Teaching code

4S02129

Academic staff

Simonetta Ponchia, Federico Giusfredi

Coordinatore

Simonetta Ponchia

Credits

6

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

L-OR/03 - ASSYRIOLOGY

Period

2 A, 2 B

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars

Learning objectives

The course is meant to provide the students with: a basic knowledge of the origin, contexts of production and use of writing in Mesopotamia and the ancient Near East, an introduction to the cuneiform epigraphic documentation and a basic knowledge of ancient Mesopotamia languages (Sumerian and Akkadian). Thanks to seminal classes, the students will acquire a basic competence to approach texts in their original languages, employ the fundamental tools of the philological work, improve their knowledge, awareness, critical autonomy and method in the study of ancient history, epigraphy and archaeological heritage, approach a more in-depth study of Mesopotamia and ancient Near Eastern textual patrimony.

Prerequisites and basic notions

General linguistic and grammatical competence.

Program

The first part of the course provides a general presentation of the contexts of written production in the Syro-Mesopotamian area beginning with the origin of writing and illustrating the main textual collections and archives and the various types of texts preserved. The main part of the course is devoted to the study of the Akkadian language (Assyro-Babylonian) and its main grammatical elements, to allow the students to read and translate a selection of texts with progressive grammatical complexity.

Bibliography

Didactic methods

The classes are integrated with a seminar specially designed to guide and train the students in the reading and interpretation of the texts in Akkadian. The seminar includes basic notions of cuneiform and practical exercises on grammatical rules.

Learning assessment procedures

Final oral assessment. The purposes of the assessment are to verify the acquired knowledge; language skills; the ability of textual analysis.
The assessment will consist of questions on the topics treated during the course, the bibliography indicated during the lessons, the texts studied, those of the seminar included, and the synthesis provided in the slides.
Not attending students and Erasmus students are kindly requested to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course in order to agree on the programme and assessment modalities.

Evaluation criteria

The evaluation concerns: the acquisition of the specific language skills covered by the course, the ability to organize and apply the acquired knowledge and methodologies, correctness and expository properties.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

The evaluation is expressed in thirtieths.

Exam language

italiano