Archaeology of Islamic North Africa: Continuity, Transformations, and Interactions (7th-16th Century) 4001-ISLAFR-OG

The course will provide the students with a comprehensive overview of the key topics in the archaeology of Islamic-period North Africa. From the complex reality of the region at the end of the Byzantine period to the rise of imperial powers up to the beginning of the Ottoman influence, the student will be able to relate the main historical events with relevant sites and monuments. Particular emphasis will be placed upon aspects of daily life in the region, covering rural settlement patterns, production methods, and associated artifacts, including pottery and other forms of craftsmanship.

The course will also examine concurrent developments in the broader Mediterranean and sub-Saharan regions, highlighting the dynamics that influenced North Africa’s interconnected role within this historical period. By exploring these interactions, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of North Africa’s place in the wider Mediterranean world from the 7th to 16th centuries.

Key Topics and Themes Covered in Lectures:

1. Introduction to Islamic-Period North African Archaeology
- Overview of key concepts, methods, and regional relevance.

2. The Transition from Byzantine to Islamic North Africa
- Political and social structures at the end of the Byzantine period.

3. The Process of Islamization in North Africa
- Phases, influences, and societal transformations.

4. Urban Development and City Life in Islamic North Africa
- The urban phenomenon between continuity and transformations. New urban foundations and sites with continuity of life.

5. Rural Settlement Patterns and Domestic Architecture
- Rural settlement and domestic architecture solutions from the Mediterranean coast to desert interiors.

6. Hydraulics and Agricultural Practices
- Water management, irrigation techniques, and agricultural practices.

7. Mining and Natural Resources Exploitation
- Natural resource utilization, including mining activities. Local and interregional perspectives.

8. Material Culture: Pottery and Craftsmanship
- Analysis of pottery, metalwork, textiles, and other crafted items and their production centers.

9. Military Architecture and Defensive Structures
- Fortifications and other defensive structures reflecting political stability and conflict.

10. Religious Architecture and Sacred Spaces
- Development of mosques, madrasas, mausoleums, and their archaeological evidence.

11. Funerary Practices and Mortuary Archaeology
- Burial customs and mortuary architecture across North Africa.

12. Cultural and Religious Systems
- The blending of indigenous traditions with Islamic practices in social life and material culture.

13. Interconnected Trade Networks
- North Africa’s trade links with sub-Saharan Africa, and beyond.

14. North Africa’s Role in the Broader Mediterranean World
- Intellectual, cultural, and technological exchanges within the Mediterranean world and beyond.

15. North Africa between the Ottoman Empire and Europe
- The state of North African societies and polities in the 16th century between the concurrent rise of the Ottoman empire and European long-distance sea-trade.

Type of course

general courses

Mode

Classroom

Course coordinators

Lorenzo De Lellis

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the student will

Know and understand:
- the main historical events related to the early and classical Islamic period in North Africa
- the most important sites and monuments related with the Islamic period in North Africa
- the main themes of Islamic-period archaeology in North Africa, including urbanism, rural settlement and societies, material culture, productions, and technologies
Be able to:
- analyze North African material culture and be able to recognize its distinctive traits in comparison to the rest of the Islamic and Mediterranean world
- identify the complex interactions of North Africa with the rest of the Mediterranean World and beyond
- analyze evidence from the archaeological record and select proper archaeological methods to propose independent interpretation
- formulate and accomplish independently a thematic in-depth analysis on theme of his/her own choice

Acquire the following social competences:
- ability to participate in a debate and evaluate constructively different opinions
- ability to formulate, develop and present the results of his/her research on a theme chosen independently
- ability to use the acquired skills to appreciate, understand and critically engage with the cultural diversity of the North African and Mediterranean world

Assessment criteria

- continuous assessment (ongoing participation and contribution to classes and activities) 50%
- final presentation 50%

Bibliography

- Fenwick, C. (2020). Early Islamic North Africa: A new perspective. Bloomsbury Academic.

- Gascoigne, A.L. (2020) Egypt. In B. J. Walker, C. Fenwick, & T. Insoll (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of Islamic archaeology (pp. 101–121). Oxford University Press.

- Fenwick, C. (2020). Ifriqiya and the central Maghreb. In B. J. Walker, C. Fenwick, & T. Insoll (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of Islamic archaeology (pp. 242–266). Oxford University Press.

- Fili, A. (2020). The Maghreb Al-Aqsa. In B. J. Walker, C. Fenwick, & T. Insoll (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of Islamic archaeology (pp. 267–285). Oxford University Press.

- Nixon, S. (2020) The Sahara. In B. J. Walker, C. Fenwick, & T. Insoll (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of Islamic archaeology (pp. 287–309). Oxford University Press.

All the material presented as slides during the classroom activities will be provided to the students.

Additional non-mandatory bibliographic resources will be provided during the course.

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 4001-ISLAFR-OG in USOSweb