Archaeology of the Ancient (Near) East 3600-7-WS2-AWSw(Z)
Topics of subsequent lectures (not necessarily closed at one meeting). Traditional hcronological order will be followed - coherent with historical narratives.
1. Archaeology of the Ancient Near East as an archaeological subdiscipline - sources, methods, problems. Archaeology of the ANE as historical archaeology. Constructing chronologies/periodisations (archaeology vs. history)
2. Discovering the East - from first travels to intensive, interdisciplinary researches; traditional and latest techniques of archaeological exploration.
3. Physical geography, climate, vegetation, mineral resources - natural environment of ancient culturesl; "ways of life" (hunting-gathering, dry farming, irrigated farming, breeding - stationary and migratory, urban life.
4. Origins of civilisation - rise of complex, hierarchised societies of city-states (Uruk Period and its forerunners, invention of writing).
5. Great cultures of the IIIrd millennium - Mesopotamia: Early Dynastic, Akkadian, and Ur III - Periods; Anatolia, Syria, Susiana in the Early Bronze Age.
6. "Time of changes" - Amorite Dynasties in Mesopotamia and Syria, Hittite Old Kingdom.
7. The world of the Late Bronze Age - Hittite Empire, the Hurrians, Syria-Palestine; Elam; Kassite Babylonia and the first Assyrian Empire; conflicts, relations, cultural transfers.
8. Great empires of the Iron Age - Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes and Persians.
9. Around great empires: Syria-Palestine, Neo-Hittite states, Urartu.
10. ANE's heritage in modern art and architecture. The museums - outstanding collections of ANE antiquities in Europe and in the world. Visiting tne Ancient Art Gallery in National Museum in Warsaw.
Type of course
Mode
Course coordinators
Term 2025Z: | Term 2024Z: |
Learning outcomes
Obtaining basic knowledge on ANE's cultures, with stress kaid on chorological and chronological placement (as proposed archaeologically), their most representative artifacts, features and sites. Listeners shal be also introduced to archaeological contexts of obtaining written evidence (cuneiform and alphabetic), and different aspects of coordinating written history and archaeology.
Assessment criteria
An exam (written or oral - to be discussed with participants), after the winter and summer semester. In both cases - mental mastery of the topics indicated above: "blind" maps to be described, for geographical features, extents of cultures and states; selection of artifacts and features to be identified and dated, and contextualised; questions on periodisation and chronology.
Bibliography
See the Polish section
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: