Second Cycle Degree/Two Year Master in Archaeology

ACRA - Senior seminars in Archaeological Practice

ACRA - Senior seminars do not involve classroom attendance. Therefore, please disregard the schedule, which is due to a calendar issue.

The Senior Seminars offer a broad and diverse programme of lectures reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of contemporary archaeology and heritage research. Organized as single lecture or short courses, they bring together a wide range of topics, approaches, and perspectives.

The seminars are open to both staff and students. Students enrolled in the MA programme in Applied Critical Archaeology and Heritage are required to attend a specified number of seminars and to submit a short critical paper based on them. This activity is assessed on a pass/fail basis (Idoneità).

Students enrolled in ACMA, as well as those pursuing Specialisation School or PhD programmes, are also welcome to attend.

Academic Coordinator: Prof. Giulia Marsili

Students are either expected to attend eight (8) seminars or four (4) seminars and two (2) short courses over the course of two years.

The Senior Seminar is a pass/fail class and, in order to get 6 credits (CFU), students are required to write a 3000 - words cumulative paper on the seminars attended, starting from the exam session in June.

With regard to assessment, the use of AI is prohibited. Any such use constitutes a breach of academic integrity.

Students must email their paper to giulia.marsili2@unibo.it and register on AlmaEsami one week before the exam date. Students do not need to be present at the exam.

The full schedule of seminars and lectures will soon be available .

NB. Please note that, as this is a transitional year between the previous and the new degree programme structure, second-year students may fulfil the course requirements by attending the seminars included in the first-year study plan.

The 2026–2027 seminar schedule is regularly updated.

Senior Seminar schedule for the a.y. 2026–2027 (in progress)

All dates are presented in the European format.

1. SEMINARS

Tuesday 27/10/26

10:00-12:00 am 

Aula Seminari 2

Y. Demidenko (Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian Institute, Berehove, Ukraine)

The Early Upper Paleolithic Record of the Northern Black Sea Region

Thursday 01/04/2027

03:00-04:00 pm

Aula Specola

Carlotta Trevisanello (MET)

Amber in the Pre-Roman World: From Raw Material to Prestige Object

2. SHORT COURSES

- Preventive Archaeology in Europe: Policies, Practices and Experiences in Comparative Perspective

In February and March 2027, on Thursday from 03:00 to 5:00 pm, a shourt course consisting of six seminars about preventive archaeology in different European countries will be organized.

The programme will address key issues in preventive archaeology across Europe, exploring different approaches, regulatory frameworks and established practices. Drawing on their extensive field experience, the speakers will offer first-hand insights into the challenges and practical realities of preventive archaeology in different European contexts.

The schedule of individual seminars will be available soon.

- ArcheoFOSS international conference

The 20th ArcheoFOSS International Conference will take place at the Department of History and Cultures (DiSCi), University of Bologna, on 30 November–1 December 2026. The conference will host lectures and papers about recent advances on open software, hardware, processes, data and formats in archaeological research. https://www.archeofoss.org/2026/ 

A keynote lecture will be delivered by Tyler D. Johnson (University of Michigan).

Attendance at the conference will be recognised as equivalent to participation in a short course.