PAPVA_51 Middle Bronze Age in the Near East

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2013
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Zuzanna Wygnańska, Ph.D. (lecturer), Mgr. Inna Mateiciucová, Ph.D. (deputy)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Zdeněk Měřínský, CSc.
Department of Archaeology and Museology – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Lucie Valášková
Supplier department: Department of Archaeology and Museology – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Mon 22. 4. 8:20–12:25 K21, Tue 23. 4. 8:20–12:25 K21, Wed 24. 4. 8:20–12:25 K33, Thu 25. 4. 8:20–12:25 L32, Fri 26. 4. 9:10–13:15 Zahraniční oddělení
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
Course objectives
The lecture will cover Mesopotamia and Syria-Palestine in the Middle Bronze Age. The issues highlighted in the lecture will include main historical and cultural phenomena. Major groups and categories of artefacts, from monumental art to small decorative objects will be presented along with architecture - temples, palaces, fortifications and dwellings - as well as funerary rites. Apart from these main topics the lectures will also provide basic information on the peoples, scripts and languages, religion and other features of the Bronze Age cultures.
Syllabus
  • 1. Amorite dynasties of the MBA in Mesopotamia - Isin-Larsa Period and Old Babylonian Periods - Amorite dynasties and states in Mesopotamia, - City state of Ashur, - Topics: Migration of Amorites; Old Babylonian state organisation; cuneiform sources for reconstruction of history; karum of Kanesh and other Old Assyrian colonies; town planning, sacral and secular architecture (e.g. temples of Tell Harmal, Shaduppum, Ashur, domestic architecture from Ur); „Babylonian” and „bent axis” temple plans; art of the time of Hammurabi. 2. Syria in MBA - Reurbanisation and the emergence of new city states - Amorite states in Syria (Jamchad, Ebla, Qatna, Alalah) - Amorite dynasties in Mari: the time of Shamshiadad the I and the return of Zimri-Lim; - Topics: Amorites in archaeology of Northern Mesopotamia; nomadic chiefdoms, archive of Mari, burial customs, sacral and secular architecture (e.g. Zimri-Lim’s palace in Mari, MB palaces from Ebla, Eblaitic sacral complex); art (e.g. palace wall paintings, West-Syrian statuary, steles); Khabur ware pottery. 3. Beginnings of the MBA in Levant - Transitional period of EB IV/ MB I - MB II A Period: revival of urban life and establishment of “Canaanite culture” - Topics: migration; West-Semitic settlement; dolmens and cemeteries; weapon hoards; metal objects. 4. The MBA in Levant (CONTINUATION) - MB II B: further development of the “Canaanite culture” - Topics: the “Hyksos” question and relations with Egypt; fortifications, urban architecture and temples (Hazor, Tel Dan, Megiddo, Lachisz, Beth Shean, Byblos obelisks temple); burial customs; metallurgy.
Literature
  • Orthmann W., Der Alte Orient, Berlin 1975.
  • Kuhrt A., The Ancient Near East c. 3000 – 330 BC, London-New York 1995.
  • Walker, Cuneiform. Reading the Past., University of California Press 1987.
  • Moorey P.R.S., Ancient Mesopotamian Materials and Industries: The Archaeological Evidence, Oxford 1994.
  • Heinrich E., Die Paläste im Alten Mesopotamien, Berlin 1984.
  • Roaf M., Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East, Oxford, 2000
  • Klengel H., Geschichte und Kultur Altsyriens, Leipzig 1979; Wien 1980.
  • Akkermans P.M.M.G. & Schwarz G.M., The Archaeology of Syria. From Complex Hunter-Gatherers to Early Urban Societies ( ca. 16.000 – 300 BC), Cambridge 2003.
  • Sasson J. M., Civilisations of the Ancient Near East, 4 vols., London 1995.
  • Mazar A., Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, 10.000-586 BCE, New York 1990.
  • Levy Th. E., The archaeology of the society in the Holy Land, London New York, 1998.
  • Heinrich E., Die Tempel und Heiligtümer im Alten Mesopotamien, Berlin 1982.
  • Cotterell A., The Penguin Encyclopaedia of Ancient Civilisations, New York 1980.
  • Crawford H., Sumer and Sumerians, Cambridge 2004.
Teaching methods
PowerPoint presentations
Assessment methods
written test
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2015.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2013, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2013/PAPVA_51