C8945 - Civilizations of the Ancient Near East (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have acquired a comprehensive knowledge of the historical trajectories, interconnections, and cultural, political, religious, and economic developments of the major civilizations of the ancient Near East—including Sumer and Akkad, Babylonia, Assyria, Elam, the Hittite Empire, Mittani, the Syro-Levantine kingdoms, and ancient Persia—over nearly three millennia, from the rise of urban societies in the fourth millennium BCE to the conquests of Alexander the Great in the late fourth century BCE. They will have developed a critical understanding of the primary sources—royal inscriptions, chronicles, letters, treaties, and administrative texts— that inform modern reconstructions of these ancient societies. Students will also be able to evaluate the strengths and limitations of various types of evidence and contextualize political and historical developments within their appropriate geographical and chronological frameworks.

Course contents

The first part of the course begins with the emergence of cities, states, and writing in late fourth- and third-millennium Mesopotamia, and then examines the formation of the first territorial kingdoms and empires, from Akkad and the Third Dynasty of Ur to the political systems of the early second millennium BCE. Subsequent lectures address the development of the major regional powers of the Late Bronze Age, their diplomatic relations and shared political culture, and the transformations associated with the collapse of the eastern Mediterranean system around 1200 BCE. The course then considers the rise of the first-millennium empires, with particular attention to Assyrian and Babylonian strategies of conquest, administration, and ideological legitimation, before concluding with the Persian Empire and the incorporation of the Near East into the Hellenistic world. Throughout this historical survey, political change will be related to developments in social organization, economic structures, warfare, diplomacy, and state institutions.

The history of beer in ancient Mesopotamia will provide a sustained thematic case study, linking agriculture, technology, labour, gender, ritual, consumption, and social identity. Through this focus, students will examine how an apparently ordinary product can reveal broader structures of economic life, cultural values, and everyday experience, while also offering opportunities to integrate textual, archaeological, and visual evidence.

Readings/Bibliography

Attending students (i.e., attendance of at least 12 lessons)

M. Van de Mieroop, A History of the Ancient Near East, ca. 3000-323 BC. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell, 2016³.

T. Paulette, In the Land of Ninkasi: A History of Beer in Ancient Mesopotamia. New York, Oxford University Press, 2024.

Students not attending classes are invited to contact the instructor in order to arrange for additional readings.

Teaching methods

Lectures and collective discussion.

Assessment methods

Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered to be attending students.

Oral examination aiming at verifying the student’s knowledge of the topics covered during the course and of the assigned readings. The overall evaluation will take into account attendance to classes and active participation in class discussions. Students not attending classes will be assigned extra readings (see Readings/Biliography).

Excellent knowledge of the topics, clarity in the exposition, correct use of the terminology, and ability to formulate and develop critical and rigorous arguments are necessary to attain an excellent mark.

Students showing good knowledge of the main themes treated during the course, ability to discuss specific issues, while failing to use an appropriate terminology, will receive a good mark.

Students who do not show an adequate knowledge of the topics discussed during the course will not pass the exam.

AI can be a useful tool to support independent study by providing in-depth analysis, summaries, and self-assessment exercises. With regard to assessment, the use of AI is prohibited during in-person exams. The use of AI in any form constitutes a violation of academic integrity.

Exam sessions are scheduled for the following months (for all students): April, May, June, October, November 2027; January 2028.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint presentations and other teaching materials will be provided by the instructor.

The teaching tools used during the lessons will also be available on http://virtuale.unibo.it

Office hours

See the website of Palmiro Notizia