European Later Prehistory
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide a broad framework of knowledge relating to the European Bronze Age Societies. Tje Prehistoric times were divided according to a technological criterion, and therefore we have a Stone Age (Paleolithic and Neolithic) and a Metal Age (Copper, Bronze and Iron Age). The last two periods constitute the field of interest of the so-called Later Prehistory (2nd and 1st millennium BC).
The European Bronze Age is a unique stage for its cultural richness and variety, for the high technological level achieved in metalworking, for the increase in exchanging of raw materials and prestige goods by long-distance relationships. It should be noted that this features took place in a period characterized by a fast socio-economic development of the communities, which nevertheless didn't reached complex organisational forms as the state or the properly urban structure.
The course, after providing a general overview of research history, the methodology, and the archaeological sources, will present a survey of European Bronze Age through the study of several significant themes: environment, settlement, economy, production, exchanges, burials, cult, identity and social organization. The archaeological data will be considered in the perspective of social, ideological and cultural implications as well: metalwork will be emphatized, for the weapons and prestige goods constitute a source for the interpretation of social articulation, power and personal primacy. will deepen the sphere.
If possible, additional activities aimed at a more direct knowledge of finds and material culture are planned (visits to museum collections).
Pratically, the aim is to achieve the capacity to recognize and interpretate the sources, that in addition to the archeological record from inhabited, funerary and cultural sites, include natural remnants as well, usefull to recostruct the palaeo-environment and examine the man - environment relationship.
The European Bronze Age is a unique stage for its cultural richness and variety, for the high technological level achieved in metalworking, for the increase in exchanging of raw materials and prestige goods by long-distance relationships. It should be noted that this features took place in a period characterized by a fast socio-economic development of the communities, which nevertheless didn't reached complex organisational forms as the state or the properly urban structure.
The course, after providing a general overview of research history, the methodology, and the archaeological sources, will present a survey of European Bronze Age through the study of several significant themes: environment, settlement, economy, production, exchanges, burials, cult, identity and social organization. The archaeological data will be considered in the perspective of social, ideological and cultural implications as well: metalwork will be emphatized, for the weapons and prestige goods constitute a source for the interpretation of social articulation, power and personal primacy. will deepen the sphere.
If possible, additional activities aimed at a more direct knowledge of finds and material culture are planned (visits to museum collections).
Pratically, the aim is to achieve the capacity to recognize and interpretate the sources, that in addition to the archeological record from inhabited, funerary and cultural sites, include natural remnants as well, usefull to recostruct the palaeo-environment and examine the man - environment relationship.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge of archeological sources, with particular regard to material culture and productions, settlement pattern, funerary documentation, economy and exchanges.
Knowledge of literature and interpretations that have most significantly contributed to the understanding of the contexts.
Skills in use archeological sources in order to read and interpret the ideological aspects and the social and economic structures. Assessment skills to evaluate open problems and possible divergent opinions.
Knowledge of literature and interpretations that have most significantly contributed to the understanding of the contexts.
Skills in use archeological sources in order to read and interpret the ideological aspects and the social and economic structures. Assessment skills to evaluate open problems and possible divergent opinions.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The exam program focuses on the Bronze Age (with particular emphasis on the complexes of the Po Valley and Alpine regions) and is divided into three teaching units, each worth a total of 9 credits.
For the 6-credit program, Teaching Units 1 and 2 are to be taken. For any other specific needs, please contact the professor by email. Downloadable PDF materials (chronology diagrams and selected bibliographical articles) will be available on the Ariel platform once the lessons for the relevant teaching units have concluded.
NB: The program is subject to change and updates and will be presented in its final form at the end of the course.
For the 6-credit program, Teaching Units 1 and 2 are to be taken. For any other specific needs, please contact the professor by email. Downloadable PDF materials (chronology diagrams and selected bibliographical articles) will be available on the Ariel platform once the lessons for the relevant teaching units have concluded.
NB: The program is subject to change and updates and will be presented in its final form at the end of the course.
Prerequisites for admission
Methodology of archaeological research (recommended, not required).
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons with powerpoint presentation. During the lessons, discussion on the topics covered will be encouraged to stimulate critical debate and verify whether the current knowledge is being correctly understood and applied.
Teaching Resources
Unit 1
1. de Marinis R.C. 1984, Archeologia e arte antica, in Enciclopedia europea, 12, Milano 1984, pp. 559-568.
