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| Semester | spring semester 2023 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Stefania Alfarano (stefania.alfarano@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | In the past, archaeologists and historians have been divided into two distinct factions: those who deal with written sources and those who focus on the material evidence of human history. Despite the modern redefinition of 'archaeology' as the study of material evidence of the human past, recent and ancient, and of 'history' as a discipline devoted to textual studies of the same object, the original definition of archaeology (ἀρχαιολογία: ἀρχαῖος, 'ancient', and λόγος, 'discourse' or 'study') is still valid to the extent that material traces go back much further than written sources. Assuming that archaeology and history seek to answer the same questions and are separated only by method, one must ask whether a mono-disciplinary approach does not lead to the exclusion of some of the available evidence for a specific research problem. According to the modern interdisciplinary approach to the study of the ancient world, to what extent can archaeology and history be considered two disciplines that can be studied in true isolation from each other? To what extent do all data, questions and phenomena fit neatly into one or the other? Where precisely should the dividing line be drawn? Do archaeology and history have the same status, or is one a discipline that studies sources and provides data for a broader synthesis by the other - and, in the latter case, how can this assignment of roles be logically justified? The aim of the course is to explore the variety of approaches to understanding the past and to evaluate the different types of evidence and methodologies used by history and archaeology to study the ancient world. The course provides an introduction and review of developments in these two disciplines, with a focus on the evolution of archaeological research through the analysis of specific case studies. |
| Learning objectives | This seminar offers a comprehensive introduction to the sources, methods and theories of archaeological and historical research. Students examine how these two disciplines are complementary for the study of the ancient world and how they have interacted to date in understanding ancient societies. Students also practice evaluating and combining textual sources and material culture through the analysis of specific case studies. They point out the importance of the interdisciplinary approach, in other words the constant intersection of archaeology and history, for the reconstruction and understanding of the past. |
| Bibliography | - Arnold, J.H. 2000. History: a Very Short Introduction, Oxford. - Berger, S., Feldner, H., Passmore, K. 2020 (eds), Writing history: theory and practice, London. - Crawford, M. (ed.) 1983. Sources for Ancient History, Cambridge. - Diaz-Andreu, 1999. A world History of Nineteenth-Century Archaeology, Oxford. - Eberhardt, G., Link, F. 2015, Historiographical Approaches to Past Archaeological Research, Berlin. - Gaskell, I., Carter S.A. (ed.), 2020. The Oxford Handbook of History and Material Culture, Oxford. - Harris, E.C. 1989. Principles of Archaeological Stratigraphy, 2nd Edition, London - Hicks, D., Baudry, M.C. 2006. The Cambridge Companion to Historical Archaeology, Cambridge. - Johnson, M. 2001, Archaeological theory: an introduction, 4th Edition, Oxford. - Kristiansen K. 2009. The Discipline of Archaeology, in The Oxford Handbook of Archaeology, pp. 3-46. - Morley, N. 2004, Theories, Models and Concepts in Ancient History, London-New York. - Renfrew, C., Bahn P. 2016. Archaeology: theories, methods and practice, London. - Sauer, E. W. 2004. Archaeology and Ancient History. Breaking Down the Boundaries, London-New-York. - Trigger, B.G. 1996. A History of Archaeological Thought, 2nd edition, Cambridge. |
| Comments | The class of 10 May will not be held due to work-related reasons. https://romegyptcities.philhist.unibas.ch/en/publications-events/conference-urbes-clariores-aliis/ |
| Admission requirements | Für Studierende des BSG/BSF Altertumswissenschaften und BSF Geschichte im Grundstudium mit abgeschlossenem Einführungskurs Altertumswissenschaften/Geschichte. Teilnahmebedingungen: Teilnahme an der ersten Sitzung ist obligatorisch. Die Teilnehmerzahl ist auf 25 beschränkt. Bei Überbelegung werden Studierende des BA Altertumswissenschaften bevorzugt zugelassen. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Wednesday | 16.15-17.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 22.02.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Wednesday 01.03.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Fasnachstferien |
| Wednesday 08.03.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Wednesday 15.03.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Wednesday 22.03.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Wednesday 29.03.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Wednesday 05.04.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Wednesday 12.04.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Wednesday 19.04.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Wednesday 26.04.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Wednesday 03.05.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Wednesday 10.05.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Wednesday 17.05.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Wednesday 24.05.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Wednesday 31.05.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Modules |
Modul: Griechische Geschichte BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Griechische Geschichte BA (Bachelor's degree program: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Kulturtechnische Dimensionen (Master's degree program: Cultural Techniques) Modul: Römische Geschichte BA (Bachelor's degree program: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Römische Geschichte BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Theorie und Methoden der Alten Geschichte (Bachelor's degree subject: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Theorie und Methoden der Alten Geschichte (Bachelor's degree program: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Vertiefung in Alter Geschichte (Master's degree subject: Ancient History) Modul: Vertiefung in Altertumswissenschaften (Bachelor's degree subject: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Vertiefung in Altertumswissenschaften (Bachelor's degree program: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Vertiefung in Geschichte und Altertumswissenschaften BA (Bachelor's degree program: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Vertiefung in Geschichte und Altertumswissenschaften BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Vertiefung in Geschichte und Altertumswissenschaften MA (Master's degree subject: Ancient History) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | There will be weekly readings which will be announced at least one week in advance, and from which you will be expected to take notes and participate in class. You will also be required to do presentations on specific readings or articles, which will be assigned during the semester. The presentations should be around 30 min in length and demonstrate outside research and original engagement with the topic of the course. That means, I want to see what you yourself have understood from the article or reading and whether you can apply what you analyze during the course to specific case studies. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Alte Geschichte |