Learn what innovative methods and tools applied to the material culture of the past can tell us about the Early Middle Ages. Discovering the cultural heritage of Medieval Europe through archaeology
On this archaeology course, you will explore what we can learn about the past through material culture. It focuses on the history of Medieval Europe, from the end of the Roman Empire in the West.
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This was a time of huge cultural, social, and environmental change.
The course covers a wide range of topics. You’ll explore the significance of changes in medieval food and health, the spread of Christianity in Europe, and migration patterns and social structures.
You will gain a sensibility for cultural heritage, focused on artefacts of material culture discovered on archaeological sites. These objects can help us understand the complexities of the late Roman Empire, by now under regular attack from Barbarian tribes.
Through material culture, we can understand how people lived, worshipped, and worked, as the new Germanic kingdoms and culture of Medieval Europe emerged.
You will also learn about the technical side of historical archaeology, covering the latest archaeological tools and techniques.
Explore the history of climate change in the early Middle Ages
This historical archaeology course also considers the history of climate change. We are clearly coming closer to the brink of climate catastrophe in the 21st century. What can we learn about how people in the Early Middle Ages reacted to climate change during their times? More broadly, you’ll consider what the history of Europe can tell us about the present.
This medieval archaeology course is delivered by the University of Padova, a research leader in the field. The University of Padova team has dug some of the most culturally significant Italian archaeological sites.
What topics will you cover?
- The end of the Roman Empire to the beginning of the Middle Ages
- The significance of cultural heritage
- Innovative tools and methods used today in archaeological practice
- Environmental change and its impact on past societies
Learning on this course
You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Create a sensibility for cultural heritage, particularly archaeological sites and material culture through a better understanding of their nature and meaning.
- Compare historical phenomena of the past with those of the present.
- Explore how innovative scientific methodologies are adding vital information about the past to traditional archaeology
- Investigate the connections and causations between different historical events
Who is the course for?
This course is suitable for anyone interested in historical archaeology, Medieval Europe, cultural heritage, or the history of climate change.
It would benefit those preparing to study archaeology or who want to explore new archaeological methodologies.
