Publication of a book by Luigi Taborelli (2025)
L'Instrumentum domesticum dall'erudizione antiquaria alla scienza storico-archeologica
Presentation
If we want to trace the origin of the set of judgment criteria that define us as contemporaries, we must look toward Paris in the 18th and 19th centuries. Since then, many ideas have been reworked—but always from that foundation. While this is true for literature and art, I believe it applies equally to the disciplines that concern us here. As a preliminary step in studying the subject of this book, we reviewed the major French archaeological journals published during this pivotal period. In doing so, we listened in on generations of scholars who shared news of discoveries and debated questions that would become the basis of what we know today about archaeological disciplines. Special attention was paid to the topics that, since the early 1900s, have been definitively assigned to the branch of archaeology known as Instrumentum domesticum: that which explores material culture—artifacts and tools used in daily life and production activities. The journals on which this research is based serve as a unique observatory, positioned at the crossroads of evolving debates and ideas. Within these journals and the academies that supported their publication, new ideas, hypotheses, and theses were introduced—or sometimes forgotten. These forums also offered space for announcing new discoveries and refining tools and interpretive methods. Between the second half of the 18th century and the early 20th century, as new material and intellectual contributions gradually accumulated, antiquarian scholarship was abandoned. In its place, we see the foundations laid for archaeology understood as a historical science of antiquity—an evolution this book aims to document.
About the Author
After serving as coordinator of the historical laboratories within the DICAS department at the Politecnico di Torino from 1996, Luigi Taborelli concluded his academic career in 2008. His research fields are grounded in experience gained through archaeological and archival missions in Italy, Libya, Tunisia, and Greece, and through the study and documentation of artifacts in collaboration with numerous institutions—including university departments, regional directorates, Italian and international museums, the Italian School of Archaeology at Athens, the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, UNESCO, the National Research Council (CNR), and the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture in Athens. These experiences sparked his interest in the production, trade, and consumption of objects (in stone, ceramic, metal, and glass) and goods with particular characteristics, such as medicines and cosmetics, an interest he has cultivated and expanded over time.
He has served as coordinator and lead researcher on numerous academic projects, including “Archaeological contributions to the understanding of the economic foundations of ancient Mediterranean society: containers for aromata and medicamenta”, “Study and enhancement program of the Gorga Collection”, and “2000 Years of Glass History: technological-analytical, historical, archaeological, and cultural aspects.” His writings (monographs, articles, and reviews for leading national and international journals in the field) explore archaeological, epigraphic, historical, economic, and social dimensions of his topics. He also draws on a wide range of historical sources, including ancient authors (Dioscorides, Pliny the Elder, Scribonius Largus, Columella), medieval texts (Šabbeṯay bar Avraham), early modern scholars (Montfaucon, Caylus), and contemporary experts renowned for their work in history (Michael Rostovtzeff) and archaeology (Virginia R. Grace).