Project description
Ancient social relations as a guide to identity
Identity as an immutable package of elements represents a key element in the rising discourse, particularly in the Mediterranean. However, in many parts of Europe there is a trend to redefine identity. Archaeology is also invited to play an active role. The EU-funded IDENTIS project will focus on social relations development through time in ancient Sardinia between AD 100 and 600. It will study how ancient communities shared social relationships through interactions with the past, power and surrounding environment. The project will focus on funerary contexts of the period based on findings from the west-central necropolis of Sardinia. It will provide new knowledge on the underexplored settlements around the necropolises and on the practices used to avoid social clashes.
Objective
Debates in today's Europe are often centred on identity discourse, especially in the Mediterranean, intended as a fixed package of un-mutable elements to preserve and defend. From many sides in Europe is now urged to redefine identity in its complexity. Archaeology ought to have a proactive role in this mission, due to its capacity to see through the verticality of time, breaking the here-and-now boundaries. Through this IF, I will contribute to this endevour, by focusing on social relationships’ development through time in antiquity. I will investigate how, to answer questions asked by the necessity their contemporary world, ancient communities of Sardinia dealt with social relationships by interacting with the materiality of the past, of power, and of the surrounding landscape. For the purpose, a study of funerary contexts of AD 100-600 Sardinia provides ideal conditions. Through the work, I will develop my doctoral study on west-central Sardinia's necropolises by relating them to both their surrounding landscape and the practices of interaction with the materiality of the past (respresented by re-opening and manipulation of ancient graves). These multi-dimensional relations escape over-simplistic identifications of identity with specific objects or practices only.
I will carry out the IF through the supervision of a landscape studies international authority, Sauro Gelichi, in Ca' Foscari Venice, and a secondment in the Museum of Broken Relationships, Zagreb, ending with an exhibition. I will carry out an archaeological survey of 4 rural necropolises, coordinate specialists' bone anlyses, and engage with a social interpretation of those data. Through them, I will provide new information on the so far unknown settlements feeding the necropolises, on how the Empire's productive strategy in the island changed both the agricultural land's organization and the social bonds at local level, and on what practices local communities adopted to overcome social breakages.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
30123 Venezia
Italy