Elective Course. Worlds of Antiquity: An Introduction to the Cultural History of Ancient Mediterranean and Near East 2900-HAMC-WORAN

This course offers a critical introduction to the study of Antiquity through the lens of cultural history. Focusing on the major civilisations of the ancient Mediterranean—Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome—it explores culture as a human mechanism for organising society and responding to essential needs. Cultural expressions will be examined as systems that shape diverse spheres of life, from belief and ritual to politics, technology, and artistic production.
The aim of the course is to provide students with a critical foundation for understanding the cultural frameworks of ancient societies, while developing the analytical tools necessary to approach classical sources and scholarly research in Ancient History and Archaeology with contextual awareness.
Students will be introduced to the principles of cultural studies, alongside a general overview of the social and historical development of the four main periods covered. The course addresses historiographical issues, cultural interaction, crisis, migration and the evolution of social structures in Antiquity. Lectures are complemented by seminars and practical sessions devoted to key aspects of human life and organisation: state formation, the origins and uses of writing, philosophy and intellectual traditions, religion and death, cultural identity, political culture and power, and the materiality of culture.