Ancient Near East: Archaeology and Art

This course builds on the broad knowledge you have already acquired through the course on the cultures of the Ancient Near East: introduction (or equivalent), about the early prehistoric and historical cultures in the Near East. Through more focused, thematic studies of material evidence for, for example, state formation and settlement patterns, trade, production and communication in the region, we shed light on and discuss the growth and the conditions for these cultures, and how these changed over time, in their specific environments. The main emphasis is on the cultures of present-day Iraq and eastern Syria. lt also looks to the surrounding areas with which they traded, and exchanged ideas and technologies, although the contact points could sometimes be characterised by less peaceful circumstances. The course is also included as a module in Assyriology A and cannot be taken together with this and included in the same degree. **Outline for distance course:** Teaching and assessment on the distance courses are web based. The course is assessed countinously through written assignments and a final exam. The course is given through the university's teaching platform Studium and through Zoom. To follow the course, students will need a computer with Internet access, a webcam and headset.