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NUMISMATICA
ALESSIA ROVELLI
Academic year2023/24
CourseARCHEOLOGY STUDIES
Code1392L
Credits6
PeriodSemester 1
LanguageItalian

ModulesAreaTypeHoursTeacher(s)
NUMISMATICAL-ANT/04LEZIONI36
ALESSIA ROVELLI unimap
Learning outcomes
Knowledge

The course aims to provide students with a good historical and archaeological knowledge concerning:

(a) the evolution of monetary systems from the Archaic age to the early Middle Ages;

b) the functions of money in ancient and medieval economies;

c) the study and interpretation of coins from archaeological contexts or museum collections.

Assessment criteria of knowledge

In-class learning will be encouraged by taking part in classroom discussion on the topics developed in the course of the lectures or suggested by the in-depth readings that will be indicated during the lesson. Classroom discussion will foster the acquisition of discipline-specific technical language.

Skills

By the end of the course, the student will have attained an adequate knowledge of the main functions of money and its uses in the ancient and medieval world.

The topics covered will provide the tools of method and content necessary to appreciate the concrete contribution of numismatics to historical reconstruction, and to developing one's own lines of research. Particular emphasis will be devoted to learning the skills that allow numismatic data to be used for the analysis of stratigraphic sequences and for the dating of archaeological contexts.

Assessment criteria of skills

The skills acquired, coupled with communications and synthesis skills, will be verified through the student's interventions during the lectures and the final exam. 

Behaviors

Students will learn about the criteria for identifying and cataloguing numismatic items and how to take action to enhance them.

Assessment criteria of behaviors

The attendance of seminar activities dedicated to the classification of numismatic specimens will allow the theoretical contents to be applied in practice. Regular attendance at lectures and the proposal of topics for class discussion will be appreciated.

Prerequisites

In the academic year 2023-24, the course is of an "introductive" nature, also aimed at students who have not been taught Numismatics during their university career. Knowledge of the main developments in ancient and medieval history will enable the student to orientate himself in the monetary sphere as well.

Teaching methods

The module will take the form of frontal lessons and will be held in Italian. The teacher has fixed Monday afternoons for office hours but she will also be available via e-mail to arrange alternative times.

Syllabus

The course is divided into two sections

  1. a) Institutions of Ancient Numismatics
  2. b) Outlines of the History of Money.

The first section, which begins with an analysis of the terms ‘money and 'coin', provides an introduction to numismatics as a historical and archaeological discipline, and continues with an analysis of the intrinsic and extrinsic characters of coins (types, legends), of production techniques, the organisation of mints, and the metals sources.

The second section aims to trace a history of coinage from the pre-monetary phases up to the medieval age. Here attention will also be paid to the relationships between the different types of sources: numismatic records, archaeological records and written sources. Indeed, the multidisciplinary approach allows the study of the role of money in the economy and in ancient and medieval societies with a plurality of tools.

Bibliography

Under each of the listed groups (1-3) the students have to choose one text:

1)  - R. Cantilena, La moneta in Grecia e a Roma. Appunti di numismatica antica, Monduzzi Editore, Bologna 2008 (and subsequent reprints)

    - F. Barello, Archeologia della moneta, Carocci Editore, Roma 2006 (and subsequent reprints).

 2) - A. Burnett, Coinage in the Roman World, Seaby 1987 (e successive ristampe Spink), pp. 1-65, 122-139, 149-160 (PDF will be made available).

   - A. Savio, Monete romane, Jouvence Editore, Roma 2001 (ristampa: Edizioni Il Libraccio).

 

3) - Boeringher, ‘I primi secoli dello sviluppo della moneta greca’, in L. Milano e N. Parise (a cura di), Il regolamento degli scambi nell’Antichità, Editore Laterza, Roma-Bari 2003, pp. 147-171.

    - C. M. Cipolla, Le avventure della Lira, Il Mulino Editore, Bologna 1975 (and subsequent reprints)

 In addition (mandatory):

- P. J. Casey, Understanding Ancient Coins: An Introduction for Archaeologists and Historians. Bratsford, 1986, pp. 51-113 (PDF will be made available). The case studies discussed on the mentioned pages will be extensively explained in the course of the lectures.

 Any further readings suggested by the students' comments will be provided later and posted on the website.

 Non-attending students are invited to contact the teacher to organise any additions to the exam syllabus

Non-attending students info

Attendance, although not mandatory, is recommended. Non-attending students are requested to contact the lecturer (alessia.rovelli@unipi.it) to define an alternative programme in line with the specific curriculum.

Assessment methods

The final exam consists of an oral discussion on the course topics, lasting approximately 30 minutes. Final mark is based on the ability to discuss with a critical approach and  an appropriate language the main topics.

Updated: 31/10/2023 11:43