2. de Marinis R.C. 2019, Cultura archeologica, facies archeologica, gruppo culturale e civiltà nella letteratura pre- e protostorica italiana, in Danckers J., Cavazzuti C., Cattani M. (eds.), Facies e culture nell'età del Bronzo italiana? Atti del Convegno di Roma, Institut Historique Belge de Rome, 3-4.12.2015, ARTES 11, pp. 27-39.
3. Heide W. Nørgaard and Samantha S. Reiter (eds.) 2025, Bronzization. Essays in Bronze Age Archaeology, Archeopress 2025 (parti I e III obbligatorie + altri 3 capitoli a scelta).
4. de Marinis R.C. 2000, Il museo civico archeologico Giovanni Rambotti: una introduzione alla preistoria del lago di Garda, Desenzano del Garda (solo capitoli V, VI, VII).
Unità didattica 2
1. de Marinis R.C., Rapi M., The Early Bronze Age Polada Culture of northern Italy. An overview, in Blanchet S., Nicolas T. Et Quilliec B. (dir.): Les sociétés du Bronze ancien atlantique du XXIVème au XVIème s. av. J.-C., Actes du colloque de Rennes, Ille-et-Vilaine, (16-18 novembre 2018), Ausonius, Bordeaux, pp. 427-454.
2. Rapi M. 2020, Il complesso del Lavagnone 3. Scavi dell'Università degli Studi di Milano (1989-2006) in Palafitte - Collana di studi sui siti preistorici di ambiente umido, Serie 2, vol. 1. (solo cap. I: "Il bacino infra-morenico del Lavagnone: quadro degli studi e di aggiornamento sulle ricerche in corso").
3. de Marinis R.C. 2009, La protostoria del territorio di Varese (pp. 11 ss.) e L'età del Bronzo nelle palafitte del lago di Varese (pp. 124-139) in de Marinis R.C., Pizzo M. e Massa S. (a c. di), Alle origini di Varese e del suo territorio, Roma.
4. de Marinis R.C. 2018, Il ripostiglio della Cascina Ranza (comune di Milano), Notizie Archeologiche Bergomensi 26, pp. 27-113.
5. Bernabò Brea M. 2009, Le terramare nell'età del Bronzo, in Bernabò Brea M., Cremaschi M. (a c. di), Acqua e civiltà nelle terramare. La vasca votiva di Noceto, Milano, pp. 5-16.
6. de Marinis R.C., Salzani L. 1997, Le necropoli del Bronzo medio e recente nella Lombardia orientale e nel Veneto occidentale, in Bernabò Brea M., Cardarelli A. e Cremaschi M. (a c. di), Le Terramare. La più antica civiltà padana, Milano, pp. 705-719.
7. Quirino T., Rapi M., a c. di., 2025, Alle radici del territorio. La necropoli dell'età del Bronzo di Canegrate a 70 anni dallo scavo, Roma
Unit 3
NB: study nn. 1,2,3,4 or n. 5 or n. 6
1. de Marinis R.C., L'immagine del guerriero e i segni del potere nell'età del Rame e del Bronzo dell'Italia settentrionale alla luce della documentazione funeraria, Intervento presentato al 12. Colloque International sur les Alpes dans l'Antiquité, Yenne (Savoia), 2-4 ottobre 2009, pp. 127-141.
2. David-Elbiali M., Sous l'agle du genre: analyse de nécropoles de l'âge du Bronze (15e-13e siècle av. J.-C.) d'Italie du Nord et comparaisons avec le nord des Alpes, Rivista di Scienze Preistoriche, LX, 2010, p. 203-256.
3. Kristiansen K. 2002, The Tale Of The Sword - Swords and Swordfighters in Bronze Age Europe, Oxford Journal Of Archaeology 21(4), pp. 319-332.
4. Moedlinger M., Uckelmann M., Mattiews S., eds. 2011, Bronze Age Warfare, BAR IS 2255, 2011: Introduction, (p. 1 ss); Ceremonial or deadly serious? New insight into the function of Irish Early Bronze Age halberds, (p. 39 ss.); Ritual object or powerful weapon - The usage of Central Europe Bronze Age swords (p. 153 ss); The function of Bronze Age shields (p. 187 ss).
5. Horn Ch., Kristiansen K. (eds.) 2018. Warfare in Bronze age society, Cambridge, 253 pp.
6. R. Bradley, The Passage of Arms: Archaeological Analysis of Prehistoric Hoards and Votive Deposits, Oxford 1998
1. de Marinis R.C. 1984, Archeologia e arte antica, in Enciclopedia europea, 12, Milano 1984, pp. 559-568.
