Undergraduate Course: Archaeology of Southwest Asia (LLLE07048)
Course Outline
| School | Centre for Open Learning |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 7 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This course examines archaeological developments in the early and later prehistory in Southwest Asia. We explore the archaeology of modern Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Iran and southeast Turkey to gain insights into the culture, religion, politics, trade and economy of the people who lived in those lands thousands of years ago. |
| Course description |
- Introduction and summary: 10,000 years of archaeology in SW Asia. Settling hunter- gatherers (ca. 10,000 BC).
- The first farmers; emergence of communities (ca. 9800-8200 BC).
- The Neolithic revolution and mega-sites in Southwest Asia (ca. 8500-7200 BC).
- Population disperse (ca. 7200-6500BC) and emergence of cultures (ca. 6000-5000 BC).
- The Mesopotamian Chalcholithic (ca. 6000-4000 BC).
- The dawn of history: the first urban revolution and the emergence of states (ca. 4000-3000 BC).
- Temples, palaces, script, slavery and war: the second urban revolution and the emergence of empires (ca. 3000-2000 BC).
- Collapse and re-urbanization: the Assyrians and the Babylonians (ca. 2000-1600 BC).
- International diplomacy and trade in Southwest Asia and the Mediterranean. Internal social upheaval, domino economic collapse or the Sea People? (ca. 1600-1200 BC).
- Recapitulation. World heritage and the role of archaeology.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Recognise major sites and archaeological material from southwest Asia.
- Understand socio-cultural shifts in their wider political context.
- Demonstrate relevant knowledge of archaeological theories, methods and techniques past and present
- Synthesise and compare evidence from major archaeological sites in southwest Asia.
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Reading List
Essential:
Cauvin J., 2000. The Birth of Gods and the Origins of Agriculture. Translated by Trevor Watkins. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Hallo, W.W. 1971. The ancient Near East: a history. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (chapters 1-4).
Knapp, A.B. 1988. The History and Culture of Ancient Western Asia and Egypt. Wadsworth: California (chapters 1-4)
Roaf, M. 1990. Cultural atlas of Mesopotamia and the ancient Near East. New York; Oxford: Facts on File.
Recommended:
Frankfort, H. 1970. Art and architecture of the ancient Orient. New Haven, Conn; London: Yale University Press.
Mieroop, M. van de 2004. A History of the Ancient Near East ca 3000-323 BC. Blackwell. Oxford (chaptes 1-7 only)
Simmons, A.H. 2011. The Neolithic Revolution in the Near East. Transforming the Human Landscape. Arizona: University of Arizona Press
Encyclopaedias:
Meyers, E.M. 1997. The Oxford encyclopedia of archaeology in the Near East prepared under the auspices of the American Schools of Oriental Research. New York; Oxford: OUP.
Sasson J.M. 1995. Civilizations of the ancient Near East. New York: C. Scribner's Sons.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Sally Crumplin
Tel:
Email: Sally.Crumplin@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr John Ethcuit
Tel: (0131 6)50 3409
Email: jethcuit@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
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