30458 - History, Civilizations and Religions of Caucasian Peoples

Learning outcomes

The course aims to offer students with a wide knowledge of the cultural history of the Caucasus area with special regard for its linguistic and ethnological complexity and with a strong focus on its religious history. At the end of the course the student should be able to frame the ethnolinguistic and historical complexity of this area with a basic competence both for antiquity and present days.

Course contents

Introduction to political and religious history of the Caucasus. Ethnolinguistic complexity of the area, in the past and today. The Scythian presence in the Caucasus and the Ossetic people. The Scythian mythology and the Ossetic folklore. The importance of the Caucasus in the contemporary geo-politic framework. Special seminars might be organized according to the main interests of the students.

Readings/Bibliography

Basic texts:
A. Ferrari, Breve Storia del Caucaso, Roma (Carocci), 2007.
G. Dumézil, Le livre des héros, légendes ossètes sur les Nartes. Parigi (Gallimard) 1965.
G. Dumézil, Romans de Scythie et d'alentour. Parigi (Payot) 1978.
B. Geiger – T. Halasi-Kun – A. Kuipers & K. Menges, Peoples and languages of the Caucasus, a synopsis, s'Gravenhage (Mouton)  1959.

Teaching methods

Front lessons with the help of textual materials at disposal of the students; frequent discussions about the items discussed also with the presence of other colleagues specialist in some related fields.

Assessment methods

The oral examination will test the student's critical knowledge concerning both the general subjects of the course and the special problems discussed in the framework of the seminar. For this reason, it is recommanded the reading of two works taken from the bibliography.

Teaching tools

Books, manuscripts, xeroxes, geographical maps, audiovisula means, web data etc.

Office hours

See the website of Antonio Clemente Domenico Panaino

See the website of Paolo Ognibene