2. de Marinis R.C. 2019, Cultura archeologica, facies archeologica, gruppo culturale e civiltà nella letteratura pre- e protostorica italiana, in Danckers J., Cavazzuti C., Cattani M. (eds.), Facies e culture nell'età del Bronzo italiana? Atti del Convegno di Roma, Institut Historique Belge de Rome, 3-4.12.2015, ARTES 11, pp. 27-39.
3. Heide W. Nørgaard and Samantha S. Reiter (eds.) 2025, Bronzization. Essays in Bronze Age Archaeology, Archeopress 2025 (parti I e III obbligatorie + altri 3 capitoli a scelta).
4. de Marinis R.C. 2000, Il museo civico archeologico Giovanni Rambotti: una introduzione alla preistoria del lago di Garda, Desenzano del Garda (solo capitoli V, VI, VII).
Unità didattica 2
1. de Marinis R.C., Rapi M., The Early Bronze Age Polada Culture of northern Italy. An overview, in Blanchet S., Nicolas T. Et Quilliec B. (dir.): Les sociétés du Bronze ancien atlantique du XXIVème au XVIème s. av. J.-C., Actes du colloque de Rennes, Ille-et-Vilaine, (16-18 novembre 2018), Ausonius, Bordeaux, pp. 427-454.
2. Rapi M. 2020, Il complesso del Lavagnone 3. Scavi dell'Università degli Studi di Milano (1989-2006) in Palafitte - Collana di studi sui siti preistorici di ambiente umido, Serie 2, vol. 1. (solo cap. I: "Il bacino infra-morenico del Lavagnone: quadro degli studi e di aggiornamento sulle ricerche in corso").
3. de Marinis R.C. 2009, La protostoria del territorio di Varese (pp. 11 ss.) e L'età del Bronzo nelle palafitte del lago di Varese (pp. 124-139) in de Marinis R.C., Pizzo M. e Massa S. (a c. di), Alle origini di Varese e del suo territorio, Roma.
4. de Marinis R.C. 2018, Il ripostiglio della Cascina Ranza (comune di Milano), Notizie Archeologiche Bergomensi 26, pp. 27-113.
5. Bernabò Brea M. 2009, Le terramare nell'età del Bronzo, in Bernabò Brea M., Cremaschi M. (a c. di), Acqua e civiltà nelle terramare. La vasca votiva di Noceto, Milano, pp. 5-16.
6. de Marinis R.C., Salzani L. 1997, Le necropoli del Bronzo medio e recente nella Lombardia orientale e nel Veneto occidentale, in Bernabò Brea M., Cardarelli A. e Cremaschi M. (a c. di), Le Terramare. La più antica civiltà padana, Milano, pp. 705-719.
7. Quirino T., Rapi M., a c. di., 2025, Alle radici del territorio. La necropoli dell'età del Bronzo di Canegrate a 70 anni dallo scavo, Roma
Unit 3
NB: study nn. 1,2,3,4 or n. 5 or n. 6
1. de Marinis R.C., L'immagine del guerriero e i segni del potere nell'età del Rame e del Bronzo dell'Italia settentrionale alla luce della documentazione funeraria, Intervento presentato al 12. Colloque International sur les Alpes dans l'Antiquité, Yenne (Savoia), 2-4 ottobre 2009, pp. 127-141.
2. David-Elbiali M., Sous l'agle du genre: analyse de nécropoles de l'âge du Bronze (15e-13e siècle av. J.-C.) d'Italie du Nord et comparaisons avec le nord des Alpes, Rivista di Scienze Preistoriche, LX, 2010, p. 203-256.
3. Kristiansen K. 2002, The Tale Of The Sword - Swords and Swordfighters in Bronze Age Europe, Oxford Journal Of Archaeology 21(4), pp. 319-332.
4. Moedlinger M., Uckelmann M., Mattiews S., eds. 2011, Bronze Age Warfare, BAR IS 2255, 2011: Introduction, (p. 1 ss); Ceremonial or deadly serious? New insight into the function of Irish Early Bronze Age halberds, (p. 39 ss.); Ritual object or powerful weapon - The usage of Central Europe Bronze Age swords (p. 153 ss); The function of Bronze Age shields (p. 187 ss).
5. Horn Ch., Kristiansen K. (eds.) 2018. Warfare in Bronze age society, Cambridge, 253 pp.
6. R. Bradley, The Passage of Arms: Archaeological Analysis of Prehistoric Hoards and Votive Deposits, Oxford 1998
Assessment methods and Criteria
Oral exam
L-ANT/01 - PREHISTORY AND EARLY HISTORY - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professor:
Rapi Marta Roberta Matelda
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)