Which are the deepest roots of that mix of cultures that we use to call ‘Mediterranean Civilization’? Which are comminglings and exchanges which produced its most complete fruit, i.e. the city, a place for landscape-modelling communities? And which elements did contribute to build up that baulk of customs, ideas, and innovations which compelled to confrontation and hybridizations different peoples for millennia? What did it made, from pottery to metallurgy, from gastronomy to architecture, from art to religion, of a sea a cradle of civilization? Archaeology may help in disentangling such questions, seeking unexpected answers , by tinkering what ancient Mediterranean peoples left buried in the ground. A privileged point of view of our course is the ancient Phoenician city of Motya, located exactly at the centre of the “sea in the middle”. Throughout the live experience of excavation, with images taken on the field, this course will let you touch the many tesserae of the great mosaic of the Mediterranean Civilization. The field diary of the archaeologist, and the handpick will be the two tools, which will lead us across the sea to discover what such early cities actually were, and how their contribute is still a major part of our shared memory.
At the Origins of the Mediterranean Civilization: Archaeology of the City from the Levant to the West - 3rd-1st millennium BC
Sapienza University of RomeAbout this Course
Learner Career Outcomes
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33%
Learner Career Outcomes
43%
33%
Offered by

Sapienza University of Rome
Sapienza University of Rome, founded in 1303 by Pope Boniface VIII, is the oldest University in Rome and the largest in Europe.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Towards the West
Concept of the city
Discovering Motya
Life and Ideology
Reviews
TOP REVIEWS FROM AT THE ORIGINS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN CIVILIZATION: ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE CITY FROM THE LEVANT TO THE WEST - 3RD-1ST MILLENNIUM BC
wonderful explanation along with good slides and maps and incredible readings but the main organization was my favorite part because I learned so much about ancient cities as well as Motya
Very informative and the lecturer is quite engaging. The items in the quizzes are sometimes a bit cryptic and every now and then one finds oneself guessing at exactly what is being asked.
A very informative and interesting study of the origins of Mediterranean civilization. The course is packed with examples and explanations and delivered by the superb Prof. Nigro
The material was extremely interesting. I have learned many interesting things. Unfortunately, the subtitles were so bad that I had to spend a lot of time to decipher the text.
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