ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST
Academic year and teacher
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2018/2019
- Teacher
- SIMONETTA PONCHIA
- Credits
- 6
- Didactic period
- Secondo Semestre
- SSD
- L-OR/01
Training objectives
- The course is aimed at providing a basic knowledge and fundamental tools for the research activity in the field of ancient Near Eastern history and archaeology. The lessons propose relevant case studies, illustrate methods and goals of the analysis according to various approaches and exemplify the use of documentary sources and secondary literature.
Prerequisites
- General and basic historical, linguistic and artistic competences
Course programme
- The course is organized in two sections. The first section is devoted to a comprehensive presentation and periodization of the history and archaeology of the Syro-Mesopotamian area, aimed at providing basic knowledge and a general framework for the more specific treatment in the second section. The second section illustrates art and archtecture of the Neo-Assyrian imperial period as documented in central and provincial cities. Prestige goods, such as ivories, vessels, metal objects, etc. are especially considered as expressions of socio-political, economic, and ideological relations. Archaeological and epigraphical documents will be examined and secondary literature discussed. The reference bibliography herewith listed will be integrated with the illustration of other and specific studies during the lessons.
Didactic methods
- Lectures are devoted to: illustrating and analysing ancient sources; examining and discussing secondary literature and methodological approaches; providing comprehensive historical reconstructions.
Learning assessment procedures
- Oral exam. The exam concerns topics and bibliography illustrated and supplied during the lessons and accessible on the web Platform (University of Ferrara), and on parts of the reference books that are indicated during the lessons. Reference books and additional bibliography, useful for comparisons and deeper treatment of the topics, is indicated below. Students will be requested to answer questions concerning the topics treated during the lessons to demonstrate their knowledge of the data and their abilities in analysis, synthesis and methodological evaluation.
Reference texts
- Nadali D. e Polcaro A. (a cura di), Archeologia della Mesopotamia antica, Carocci, Roma 2015; Liverani M., Assiria. La preistoria dell'imperialismo, Roma-Bari 2017; Kertai D., The Architecture of the Late Assyrian Royal Palace, Oxford 2015; Russell, J. M., Neuassyrische Kunstperiode III. Reallexikon der Assyriologie und vorderasiatischen Archäologie 9 (1998–2001), 244-65
Additional materials and bibliographical references will be provided during the lessons.
