04-AO-GAO

Course identification: 04-AO-GAO
Class hours per week: 1 per semester
ECTS points: 5
Duration: 2 semesters
Course offering: winter and summer semester
Level: BA, first year

Lecture: The Scripts, Languages and Texts of the Ancient Near East (winter semester)

Content:
The lecture offers an overview of the emergence, development and structure of cuneiform as well as of other selected ancient Near Eastern writing systems. The geographical distribution, cultural significance, relationships and fundamental structural phenomena of numerous languages of the ancient Near East will be presented. In addition, a systematic genre-oriented survey of the written remains of the ancient Near East will be given, with an emphasis upon the history of ancient Near Eastern literature.

Lecture: Introduction to the History of the Ancient Near East (summer semester)

Content:
The lecture offers an overview of the history of ancient western Asia from the beginnings of "civilization" in southern Mesopotamia in the middle of the 4th millennium BC, until the end of the Neo-Babylonian empire in 539 BC. The emphasis lies upon Mesopotamia, but southwest Iran, Syria and Anatolia will also be taken into account. Special attention will be paid to the critical analysis of sources. The lecture combines brief survey accounts with a detailed discussion of individual examples.

Learning objectives (entire module):
The student will possess an overview knowledge of ancient Near Eastern history and will be able to discuss historical developments and their attestation in written sources critically and in detail on the basis of selected examples. He/she will be knowledgeable of the emergence, development and structure of cuneiform as well as of other selected ancient Near Eastern writing systems. He/she will possess an overview knowledge of the text corpora of the ancient Near East and of their typical genres. 

Examination (entire module):
Written test (90 minutes)