Admission requirements
This course is open to MA and research MA students in Classics and Ancient Civilizations.
Description
Akkadian was the Semitic language spoken in Ancient Mesopotamia by Babylonians and Assyrians. It is recorded almost uninterruptedly from c. 2300 BCE to 75 CE on clay tablets written in cuneiform script. This course will introduce students to the grammar and vocabulary of Akkadian, the basics of the cuneiform script, and the principal research tools in the field of Assyriology. We focus on the Old-Babylonian dialect of Akkadian and will use, among other samples, excerpts from the Code of Hammurabi as a means to practice and test reading skills.
Course objectives
At the end of the course, students will be able to read basic Akkadian texts in the original script. The Tutorial Akkadian is specifically designed as a crash-course for students with little prior language training. It will equip them with the grammatical, orthographic and bibliographic tools required to proceed to more advanced language modules.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Students are expected to attend the weekly seminars of the BA course ‘Inleiding Akkadisch en Spijkerschrift’;
Students will be given a reading list for self-study, extra tutorials may be scheduled depending on students’ needs and interests.
Assessment method
Assessment
Written exam (language and script): 50% (midterm and final combined);
Reading list (independent study of Code of Hammurabi): 50% (with oral examination).
Weighing
The final grade for the course is established by determining the weighted average of the two subgrades.
Resit
The resit will consist of a written exam covering all sections of the course, including the reading list.
Inspection and feedback
Students will be invited to discuss the written exam and the oral exam individually with the teacher, as soon as the results have been published.
Reading list
Huehnergard, A Grammar of Akkadian;
Caplice, Introduction to Akkadian;
Black, A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian;
Borger, Assyrisch-Babylonische Zeichenliste;
Snell, A Workbook of Cuneiform Signs.
Students are advised to contact the teacher if they experience difficulty purchasing some of the books listed.
Registration
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Arsenaal
Remarks
Not applicable.