In Italy, the “Archaeology of Emergency” influences the work of physical anthropologists. In fact, most archaeological excavations are not completely investigated because of the lack of funds destined to cultural heritage and the archaeological competences intervene especially when building works bump accidentally into archaeological findings. Emergency excavations cannot pull any whole osteoarchaeological sample, thus the anthropological study is never exhaustive. In addition to this, in Italy there are still problems related to a lack of job perspective because there is not an adequate professional recognition of the bioarchaeologist. Perhaps the issues should be discussed at the root, namely that there is no clear university education that prepares for this type of profession. Today, only a postgraduate education (PhD or Master) can determine the acquisition of specific skills in the several specialties of Bioarcheology. In an era of cultural crisis, as ours is nowadays, it is a struggle to think of a right recognition of any professionalism employed in the field of cultural heritage, but we must insist for this to happen.
Archaeology
From antiquities to memorabilia: a standardised terminology for ancestral artefacts according to manufacture date
An ancestral artefact can be defined as any object of natural raw material made by a people following a lifestyle based on foraging and/or basic agriculture or pastoralism. A problem when cataloguing or reporting a research focused on an ancestral artefact is the absence of a fixed chronological terminology encompassing any age. The issue of terminology of age of objects is especially relevant when a researcher wants to study museum collections. Consequently, putting into practice a standardised terminology for ancestral artefacts according to manufacture date is required to avoid misinterpretations, which can even jeopardise legal actions. In this paper, a standardised terminology is presented for such kinds of original artefacts, from prehistory to the present. Subsidiarily, ancestral peoples have been arranged in concordance with the terminology for ancestral artefacts. While this terminology is centred on ancestral artefacts and is primarily addressed to people engaged in museum specimens―from curators to researchers―it is applicable to other collectable objects and, accordingly, also relevant to tribal-art dealers, antiquarians, and cultural heritage legislators.
Archaeological palynology in Romania ― a review of its past and current state
Pollen analyses in Romanian archaeology are not new and the interest concerning the opportunities offered by this discipline is on the rise. The increasing visibility of the discipline reflects a mentality change in terms of research methodology in Romanian archaeology, especially in prehistoric archaeology. This paper will focus on a short critical survey of the development of archaeological palynology in Romania, from its beginning in the early 20th century to present
Archaeology, architecture and the use of the Romanità in fascist Italy
Studia Antiqua et Archaeologica 18(1): 351-375 Cristian Olariu, University of Bucharest, ABSTRACT After Mussolini has become the leader of Italy, Romanità increasingly starts to invade fascist propaganda. Romanità helped the promotion of imperial policies of the regime and in fact meant that the „spirit of the ancient Romans” was reborn in modern Italians. The Mostra Archeologica of 1911 played an important role in the promotion of ancient Rome and it’s values among the modern Italians. The Fascists used even further the concept of Romanità. By reshaping Rome and promotion through exhibitions of Augustus they tried to connect themselves with the founder of the Roman Empire. The glorious traditions of imperial Rome were reused to give legitimacy to a dictator who, increasingly, considered himself the incarnation of Augustus, but ultimately failed. Autorul prezintă modul în care propaganda mussoliniană a utilizat simbolurile şi valorile vechii Rome, prin promovarea conceptului de Romanità, pentru(…)