History & Aims of the International Summer School in Archaeology
(University of Siena)
Introduction
The immediacy of the discussions, the international breadth of the participants and the direct
relationship between teachers and students has been a particular characteristic of the International
Summer Schools in Archaeology at the University of Siena. After twenty years of meetings the
schools remains one of the most important opportunities for fostering and advancing working
relationships between archaeology and related disciplines.
Since 1987 the Summer Schools have dealt with themes which have created important initiatives
and international debate aimed at advancing archaeological work in Italy and beyond. In general the
schools involve teaching concerned with archaeology in practice and with the use of
interdisciplinary techniques. The public success of the meetings and particularly the resulting
publications demonstrate the active role played over the past twenty years by the International
Summer Schools at Siena. Until 2000 the events were promoted and directly financed by National
Research Council. In the light of the established importance of the Schools the Department of
Medieval Archaeology at University of Siena is seeking, despite the absence of this former funding,
new ways of continuing this longstanding initiative. Basic funding for the promotion of the School
of 2001 and 2005 were provided by public bodies, by the Culture 2000 Programme of the European
Community and by commercial concerns (for example Leica Geosystems).
General objectives of ISSA
To encourage the integration of theoretical, methodological and analytical aspects of
archaeological research.
- To develop interdisciplinary research bringing together, especially, research in the natural
sciences using the most advanced information processing techniques, in collaboration with work
in the laboratory.
- To promote a dialog between workers in different fields, particularly between those concerned
with research and those more concerned with matters of conservation.
List of ISSA Publications
Every Summer School in Archaeology has resulted in a publication as can be seen from the
following list. The books have been constructed in a way which is specifically related to teaching
functions.
- I - Archeologia e restauro dei monumenti, 1987, eds. R.Francovich, R.Parenti
- II - Scienze in archeologia, 1988, eds. T.Mannoni, M.Molinari
- III - Lo scavo archeologico dalla diagnosi all'edizione, 1989, eds. R.Francovich, D.Manacorda
- IV - Archeologia del Paesaggio,1991, ed. M.Bernardi
- V - Archeologia delle attività estrattive e metallurgiche, 1991, ed. R.Francovich
- VI - Acculturazione e mutamenti. Prospettive nell'archeologia medievale del Mediterraneo, eds. E.Boldrini, R.Francovich
- VII - Sistemi informativi e reti geografiche in archeologia: GIS-Internet, 1995, ed. A.Gottarelli
- VIII - Archeologia subacquea, 1996, ed. G.Volpe
- IX - Musei e parchi archeologici, eds. R.Francovich, A.Zifferero
- X - Archeologia Teorica, 1999, ed. N.Terrenato
- XI - Remote Sensing in Archaeology, 1999, eds. S.Campana-M.Forte
- XII - Archeologia e Urbanistica, 2000, ed. A.Ricci
- XIII - Aerial Archaeology Research School, 2001, C.Musson, R.Palmer, S.Campana
- XIV - Ricognizione Aerea, fotografia digitale e interpretazione GIS based, 2005, S.Campana, R.Francovich, in press.
