Medieval Archaeology
Code: 106863 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Archaeology | OB | 2 |
Contact
- Name:
- Helena Kirchner Granell
- Email:
- helena.kirchner@uab.cat
Teachers
- Josep Maria Vila Carabasa
- Guillem Alcolea Castellsague
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
It is recommended to have passed Medieval History in the first year.
Objectives and Contextualisation
This subject aims to address the basic principles of historical-archaeological research in the Middle Ages, with special attention to the Western European, peninsular and Catalan areas. It deals with the main historiographical debates for the medieval period approached from archeology and the instrumental methodologies and analytical techniques that have been applied to study the evolution of medieval society, especially from the field of archaeology.
Learning Outcomes
- KM19 (Knowledge) Understand the main and diverse theoretical (epistemological and ontological) and methodological debates in the context of the study of ancient and medieval societies.
- KM20 (Knowledge) Recognise and practice basic classifications of the archaeological record in the laboratory with collections of pieces from archaeological sites from antiquity to medieval times.
- KM21 (Knowledge) Explain ancient and medieval historical processes from a critical and reflective perspective, analysing how archaeological evidence can question current theoretical frameworks.
- KM22 (Knowledge) Understand the processes of social formation in the ancient and medieval periods and from the perspective of geographical, social and gender diversity to build inclusive historical accounts that avoid taking androcentric and Eurocentric perspectives.
- SM21 (Skill) Develop critical and reflective archaeological thought from the inference and generation of ancient and medieval archaeological information.
- SM22 (Skill) Consider the relationship between the archaeological record and the historical processes of ancient and medieval times in their respective contexts and social complexity.
- SM23 (Skill) Reflect on and propose hypotheses about ancient and medieval societies based on the archaeological record obtained in surveys and/or excavations.
Content
1-The discipline of medieval archaeology in Europe and Spain.
2-The end of the ancient world and the beginning of the Middle Ages through the material culture in the western areas of the ancient Roman Empire.
3-Archaeology of feudalism and its expansion
4-The formation of al-Andalus from an archaeological perspective.
5-Archaeology of al-Andalus.
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Classroom practices | 20 | 0.8 | |
| Field practices | 10 | 0.4 | |
| Master classes | 25 | 1 | |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| analysis of reports of archaeological intervention | 10 | 0.4 | |
| tutoring | 10 | 0.4 | |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| individual study | 15 | 0.6 | |
| Practical work | 10 | 0.4 |
Master classes
Master classes
Classroom practice classes with case studies and practical exercises in the processing of data from different sources.
Field practice in a city of medieval origin.
Individual study
Carrying out exercises on methodological aspects, case studies.
Completion of an exercise on field practice
Completion of written exams
Note: 15 minutes of a class will be set aside, within the timetable established by the centre/degree, for students to complete the evaluation surveys on the performance of the teaching staff and the evaluation of the subject/module.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exercises on the practical part | 40 % | 15 | 0.6 | KM20, SM21, SM23 |
| Report on field practice | 10 % | 10 | 0.4 | KM21, KM22, SM21 |
| Two theory exams | 40% | 25 | 1 | KM19, KM21, KM22, SM21, SM22 |
Two exams on the theoretical part of the course (60%).
Several exercises on the practical part (30%)
A report on the field practice of the subject (10%).
NON-ASSESSABLE corresponds to the delivery of less than 60% of the assessable evidence.
There will be a recovery at the end of the semester. Students who have submitted all the evaluable evidence and are suspended will have the right to recovery. If they have an approved part and a suspended part, they will only have to recover the suspended part. Those who did not appear for the exam or did not hand in the assignments do not have the right to recovery. Recoveries will give the right to a maximum mark of 5.
Camp practices cannot be recovered. Non-participation in field practices without sufficient prior justification will result in a grade of 0 for that practice
Only marks equal to or higher than 4.5 for each of the evaluable evidences will be averaged. The lower grades will have to go to recovery even if the overall average grade of the subject is higher than 5.
Plagiarism will result in a grade of 0 for that evaluable evidence where the irregularity has occurred.
Bibliography
Basic bibliography
M. Barceló et alii, Arqueología medieval. En las afueras del medievalismo, Barcelona, 1988.
A. Quirós Castillo, B. Bengoetexea, Arqueología III. Arqueología Medieval y Posmedieval, Madrid, 2010.
A. Augenti: Prima lezione di archeologia medievale, Roma, 2020.
J. Graham-Campbell, M. Valor (Eds.): The archaeology of Medieval Europe. Vol. 1 · Eighth to Twelfth Centuries AD, Bristol, 2007.
M. Carver, J. Klápštĕ(Eds.): The archaeology of Medieval Europe. Vol 2 · Twelfth to Sixteenth Centuries, Bristol, 2011.
E. Harris, Principios de estratigrafía arqueológica. Barcelona, 1991.
R. Izquierdo, La cultura material en la Edad Media. Perspectiva desde la arqueología, Granada, 2008.
J.A. Quirós Castillo (dir.) The archaeology of early medieval villages in Europe, Universidad del País Vasco 2009
J.A. Quirós Castillo (Coord.), Treinta años de arqueología medieval en España. Oxford: Archaeopress, 2018
J.A. Quirós Castillo (Coord.), La materialidad de la historia: La arqueología en los inicios del siglo XXI, Ediciones Akal, 2013.
M. Valor, A. Gutiérrez (eds), The archaeology of Medieval Spain 1100-1500. Equinox 2014.
digital resources
Arqueología Medieval Universidad de Granada http://www.arqueologiamedieval.com (2019)
Biblioarqueología - Bibliografia Arqueología Medieval http://www.biblioarqueologia.com (2011)
Asociación Española de Arqueología Medieval https://aeam.es/
Dipartimentodi scienze storiche e dei beni culturali - Università di Siena https://www.dssbc.unisi.it/it
Biblioteca Archeologica on-line - Università degli Studi di Siena http://www.bibar.unisi.it (2006)
Portale di Archeologia Medievale http://archeologiamedievale.unisi.it/
Archeologia Medievale: https://www.archeologiamedievale.it/
https://www.facebook.com/archeomedievale
Laboratoire d'archéologie médiévale et moderne en Méditerranée (Université d'Aix-Marseille • CNRS) http://la3m.cnrs.fr/pages/accueil.php
Medieval Settlement Research Group https://medieval-settlement.com/
Associació Catalana per a la Recerca en Arqueologia Medieval http://www.acram.cat/
Harca, medievalistes valencians: http://harca.org/
Software
No software required
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 11 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 12 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PCAM) Field practices | 13 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PCAM) Field practices | 14 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PCAM) Field practices | 15 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |