| CODE | NES3008 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Ancient Mesopotamia | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Middle Eastern and Asian Languages and Cultures | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit offers an overview of the earliest civilization, societies, and empires of Mesopotamia, which arose alongside the great rivers of the Tigris and the Euphrates. The major cultural feats of the Sumerians, the Akkadians, the Assyrians, and the Babylonians will be discussed with examples of the rich material culture stemming from the excavated layers dating from the Sumerian to the Neo-Babylonian periods. The origins and contribution of writing in Mesopotamia will also be tackled, and the writing system will be compared and contrasted with those of neighbouring regions. Basic notions of the writing system and languages will also be offered. A number of variegated cultural topics will be presented, such as, architecture, legal matters, business transactions, writing, literature, and trade. Study-unit Aims: - To present the major cultural feats of Mesopotamia from the Sumerian period up to the Neo-Babylonian period; - To help students appreciate the major inventions and developments in various areas, including those of writing, art, and architecture; - To show how the civilization and societies of Mesopotamia were intrinsically linked to the geographical environment of the land's two rivers (the Tigris and the Euhprates), to the wider trading network established with neighbouring regions (as far as Anatolia down to India), and to the socio-political influences in the wake of territorial conquest. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Compare and contrast a variegated set of cultural sets (ranging from writing and art to architecture and trade) which prevailed in Mesopotamia; - Recall the major contributions made to humanity in general by the people of Mesopotamia; - Recognize and explain the rich corpus of inscriptions and accounts of Mesopotamia. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Describe the key stages that led to the invention and contribution of writing in ancient Mesopotamia; - Identify and analyse the main sources of archaeological and written evidence that helps us explain ancient Mesopotamian societies; - Recall and explain the key social, cultural, and economic links between ancient Mesopotamia and its neighbours. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Bryce, Trevor (2016) Babylonia: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. - Crawford, Harriet (2004) Sumer and the Sumerians, 2nd edn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. - Podany, Amanda H. (2014) The Ancient Near East: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. - Radner, Karen (2015) Ancient Assyria: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Supplementary Readings: - Postgate, J. Nicholas (1994) Early Mesopotamia: Society and Economy at the Dawn of History. London: Routledge. The above is a sample list of bibliographic items. The lecturer will provide a more detailed bibliography in class and on VLE. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | |||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Abigail Zammit |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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