Near Asian Archaeolοgy

Course Overview

Near Eastern Archaeology focuses on the settlement and cultural history of the Ancient Near East, from human settlement to the stages of urbanization and the development of territorial states, and finally to the formation and demise of the ancient Near Eastern empires. In the 75%-option of the Bachelor’s degree program in Near Eastern Archaeology, students acquire a general knowledge of ancient Near Eastern cultures, political history, and languages. In addition, the course provides students with an introduction to archaeological practice. Students acquire specific knowledge of Near Eastern settlement archaeology, social and economic developments, technologies and techniques as well as production and craft. A further focus of the academic program is on profane and religious architecture as well as art and artisan craft. Students learn the basics of analysis and documentation of archaeological find material and ground monuments and can analyze and assess objects and excavation sites in terms of dating, development, and function as well as related to their political and social importance. They can culturally, chronologically, and stratigraphically classify excavated settlements and find identify and categorize artifacts. In addition, students receive insights into the natural-scientific and theoretical methods applied in Near Eastern archaeology. Courses offered in the Department of Assyriology provide students with an introduction to the old languages of the Near East. They also learn about political history, religions, and literature.  The cultural studies expertise acquired during the program facilitates the graduates’ understanding of complex intercultural relationships in the long history of the ancient Near East. In this degree program, students will also learn to independently perform academic research and present their findings not only within the context of inter-disciplinary dialogue but also to the general public.