Philology, literatures and history of the ancient world

LUCIA MORI

In consistency with the educational purposes of the whole teaching course, aim of the teaching unit is to give students knowledge and comprehension skills in the field of the History of Near Ancient East, that complete and/or reinforce those acquired in the first grade of studies. Moreover, it will make the students able to approach orginal themes in a research context, making more complex judgments, communicating knowledge and its process, and studying the subject in an independent and self-educational way. In particular, the course aims at providing students with the basic historical competency to deal with the History of the ancient Near East in its development over more than two millennia and in its geographic and linguistic differences, with the presentation of illustrative case studies

At the end of the course, students are expected to achieve a basic knowledge of the tools and methodologies of the discipline, with skills that allow them to orient themselves chronologically and geographically within the history of the ancient Near East.

Curiosity for the subject, reading comprehension of bibliography in French English and Italian

History of the ancient Near East: methods, sources, questions
The module aims to present the original features of the Ancient Near East in the historical period, for the Urban Revolution in the late fourth millennium BC to the Achaemenid Persian conquest of Babylon in the sixth century. BC, introducing students to the main issues of the discipline: diversity and differences of accessible sources, both archaeological and written, a long and complex chronological period, in an extended and diverse geographical area.
To account for the complexity of the subject, alongside general lessons seminars on specific topics aimed at enriching the general theme of the course will be organized. For students of history of religions, specific seminars will be proposed at the beginning of the course.

M. Liverani, Antico Oriente. Storia, società, economia, Laterza 2011. (in the English translation).
Further reading will be suggested during the course.

Oral exam