Phoenician and Punic Archaeology
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
This course provides an overview of the material culture and artistic expressions of the Phoenician and Punic civilizations. It explores their interactions with other ancient Mediterranean peoples—including Egyptians, Greeks, Etruscans, and local communities in the Levant, North Africa, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, and the Iberian Peninsula—focusing on processes of exchange, adaptation, and cultural hybridization. Students will develop analytical skills to examine the historical development and cross-cultural legacy of these civilizations across the Mediterranean.
Expected learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. Knowledge and Understanding: demonstrate a solid understanding of Phoenician and Punic archaeology within its historical, geographical, and cultural frameworks; understand key theoretical and methodological approaches; and recognize the complexity of intercultural exchanges in the ancient Mediterranean.
2. Applying Knowledge and Understanding: interpret archaeological evidence in the context of trade, migration, and cultural contact; identify signs of interaction across regions; and explore mutual influences between Phoenician/Punic societies and neighbouring cultures.
3. Making Judgements: critically assess the role of Phoenician and Punic civilizations in shaping Mediterranean history; connect ancient intercultural dynamics to current debates on identity and heritage; and evaluate the relevance of archaeological heritage to sustainable development goals.
4. Communication Skills: clearly express archaeological insights in spoken English; and actively participate in discussions and collaborative settings.
5. Learning Skills: analyse and synthesize archaeological and iconographic data; and independently use scholarly and digital tools to expand knowledge on the Phoenician civilization in a broader ancient Mediterranean context.
1. Knowledge and Understanding: demonstrate a solid understanding of Phoenician and Punic archaeology within its historical, geographical, and cultural frameworks; understand key theoretical and methodological approaches; and recognize the complexity of intercultural exchanges in the ancient Mediterranean.
2. Applying Knowledge and Understanding: interpret archaeological evidence in the context of trade, migration, and cultural contact; identify signs of interaction across regions; and explore mutual influences between Phoenician/Punic societies and neighbouring cultures.
3. Making Judgements: critically assess the role of Phoenician and Punic civilizations in shaping Mediterranean history; connect ancient intercultural dynamics to current debates on identity and heritage; and evaluate the relevance of archaeological heritage to sustainable development goals.
4. Communication Skills: clearly express archaeological insights in spoken English; and actively participate in discussions and collaborative settings.
5. Learning Skills: analyse and synthesize archaeological and iconographic data; and independently use scholarly and digital tools to expand knowledge on the Phoenician civilization in a broader ancient Mediterranean context.
Lesson period: Second 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
Second semester
Course syllabus
The course aims to introduce students to Phoenician civilization for the first time, exploring its main material and cultural expressions in the Eastern Mediterranean and Western colonies, from the late 2nd millennium BCE to the Hellenistic period.
The program is divided into three main modules:
An introductory module (10 hours) focused on the origins of Phoenician civilization, the identity of the Phoenician people, the geographic boundaries of historic Phoenicia, and interactions with other populations of the coastal Levant.
A second module (15 hours) centered on the analysis of archaeological remains from the most important Phoenician sites in the Levant and Cyprus. This module examines changes over time in production activities, material culture, and religious practices, with particular attention to key historical phases: the formative period (12th-10th centuries BCE), the height of the Iron Age (9th-6th centuries BCE), the Persian control period (5th-4th centuries BCE), and transformations during the Hellenistic age.
A third module (15 hours) dedicated to the Phoenician expansion westward during the 1st millennium BCE, with a detailed study of Phoenician and Punic settlements in North Africa, Sicily, Malta, Sardinia, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Balearic Islands. Significant aspects of material culture will be analyzed, including urban organization, production systems, funerary and religious practices, with particular focus on Carthage and other major centers.
The final exam will cover the entire course program.
The program is divided into three main modules:
An introductory module (10 hours) focused on the origins of Phoenician civilization, the identity of the Phoenician people, the geographic boundaries of historic Phoenicia, and interactions with other populations of the coastal Levant.
