Italian Prehistoric Archaeology in the International Context, in Fragmenta 2, 2008, pp. 109-123. (original) (raw)
The author outlines a short history of the interrelationships between Italian and foreign prehistory scholars in the period going from the unification of Italy to 1945. There was a remarkable season of excavations and research during the second half of the nineteenth century that also helped to create a bond between the Italians and the scholars of other European countries. The beginning of the twentieth century was characterized by a progressive isolation of Italians studying their country's prehistory. A new phase begins in 1940 with the excavations of Luigi Bernabò Brea in the Arene Candide cave and joint projects of archaeological research and excavations became a reality starting at the end of the Second World War. t he relationship between nationalism and Italian archaeology has been dealt with at length; 1 what is still missing is a study of the complex inter-relationships between Italian pre-and protohistoric archaeologists and their european colleagues, in the period from the unification of Italy to 1945. 2 the "science of the illiterates" was the famous aphorism of theodor mommsen (although nowhere to be found in his books or articles!) quoted by giovanni Patroni in his preface to La Preistoria (1937) that labelled prehistoric archaeology. It was mommsen himself who wrote in another famous passage in his introduction to his Römische Geschichte (The History of Rome 1854-1855), how it was to be excluded that in Italy "the human race is more ancient than field cultivation and the fusion of metal". 3 In fact, four years before, giuseppe Scarabelli, "the alpha and omega of Italian prehistory" as he was called by gabriel De mortillet, 4 published the first report on palaeolithic tools found in Italy. this publication not only sparked the beginning of a remarkable season of excavations and research, which took place during the second half of the nineteenth century, but also helped to create a bond between the Italians and the scholars of other european countries.
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Italian Prehistoric Archaeology in the International Context
Fragmenta, 2008
The author outlines a short history of the interrelationships between Italian and foreign prehistory scholars in the period going from the unification of Italy to 1945. There was a remarkable season of excavations and research during the second half of the nineteenth century that also ...
FOSSILI VIVENTI: PREHISTORIC ARCHAEOLOGY AND COLONIAL ETHNOGRAPHIC COLLECTIONS IN LIBERAL ITALY
Organon 54 pp.125-151, 2022
This article offers a first survey investigating the practice of displaying objects belonging to ancient civilisations of the Italian peninsula alongside those of the peoples living in the African coloniesand beyond-during the end of 19 th and the beginning of the 20 th centuries. I will analyse the development of the discipline known in Italy as paletnologia in close connection with the European context and how it was presented in museums through its association with artefacts belonging to the so-called present-day primitives. Finally, the article will conclude by discussing the paradigm shift happening at the time of the Fascist Empire.
National Report Discovering the archaeologists of Italy 2012-2014
2014
Discovering Archaeologists of Europe 2014 is the first statistically systematic survey of the archaeological workforce in Italy: started in 2012 and funde by Lifelong Learning Programme of European Union, the project involves twenty-two European organisations led by the York Archaeological Trust. The project is now in its second edition, but this is the first time it has been conducted in our country: the need for a new edition comes from the necessity of analysing the working conditions of archaeologists, their numbers, and their work opportunities as affected by the economic crisis of the Western world in the last five-six years, especially in Europe. From the beginning of the crisis, the construction sector, the one that employs the majority of archaeologists at the moment, lost a total of 446,000 jobs, with a 30% decrease in investment. In 2012-2013 the Italian government cut 100,000,000 € of funding to the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism (MiBACT), with a 58% decrease in funding destined for preservation activities. According to official data available at the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR) website, in two years Italian universities lost a total of 20% permanent archaeological jobs, reduced to 371 units working in 37 faculties all over the country. These were the numbers from which we started, to try and profile a profession that, more than others, is at risk of declining. Surveys conducted by other organisations preceded DISCO2014, but the gathered data never produced a general estimate. The only exceptions, for some aspects, are the 1992 conference titled “La laurea non fa l’archeologo”, and the document realised for the General States of Archaeology held in Paestum in 2011, when data gathered by professional organisations and by the Ministry itself were shared with the public .
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