Spring 2018

Every week of the semester.

Love, Wine, and Muses: Central themes in archaic Greek poetry

Students will acquire good knowledge of all leading figures of archaic Greek poetry, appreciation of the peculiar nature of preservation of their works and the ability to interpret foundational pieces of European poetical tradition.

Every week of the semester

Reading Homer's Odyssey

...students will become familiar with the contents and the genesis of the work ("Homeric question"), its metrical and linguistic features, as well as basic notions of Homeric society, morality, religion, warfare and politics.

Every week of the semester.

Late Ancient and Early Christian Culture

The aim of this course is to make students acquainted with the principles of early christian art which had resulted from the context of previous art of greek and roman pagan Antiquity and of its language...

Block lecture: 9. - 19. 4. 2018

Archaeology and Religion

This course aims at using archaeological and anthropological data and historical sources to understand the evolution of religious beliefs and practices in the Old world. In so doing, the course will foresee what archaeology can tell us about religion and, more specifically, in defining theoretical and methodological answers to general questions, in understanding how architecture was used by ancient societies in creating their cosmological landscape.

Block lecture: 9. - 20. 4. 2018

Introduction to Cultural Anthropology for Archaeologists B

The Near East archaeologist is a ‘marginal person’, in the sense that she/he often trespasses the fence-line between societies, ethnic groups, social classes and interest groups while doing her/his work. To comprehend this social reality is vital for persons who want to run archaeological projects in the Near East.

Block lecture: 30. 4. - 10. 5. 2018

Sumerian language

The sources for the Sumerian language date basically to the third millennium. The course will treat the language and the logographic writing system by reading simple inscriptions. Student will be able to: read, understand and use simple text written in Sumerian script. She/He will be able to use text to understand historical contexts.

Block lecture: 30. 4. - 11. 5. 2018

Ethnological Examples of the Use of Space by Rural Communities in the Near East

The course aims to promote a bottom-up approach to spatial interpretations in SW Asian prehistoric archaeology. Often ‘alien’ spatial layouts are forced upon the worked site (top-down). Contrary to this the lecture favours a bottom-up approach that takes as its base the terrain perception of the excavator proper (sensory approach).

Block lecture: 18. 4. & 23. - 26. 4. 2018

Ethnoarchaeological studies with relevance to the archaeology of Mesopotamia

The excavator staying in or near villages is still to some extend ‘immersed’ in the use of some of the more traditional techniques, the local exploitation of raw materials and specific spatial patterns that are influenced by production, use and the final disposal of domestic products. Hardly any scientific contributions by field excavators will be found, therefore, that do not in one way or another contain allusions to rural or small-town life and some of the ‘older crafts’. The course serves as introduction to ethnoarchaeology as a method of research.