Ricerc@Sapienza

With the increasing number of conferences, congresses and workshops devoted to African archaeology, one wonders if there is room for another one. More so if with the explicit hope, or unconscious admission, that this workshop would have been the first of a (long) series. And finally, in Italy, where in the past other attempts to create a flexible but permanent structure did not last for long. This workshop comes after a long theoretical gestation, mainly due to the essential questioning – do we really need it? – and many perplexities.

Africa encompasses a multitude of environments and biomes that require specific scientific strategies – from desktop studies to field research to laboratory analysis – to tackle research questions that may range from the emergence of early humans to the ethnoarchaeological investigation. In several areas, turmoil, social instability and security constraints hamper or limit field activities and long-term funded programs.

Il contributo ha per soggetto un piatto in vetro di probabile produzione siriana risalente all'VIII secolo, rinvenuto nel contesto funerario del Famen Temple. La precisa datazione di queste tombe consente un'altrettanto precisa datazione non solo degli esemplari in esse rinvenuti, ma della tipologia a cui essi appartengono.

The chapter explains the main features of desert environemnts and their significance in the archaeological field.

First visited by westerners in the mid-nineteenth century, Saharan rock art has since received a great deal of attention. The richness and diversity of this region is recognised by the inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage list of three properties: Tassili-n-Ajjer in Algeria, Tadrart Acacus in Libya, and Ennedi in Chad.

Commentary to the eight volume of the series Arid Zone Archaeology.

The investigations at Veii Macchiagrande revealed the presence of a permanent settlement dating from the
Iron Age to late antiquity. In recent years further studies completed excavation data with information needed
to better define chronologies of this urban sector. In this preliminary paper results from these new revision
are presented, as an anticipation of a forthcoming final edition about our twenty-year research.

The paper discusses present and future perspectives at Arslantepe: Interdisciplinary researches, site protection, musealization and communication

‘European archaeology’ is an ambiguous and contested rubric. Rooted in the political histories of European archaeology, it potentially unites an academic field and provides a basis for international collaboration and inclusion, but also creates essentialized identities and exclusionary discourses. This discussion article presents a range of views on what European archaeology is, where it comes from, and what it could be.