Admission requirements
Introduction to Sumerian
Description
Gudea ruled the state of Lagash in southern Mesopotamia, the Sumerian heartland, around 2144-2124 BC. He left behind a large number of inscriptions, including two clay cylinders, which in about 1300 lines of literary Sumerian describe the construction and inauguration of the main temple in Lagash. Gudea’s Sumerian is considered to be the classic form of the language. In this course we will read selected passages from his inscriptions, study their language and script, and look into their cultural and historical background.
Course objectives
After this course you can
transliterate the cuneiform script of the Gudea inscriptions,
describe the make-up of composite cuneiform signs,
analyze the grammatical structure of complex Sumerian forms and clauses,
critically use the main Sumerian dictionary, and
translate Sumerian texts of intermediate difficulty.
Timetable
The timetable
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Course Load
Total course load 5 EC x 28 hours = 140 hours
26 hours attending the seminars
52 hours preparing the seminars
32 hours preparing the mid-term assignment
30 hours preparing for the written exam
Assessment method
Assessment
Assessment will be in two parts:
a mid-term assignment of about 60 lines of Sumerian not treated during the seminars (30% of the final grade)
a written exam on the subject matter of the course (70% of the final grade)
Weighing
The final grade for the course is established by determining the weighted average.
Resit
If the final grade is below 6.0, the written exam can be repeated.
Exam review
Students can view their marked examinations and request (additional) feedback for a period of 30 days after the publication of the grades.
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used for:
providing study materials and course information
uploading assignments and giving feedback on them
Reading list
The study materials will be provided through Blackboard at the beginning of the course.
Registration
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available in English and Dutch
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Registration Studeren à la carte
Registration Contractonderwijs
Contact
Contact information
Remarks
This course will be taught in Dutch if there are no foreign students participating in it.