to analyse and evaluate digital archaeological sources with a critical lens;
• Ability to develop independent critical thinking in relation to 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. What Is Cultural Heritage?
Definitions and key questions: Who protects heritage? From what? For whom? Who owns it? The relationship between heritage, modernity, and materiality.
2. Histories, Memories, and Heritage
The Authorized Heritage Discourse (AHD); subaltern, marginalized, and dissenting heritages; understanding heritage as a dynamic and contested cultural process.
3. Uses and Abuses of the Past
The political dimensions of archaeological heritage. How the past is used—or misused—by politicians and propaganda, both historically and today.
4. Rules and Guidelines
An overview of current legislation, ethical principles, charters, and operational guidelines in the governance of cultural heritage.
5. 1945–2020: Heritage and European Identities
From national traditions to transnational frameworks: exploring how European heritage narratives have evolved and been constructed.
6. The Archaeology of Localities, Nationalisms, and Identities
Archaeology’s role in constructing and contesting national and local identities and collective memory.
7. What Makes Archaeology “Public”?
Defining public archaeology through research value, civic engagement, participatory approaches, and measurable social impact.
8. Community-Based Participatory Research
Inclusive archaeology: co-production of knowledge, ethical collaboration with communities, and the empowerment of local voices.
9. Tourism and the Presentation of Cultural Heritage
Methods and challenges in communicating archaeology to the public. Sustainability, authenticity, and the tourist gaze.
10. Archaeological Heritage and Tourism
Case studies addressing the complex relationship between archaeological heritage and the tourism industry.
11. Archaeology as Activism
The activist turn in archaeology: confronting global challenges like migration, climate change, war, and inequality through fieldwork and heritage practice.
12. Tag it. Like it. Post it.
Archaeology and social media: the role of digital platforms in shaping public narratives, outreach, and cultural representation.
13. The Politics of UNESCO and Global Heritages
Archaeology, landscape heritage, colonial legacies, and the geopolitics of inscribing and managing World Heritage Sites.

Module 2 – Public and Community Archaeology:
Class notes and lesson PDFs will be available on Moodle.
A selection of specific articles, book chapters, and online videos will also be provided on Moodle.
All materials required to prepare for the exam will be accessible through the Moodle platform.
The reference texts will be, anyway:
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: From a minimum of 18 to a maximum of 30/30 cum laude.

Assessment Criteria:
• Clarity and completeness in the presentation of acquired knowledge
• Ability to engage in critical thinking and independent evaluation
• Capacity to relate acquired knowledge to personal experience and to develop original content or case studies

Evaluation Method:
The final grade will be based on class participation (10%) and a final written exam (90%), administered via Moodle. The exam will assess the knowledge and competencies acquired throughout the course.

written

Grading Scale Criteria:

A. Scores from 18 to 22 will be awarded when the student demonstrates:
• Basic knowledge and understanding of the course content
• Limited ability to gather and interpret data or to formulate independent judgments
• Sufficient communication skills

B. Scores from 23 to 26 will be awarded when the student demonstrates:
• Adequate knowledge and understanding of the course content
• A fair ability to gather and interpret data and formulate independent judgments
• Adequate communication skills, particularly in using the specific terminology of Cultural Heritage

C. Scores from 27 to 30 will be awarded when the student demonstrates:
• Good to excellent knowledge and understanding of the course content
• A strong ability to collect and interpret data and formulate independent and well-supported judgments
• Effective and appropriate communication skills, especially in the specialized language of Cultural Heritage

D. Honours (30 e lode) will be awarded when the student demonstrates:
• Outstanding knowledge and understanding of the course content
• Exceptional critical thinking and judgment
• Excellent communication skills and mastery of disciplinary language

• In-class presentations with lectures supported by images and text (slides);
• Group discussions on specific topics;
• Multimedia tests conducted during class sessions;
• All teaching materials will be available on Moodle.

All teaching materials will be uploaded to the Moodle platform.
Access to and use of Moodle is necessary to follow study progress, the syllabus, and for the administration of written assessment tests.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "International cooperation" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development