Admission requirements
Knowledge of Akkadian grammar and cuneiform writing.
Description
The Old Assyrian dialect of Akkadian is known from the thousands of letters and administrative documents excavated in the lower town of Kültepe, the ancient city of Kanesh. This course will introduce the student to the grammar and vocabulary of Old Assyrian and the accompanying writing system, and to the historical and economic background of the Assyrian presence in Central Anatolia. A representative selection of texts will be read and special attention will be paid to the archival context of these documents.
Course objectives
Students following this course will acquire a thorough knowledge of Old Assyrian grammar and writing and insight into the historical and economic context of the documents.
Students will be able to read Old Assyrian texts from copies or photos of the cuneiform original, and to translate these into English and provide a grammatical analysis. Furthermore, they will be acquainted with the most important scholarly literature on the historical and economic context.
Timetable
Please consult the Classics and Ancient Civilizations website.
Mode of instruction
- Seminar
Course Load
Total course load is 280 hours, of which:
Attending seminars: 13 × 2 hours/week = 26 hours;
Preparation for lectures: 13 × 4 h/w = 52 h;
Study of compulsory literature: 71 h (500 pp.);
Research and writing paper (5000 words): 131 h.
Assessment method
Paper (70%)
Oral presentation and participation in seminars (30%)
Oral presentation: Students are expected to actively engage in discussion of the content and issues raised by the documents read each week, and to be able to summarize the material they have studied for the rest of the group in English.
Assessment additional course objectives for the Research MA students:
Research Master students will be expected to address more complex theoretical issues in all their work and in particular in their final paper. They may be asked to engage in the lecturer’s research (e.g. by commenting on work-in-progress), if this seems suitable.
Weighing
The final grade for the course is established by determining the weighted average.
Resit
The grade for the final paper should be satisfactory. Should the result be unsatisfactory, the paper is to be revised after consultation with the teacher.
Exam review
Students will be invited to discuss the paper and the other results for this seminar (participation and oral presentation) individually with the teacher, as soon as the results have been published.
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used for:
Communication
Providing teaching materials
Reading list
M.T. Larsen, Ancient Kanesh. A Merchant Colony in Bronze Age Anatolia. Cambridge University Press 2015.
Assyrian texts will be made available through Blackboard or during class.
Registration
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about registration in uSis is available in English and Dutch.
Exchange and Study Abroad students: please see the Study Abroad/Exchange website for information on how to register.
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Not applicable.