A second module (15 hours) centered on the analysis of archaeological remains from the most important Phoenician sites in the Levant and Cyprus. This module examines changes over time in production activities, material culture, and religious practices, with particular attention to key historical phases: the formative period (12th-10th centuries BCE), the height of the Iron Age (9th-6th centuries BCE), the Persian control period (5th-4th centuries BCE), and transformations during the Hellenistic age.
A third module (15 hours) dedicated to the Phoenician expansion westward during the 1st millennium BCE, with a detailed study of Phoenician and Punic settlements in North Africa, Sicily, Malta, Sardinia, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Balearic Islands. Significant aspects of material culture will be analyzed, including urban organization, production systems, funerary and religious practices, with particular focus on Carthage and other major centers.
The final exam will cover the entire course program.
Prerequisites for admission
No specific background knowledge is necessary; however, having a basic understanding of the history of the ancient world at a high school level would be beneficial.
Teaching methods
The course is delivered entirely in English through in-person lectures, supported by PowerPoint presentations, videos, and online resources. It also includes seminars with invited scholars, who will engage in discussion with the instructor and students.
Lectures regularly incorporate in-class discussion, aimed at monitoring students' understanding and progress, as well as fostering the development of critical thinking skills.
All teaching materials—including lecture slides, supplementary readings, links to online resources and videos, and the course bibliography—will be made available on the Ariel platform, also for non-attending students.
Lectures regularly incorporate in-class discussion, aimed at monitoring students' understanding and progress, as well as fostering the development of critical thinking skills.
All teaching materials—including lecture slides, supplementary readings, links to online resources and videos, and the course bibliography—will be made available on the Ariel platform, also for non-attending students.
Teaching Resources
For attending students:
Lecture notes, articles, and materials provided during the course
The Oxford Handbook of the Phoenician and Punic Mediterranean, edited by Carolina López-Ruiz and Brian R. Doak: pp. 1-99; pp. 465-644.
For non-attending students:
- The Oxford Handbook of the Phoenician and Punic Mediterranean, edited by Carolina López-Ruiz and Brian R. Doak: pp. 1-99; 465-644.
- In place of lectures, choose ONE of the following texts:
The Phoenicians and the West: Politics, Colonies and Trade, by María Eugenia Aubet
Phoenicians and the Making of the Mediterranean, by Carolina López Ruiz
In Search of the Phoenicians, by Josephine Quinn
Lecture notes, articles, and materials provided during the course
The Oxford Handbook of the Phoenician and Punic Mediterranean, edited by Carolina López-Ruiz and Brian R. Doak: pp. 1-99; pp. 465-644.
For non-attending students:
- The Oxford Handbook of the Phoenician and Punic Mediterranean, edited by Carolina López-Ruiz and Brian R. Doak: pp. 1-99; 465-644.
- In place of lectures, choose ONE of the following texts:
The Phoenicians and the West: Politics, Colonies and Trade, by María Eugenia Aubet
Phoenicians and the Making of the Mediterranean, by Carolina López Ruiz
In Search of the Phoenicians, by Josephine Quinn
Assessment methods and Criteria
Learning will be assessed through a written exam consisting of both open-ended and multiple-choice questions. The final grade will be expressed out of thirty. The exam will be based on the topics covered in the syllabus and will include the identification and analysis of monuments, artifacts, and documents discussed during the lectures.
Assessment will take into account various criteria: the breadth and depth of the knowledge acquired, the ability to develop independent reasoning on the topics addressed, clarity of expression, and the appropriate use of discipline-specific terminology.
Students with specific learning disorders (SLD) may agree on alternative exam arrangements with the instructor, in coordination with the relevant University Office.
Assessment will take into account various criteria: the breadth and depth of the knowledge acquired, the ability to develop independent reasoning on the topics addressed, clarity of expression, and the appropriate use of discipline-specific terminology.
Students with specific learning disorders (SLD) may agree on alternative exam arrangements with the instructor, in coordination with the relevant University Office.
L-OR/06 - PHOENICIAN AND PUNIC ARCHAEOLOGY - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor:
Pedrazzi Tatiana
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Professor(s)