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Archaeology of the Medieval Territory

Code: 100330
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Archaeology OP 4
History OP 4

Contact lecturer

Name :
Ramón Marti Castello
Email :
ramon.marti@uab.cat

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

Those that are own of the optional subjects of the studies in Archaeology and History

Objectives

In the last stage of the studies of degree, this subject offers the students interested by Archaeology and the Mediaeval History or the historical study of the territory, the tools and the necessary resources to analyse and comprise the territorial structures.
Here, from archaeologic and documentary analysis, the social and economic guidelines that govern the constitution and the transformations of the territorial districts during the mediaeval period are studied, all attending his systems of defence and the trends that follows the distribution of the settlement.
In its diachronic, prioritises the study of the centres of power and its organisms of representation or government, as well as the development and the management of the fortifications or the main transformations that govern the distribution of the habitat in the rural field.

Learning outcomes

  1. Identifying the characteristic methods of Archaeology and its relationship with the historical analysis.
  2. Using the specific interpretational and technical vocabulary of the discipline.
  3. Autonomously searching, selecting and processing information both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized magazines) and from across the network.
  4. Using suitable terminology when drawing up an academic text.
  5. Mastering the diachronic structure of the past.
  6. Mastering the Universal History of the Middle Ages.
  7. Effectively communicating and applying the argumentative and textual processes to formal and scientific texts.
  8. Submitting works in accordance with both individual and small group demands and personal styles.
  9. Autonomously searching, selecting and processing information both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized magazines) and from across the network. Expertly making use of the possibilities of Internet.
  10. Identifying the specific methods of archaeology and their relationship with the historical analysis.
  11. Using the specific technical and interpretational vocabulary of the discipline.
  12. Interpreting material and documentary sources.
  13. Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  14. Mastering the general diachronic structure of the past.
  15. Use the specific technical vocabulary of interpretation and commentary of ancient texts.

Contents

1. The mediaeval districts: go in the ancient territory and the modern jurisdictions
1.1. The four basic resources: the sources written; the archaeologic and monumental register; the toponymic register; the cartographic resources
1.2. The classical territorium and the villae: civitates, agri and fundi

2. The cities and the rural settlement during the late antiquity.
2.1. The exploitations and his social and economic model
2.2. The ecclesiastical foundations
2.3. The fortifications of the late antiquity
2.4. The initial Islamic State and his resources
2.5. The State of Charlemagne and his resources

3. The formation of new societies
3.1. Villas and other rural exploitations: the IXth century
3.2. The territorial principality and the processes of incastellamento
3.3. The urban innovation in al-Andalus
3.4. The religious conversion in the rural field

4. The feudal change and his resources
4.1. The castrum
4.2. The parrochia
4.3. The mansi
4.4. The genesis of the markets

5. The feudal monarchies
5.1. The mercantile farms
5.2. The new villa of the late middle ages
5.3. Crisis of a contradictory model
5.4. The modern homesteads

6. Presentation of works

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
supervision 20 0.8 3
theoretical and discussion lessons 40 1.6 1, 2, 5, 6, 15
research, writing of assignments and presentation 90 3.6 1, 2, 4, 6, 15

- Assistance to theoretical and discussion lessons directed by the teacher.
- Personal study and compilation of data in the development of an assignment (individual or collective).
- Writing of the assignment and oral presentation.

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

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Assignment planning and bibliographic research 25% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 14
Writing of the assignment 50% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
Oral presentation of results 25% 0 0 2, 7, 8, 13, 14

The evaluation is verified through the progressive development of an assignment: initial sketch of the assignment and basic bibliography (25%); oral presentation of the assignment (25%); final draft of the assignment (50%). Only the assignments delivered before the deadline stablished will have option to recover. Not accepted the works presented later of the date of recovery.

At the start of the course, three terms of follow-up and delivery of evidences on the preparation of the assignment with the teacher will be fixed.

The copy of written sources (internet, books, works, etc.) supposes a zero in the qualification of the assignment and losing the announcement of the total of the course.

Students will have right to review the results. The teacher will establish the mechanisms to do it.

This subject does not incorporate single assessment.


Erasmus and exchange students who request to advance an exam must present a document from their home university justifying their request.

On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.

Students will obtain a not assessed/not submitted course grade unless they have submitted more than 30 % of the assessment items.

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

This subject entirely prohibits the use of AI technologies in all of its activities. Any submitted work that contains content generated using AI will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade will be awarded a zero, without the possibility of reassessment. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.

Bibliography

ACRAM: (I, II, III, IV i V) Congrés d'Arqueologia Medieval i Moderna a Catalunya, Igualada, Sant Cugat, Sabadell, Tarragona i Barcelona 2000, 2003, 2007, 2011 i 2014.

BOLÒS, Jordi: Els Orígens medievals del paisatge català : l'arqueologia del paisatge com a font per a conèixer la

història de Catalunya. Institut d'Estudis Catalans, Barcelona 2004.

CONTAMINE, BOMPAIRE i altres: La economía medieval. Akal. Madrid, 2000.

MARTÍ, Ramon: Territoria en transició al Pirineu medieval, Actes del 3er curs d'arqueologia d'Andorra, Andorra

1995, pag.37-83.

SABATÉ, Flocel: El territori de la Catalunya medieval. Percepció de l'espai i divisió territorial al llarg de l'Edat

Mitjana, Barcelona 1997.

THULIN, Carolus: Corpus agrimensorum romanorum. Opuscula agrimensurum veterum, Stuttgart 1913 i 1971.

WICKHAM, Chris: Una historia nueva de la alta Edad Media. Crítica, Barcelona, 2009.



Infographic resources:

https://visors.icgc.cat/vissir/#loc=7.61/41.775/1.424

https://www.instamaps.cat/#/

https://www.ign.es/iberpix/visor/

http://calaix.gencat.cat/

https://egipci.cultura.gencat.cat/

http://invarque.cultura.gencat.cat/

http://invarquit.cultura.gencat.cat/

https://revistes.uab.cat/treballsarqueologia/issue/archive

https://www.fundacionoguera.com/

https://publicacions.iec.cat/index.do

https://catcar.iec.cat/documents/edicio/llistaMan.action?request_locale=ca

https://pares.cultura.gob.es/inicio.html


Software

No specific programming required

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PCAM) Field practices 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed