| CODE | ARC3029 | |||||||||
| TITLE | The Prehistory of the Western Mediterranean: Sicily and Sardinia | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Classics and Archaeology | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit explores the prehistoric archaeology of the western Mediterranean, with a particular focus on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. It examines their development from initial human settlement through to the Iron Age, highlighting their unique cultural trajectories. Sicily hosts a diverse archaeological landscape, influenced by its connection to its satellite islands and the Italian mainland, as well as the indigenous, Greek, and Phoenician cultures that inhabited the island prior to the annexation by the Romans in the mid-3rd century BC. Sardinia's importance is also discussed, noting its draw for various ancient powers due to resources like obsidian and fertile land, alongside the emergence of its distinct Bronze Age Nuragic culture. Ultimately, the study-unit offers a chronological exploration of these two crucial insular prehistoric landscapes from the earliest presence of human colonisation to the Iron Age. Study-Unit Aims: - Determine how the archaeology of islands is approached and understood compared to the archaeology of other regions; - Examine the diachronic cultural manifestations of both Sicily and Sardinia in prehistory; - Explore the main underlying factors that allowed islands to shape early Mediterranean history. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Understand and define the differing frameworks and paradigms used to interpret the archaeology of islands; - Gain a sound overview of the two islands' chronological phases and recognise a range of the cultural manifestations of early societies on these islands, in particular, their major settlement forms, anthropogenic landscapes, material culture, monuments and seafaring technology. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Be able to critically assess and relate ideas and theories to the material remains of prehistoric Sicily and Sardinia; - Recognise how to use and interpret similar archaeological data to answer questions of significance for islands other than just Sicily and Sardinia, such as Malta; - Recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the archaeological evidence presented with the aim of identifying topics for further study and research. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Dyson, S.L. and Rowland R.J. (2007) Shepherds, Sailors and Conquerors: Archaeology and History in Sardinia from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. [UOM Main Library/Faculty of Arts Library DEG55.S2 D97]. - Leighton, R. (1999) Sicily before History: An Archaeological Survey from the Palaeolithic to the Iron Age. London: Duckworth. [UOM SLC/Faculty of Arts Library CCN818.S5 L45]. Additional reading material will be provided in class. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | |||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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