Technology of Antiquity and Archaeometry [ LARKE1230 ]

This course introduces students to the raw materials used in material and artistic production in ancient times and to the technological processes used to create them. Use is made of archaeological sources (relics, objects, tools and iconography) and ancient writers. The course is intended to help students understand the terminology used in Antiquity and the working environment of its artists and artisans. Emphasis is also placed on the social repercussions of new technologies on the societies that created them. Students are also taught the basics of Archaeometry.

The aim of this course is to teach students the fundamentals of the practical techniques used in Antiquity on different raw materials such as stone, clay and metal and also about the tools and processes that were used to change the original appearance of these raw materials. The course also raises the issue of the physical effects of technology on cultures and societies, examining technology as social production.

This course teaches students to identify the materials, tools and physical evidence of the initial phase of the creative cycle and to understand the sequence of events leading to the finished product, both archaeological remains and major works of art. The course also introduces the basic tenets of Archaeometry and discusses the contribution of studies carried out by science laboratories to the field of Archaeology, in particular the Natural and Earth Sciences and characterization and dating techniques. As part of the introduction to archeometry, a more practice-based approach will be fostered. Several field trips and visits of laboratory that might vary on a yearly basis will hence be organized and will constitute mandatory teaching activities.