Description
This course will focus on the phenomenon of ‘the city’ in the Bronze Age and Iron Age Near East and how to best understand urban societies in this region between about 3,000 BC and 300 BC.
The concept of the ‘urban revolution’ that is still very influential has supported the false notions that: firstly, urbanisation was a one-off event; and, secondly, that ‘urban’ is a coherent category.
In this course we will focus on various episodes of urbanisation, and investigate the nature of very diverse urban communities in the Bronze Age and Iron Age Near East.
Course objectives
Knowledge of the main theories on urbanisation in the Bronze Age and Iron Age Near East;
Ability to critically compare weaknesses and strengths of such theories;
Ability to critically apply urbanisation theories to a particular case study;
For RMA-students, in addition to the above:
Ability to propose possible avenues of future investigation of urbanisation in the Bronze Age and Iron Age Near East;
Ability to link archaeological theories to their roots in the broader social sciences.
Time schedule
Course schedule details can be found in the RMA time schedule.
Mode of instruction
The course has a dual character. Students will be asked to read a relevant article prior to each meeting. In the first half of the meeting the lecturer will present further background to the theme of the meeting. Subsequently one (or two) student(s) will present a short discussion of the article they read for the meeting and they will embed this in the broader frame sketched by the lecturer. This is followed by a group discussion. Finally, the students will submit an essay of 3,000 words on one of the themes addressed in the course.
Course load
The course load will be distributed as follows:
7 classes (1 ects);
Essay of 3,000 words (2 ects);
280 pages of literature (to prepare discussion) (2 ects).
Assessment method
Active participation in the course and discussions (10%);
Quality of the discussion presented (20 %);
Quality of the essay (70 %).
All assessment deadlines (exams, retakes, paper deadlines etc.) can be found in the examination schedule.
Reading list
The reading list will be given to the participating students prior to the beginning of the course.
Registration
Registration for the course is not necessary, registration for the exam is mandatory. For instructions, see the Registration in uSis page.
Exchange and Study Abroad students, please see the Prospective students website for information on how to apply.
Contact
For more information about this course, please contact dr. B.S. Düring.