Erasmus IP Summer School "Preventive Archaeology: urban sites and landscapes"

Between 2012 and 2014 the Department of History and Cultures coordinated a large network of partners to organize two editions of the Erasmus Intensive Programme Summer School Preventive Archaeology. Evaluating sites and landscapes, benefiting for two consecutive years of an important european funding directed to the higher education (LLP-Lifelong Learning Programme). In addition to Bologna, the team work was composed by the Universities of Bern, Birmingham, Bradford, Cassino, Ghent, Lecce, Leiden, Ljubljana, Lyon 2, Siena, Vigo, York, the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (Rome) and some independent companies (Geocarta Sa, Geostudi Astier Srl, So.Ing Srl, IDS Corporation). The IP also benefited the support of local institutions (Fondazione Flaminia, Comune di Ravenna, Comune di Senigallia, Centro Studi per l'Archeologia dell'Adriatico). The course, articulated in lectures and assisted applications on the field, was dedicated to “Preventive Archaeology”, focusing on the role of the non-invasive techniques for evaluating nature and potential of archaeological deposits prior to transformations or development, in the direction of a correct planning process and a project design. The program undertaken a general survey on the current situation in Europe, considering in particular the countries involved in the project, comparing their different conditions in terms of rules and regulations, methods and traditions, and analyzing possibilities and limitations of the non-invasive methods for the needs of preventive archaeology. Furthermore, the class tried to identify a general range of benefits for developing an approach based on multiple techniques and methodological integration, and to define good practices both in terms of research and of teaching programme in this field of study. Despite the organization entailed a very hard work for all the partners, the school had an extraordinary positive impact on the persons directly or indirectly involved in the activities, representing an attractive education and training programme; enabling students, academic and administrative staff to work together in a multinational and multidisciplinary group; favoring dialogues and connections among people from different countries, the birth of collaborations and relationships among institutions, as well as of a stimulating environment for personal growth and confrontation. The four weeks program, attended by 66 students (between both the editions), took place in Ravenna for the theoretical lectures and at different archaeological sites for the practice: Ravenna and Classe (2013), Senigallia and Civitalba (2014). The cases of studies were selected in order to carry out practical experiences both on urban and extra-urban areas, in the perspective to deal with the preventative field evaluation in different environments. Here, the students had the opportunity to test innovative instruments for non-invasive investigation (well-advanced machines for extensive geophysical survey, remote sensing applications, UAV technology), benefiting of excellent know-how, specialist skills and expertise, and achieving relevant results with the techniques applied. The IP allowed us to draw the attention of many and different institutions present in the territory and variously interested in the course (not only Universities, but also Authorities, Municipalities, Superintendences, Foundations etc.), to which we tried to communicate the benefits of this new “design-led archaeology” also for their purposes, as well as the “power” of some non conventional teachings in reaching a wide and various user-base, also in terms of multidisciplinary employments and applications.