Between the history of the earth and the history of man. Transdisciplinary exchanges in Liberal Italy (1861-1915) (original) (raw)

Light and shadow: the status of Italian geology around 1807

Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2009

The stratigraphical approach and geological mapping of William Smith in England and Georges Cuvier in France gave birth to modern geology. However, before 1815 neither used the word ‘geology’, a term first coined by Ulisse Aldrovandi in 1603. At the turn of the nineteenth century most leading geoscientists were based in France and Germany, but those in Britain were poised to take over the lead. After three centuries of dominance in science and geology, was Italian geology in decline? A review of the works of Italian geologists and the role these played in disseminating Italian geological research has been undertaken to examine this question. The French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars shocked the Italian states, disrupted the economic order and discontinued the progress of science. Nevertheless, from 1759 to 1859 over 40 classic papers in geology were published in Italy. Among them, Gian Battista Brocchi's Conchiologia Fossile is the most renowned for having inspired Charles L...

Italian Prehistoric Archaeology in the International Context, in Fragmenta 2, 2008, pp. 109-123.

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.

Italian Prehistoric Archaeology in the International Context

Fragmenta, 2008

The Journey of Prehistoric Remains. Rereading the Case of Scoglio del Tonno, Taranto (1899–1950s)

Travelling Matters across the Mediterranean, ed. by Beatrice Falcucci, Emanuele Giusti, and Davide Trentacoste, HIMO 1 (Turnhout: Brepols, 2024), pp. 255–280 FHG, 2024

This article re-evaluates the historical narrative of the archaeological site known as ‘Scoglio del Tonno’ in Taranto, challenging the simplistic portrayal of early twentieth-century Italian archaeologists as incompetent or malicious. Particularly, it reassesses the case study from a different perspective, starting with the concept of scientific paradigms and communities and reconstructing the data journey of scientific remains. The objective is to unravel the intricate interplay between science and politics in Italy within diverse socio-political contexts: the Italian Kingdom, Fascist Italy, and the early Republican era. By delving into the historical context, the article elucidates how socio-political constraints shaped the scientific interpretation. Furthermore, it scrutinizes the transfer of archaeological findings to other museums: the historical analysis reveals dynamic scientific paradigms influencing the relocation of findings and modifying their social and political implications.

The socio-political dimension of archaeology: some reflections on the Italian path

The Archaeology of Death.Proceedings of the Seventh Conference of Italian Ireland, Archaeology held at the National University of Galway, April 16-18, 2016, 2018

Summary The use of the past for the construction and deconstruction of modern identity, and the contribution provided by archaeology in these processes, has become a topic of much debate over the last decades. Archaeology, as unfortunately can be seen by the recent destruction of cultural heritage in Syria and elsewhere, consciously or unconsciously provides symbols and materials for the political, historical or pseudo-historical narratives of communities and states. The present work, analysing some Italian cases, from Calabria, Sardinia and Sicily, invites a reflection on the political role of archaeology in contemporary Italy. Riassunto La strumentalizzazione del passato, la costruzione e decostruzione dell’identità moderna e l’apporto fornito dall’archeologia in tali processi costituisce uno degli ambiti di ricerca su cui si è più scritto nel corso degli ultimi decenni. L’archeologia, infatti, come è tristemente stato sottolineato dalle distruzioni del patrimonio culturale a cui abbiamo assistito recentemente, fornisce, in maniera consapevole o inconsapevole, simboli e materialità alla narrative politica di una comunità o di uno stato. Il presente lavoro, analizzando alcuni casi italiani, provenienti specialmente dalla Calabria, dalla Sardegna e dalla Sicilia, vuole invitare a una riflessione sul ruolo politico dell’archeologia nell’Italia contemporanea.

Between the history of the earth and the history of man. Transdisciplinary exchanges in Liberal Italy (1861-1915) (original) (raw)

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