PROTOHISTORIC ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE VENETIAN TERRITORY

Academic year
2026/2027 Syllabus of previous years
Official course title
ARCHEOLOGIA PROTOSTORICA DELLE VENEZIE
Course code
FM0024 (AF:719565 AR:438888)
Teaching language
Italian
Modality
On campus classes
ECTS credits
6
Degree level
Master's Degree Programme (DM270)
Academic Discipline
ARCH-01/C
Period
1st Semester
Where
VENEZIA
It is a characterizing teaching for the Master’s Degree Ancient Civilisations: Archaeology, Literatures and History, for the archaeological curriculum; it aims to furnish to students methodological tools to investigate cultural and socio-economic development in Italia before of Roman domination.
It will be analyzed relationships between Venetic culture and the etruscan one, the Adriatic, Mediterranean and European connection; we pay attention to the chronological items and to material culture.
Our main focus is to improove ability to make chronological references for archaeological evidence of etruscan art and civilisation.
Single item will be selected and specifically oriented, in flipped classroom mode too.


1. Knowledge and understanding
- To know basic archaeological and technical terminology
- To Know development of settlements and cities in Venetic area
- To Know main theoretical models to analize urban societies
- To know main features of local material culture
2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
- To be able to employ archaeological and technical terminology
- To be able to apply theoretical models for the development of Venetic culture and landscape
- To be able to analyze settlements and cities
- To be able to analyze examples of material culture and artistic finds
3. Judgment skills
- To be able to judge and argue hypothesis about venetic contexts
4. Communication skills
- To be able to tell new finds or results of the research with a plain and technical terminology
- To be able to compare themselves with colleagues and tutor, even on.line
5. Learning ability
- To be able to take notes and to share them with colleagues, even on line
- To be able to consult bibliographic references even with a critical point of view
It would be better to have attended at least the main course in Etruscology and Italic Archaeology, e.g. the first module. However, the basics will be recoverable in itinere.
The course aims to provide an overview of settlement patterns in the Veneto region during the Iron Age, with reference to the chronological typology of material culture and the distinction between relative and absolute chronology.
A case study will be presented focusing on the development of domestic architecture, specifically the distinction between lowland and upland dwellings, and the evolution from huts to courtyard houses. Analogies and differences with the Etruscan-Italic world will be identified.
- L. Capuis, I Veneti. Civiltà e cultura di un popolo dell’Italia preromana, Milano 1993.
- L. Capuis, G. Gambacurta, Il Veneto tra il IX e il VI secolo a.C.: dal territorio alla città, in G. Leonardi, V. Tinè (a cura di), Preistoria e Protostoria del Veneto, Atti della XLVIII Riunione Scientifica dell’IIPP, Padova 2013, Crocetta del Montello 2015, pp. 449-459.
- M. Migliavacca, Lo spazio domestico nell’Età del Ferro. Tecnologia edilizia e aree di attività tra VII e I sec. a.C. in una porzione dell’arco alpino orientale, Preistoria Alpina, 29 (1993), Trento 1996.
- Dalla capanna al palazzo. Edilizia abitativa nell’Italia preromana, Annali per la Fondazione del Museo “Claudio Faina” XXIII, 2016 (saggi di C. Piazzi, E. Govi, G. Camporeale).
For further information:
- R. Peroni et Alii 1975, Studi sulla cronologia delle civiltà di Este e Golasecca, Firenze
- S. Stopponi, Case e Palazzi d’ Etruria, Milano 1985.
- Mura di legno, mura di terra, mura di pietra: fortificazioni nel Mediterraneo antico, Atti del Convegno Internazionale Roma 2012, Acienze dell’Antichità 19.2-3, 2013.
- Dalla capanna al palazzo. Edilizia abitativa nell’Italia preromana, Annali per la Fondazione del Museo “Claudio Faina” XXIII, 2016 (saggi di V. D’Ercole e O. Menozzi, G. Tagliamonte).
- J.R. Brandt – L. Karlsson edd., From huts to houses. Transformation of ancient Societies, Proceedings of an International Seminar organized by the Norwegian and the Swedish Institutes in Rome, September 1997, Stockholm 2001.
The test is oral; the student have to show a good knowledge of the main subjects and that they are able to explain the topics in a formally correct language, making use also of proper archaeological terminology. The students are expected to recognise the main funerary contexts treated or traceable in images from the bibliography and their chronological and cultural framework.

oral

The lecturer has a duty to ensure that the rules regarding the authenticity and originality of exam tests and papers are respected. Therefore, if there is suspicion of irregular conduct, an additional assessment may be conducted, which could differ from the original exam description.

Assessment will be based on the level of knowledge and understanding of the contexts and artefacts presented in the lecture and available in the assigned bibliography; the ability to identify the elements and define their chronology; the ability to rework the information contained in the archaeological contexts analysed and to relate it to specific socio-cultural frameworks; and the level of personal and critical reworking.
More specifically:
it is considered sufficient (18-22/30) the test in which the student is able to identify more than half of the images submitted for examination; frame the subjects, describe adopting technical terminology the structural features and characteristics of the material and imported culture with a with even generic chronological references.
The test is considered good (22-26/30) if the student is able to identify more than half of the images submitted for examination, describing the adopting technical terminology, indicate their cultural context, identify the places and productions and hypothesise a chronology;
The test is considered very good (27-30/30) if the student is able to identify all the images submitted for examination, frame them chronologically and culturally, adopting a technical terminology, and provide a critical reading of the contexts within the framework of pre-Roman Italy and Etruria in its territorial variations.
The test is considered excellent (30/30 cum laude) if the student is able to identify all the images submitted for examination adopting technical terminology, frame them culturally and chronologically and provide a personal and critical re-elaboration of the significance of individual objects or contexts in the development of Etruscan civilisation and pre-Roman Italy with a view to a historical and social reconstruction.
Face to face lessons
Lectures and exercises
On.line papers for specific topics.
Flipped classroom

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

Definitive programme.
Last update of the programme: 07/04/2026