NEAR EASTERN ARCHAEOLOGY AND ART HISTORY I

The course belongs to the "Core educational activities" of the archaeological curriculum of the Bachelor's Degree Programme in "Conservation of Cultural Heritage and Performing Arts Management" and corresponds to the second part of the 12 CFU exam of "Near Eastern archaeology and art history".
It will present the students with an in-depth analysis of a specific theme or topic in the field of Near Eastern archaeology. Compared to the first part of the course, the object of study will be widened from Mesopotamia to the surrounding regions as well. The aim of the course is that students acquire, a.o. by reading scientific contributions in languages other than Italian, a knowledge of the subject exceeding a purely handbookish level, and that they become aware of the methods and processes through which archaeological data contribute to the reconstruction of a specific aspect of past civilisations and become familiar with the international terminology of a particular field of study. The object of this year's course will be cylinder seals, one of the most characteristic classes of ancient Near Eastern artefacts.

At the end of the course students will know the main features (materials, functions, manufacturing techniques etc.), styles and developments of Near Eastern cylinder seals from their origins to the Achaemenid period; they will be able to recognise seals belonging to different periods, to describe and interpret the main scenes depicted on them, and to distinguish the different objects on which seals were impressed. They will have a good command of Italian and international terminology concerning the classification and study of seals and seal impressions, and will be aware of the main methods used for their analysis and of the different aims of the latter. They will be able to read and critically evaluate short studies on the subject.

NEAR EASTERN ARCHAEOLOGY AND ART HISTORY I

The course will deal with cylinder seals, one of the most characteristic classes of artefacts from ancient Mesopotamia, and, more in general, from the ancient Near East. In its first part, the origins and distinguishing features of cylinder seals, as well as their geographic and chronological distribution will be analysed, and the different approaches and methods used in their study will be described. The two main fields of study connected with Near Eastern cylinder glyptic (the functional study of sealings as tools of the ancient administration, and the iconographic/art-historical study of images engraves on seals) will be illustrated by means of examples taken from different periods and geographical areas. A synthetic presentation of the development of cylinder glyptic from its origins to the mid-first millennium BC will follow.

Notes taken during the lessons and displayed PP presentations (downloadable from the Moodle platform)
H. PITTMAN, Cylinder Seals and Scarabs in the Ancient Near East, in J. M. Sasson (Ed.) Civilizations of the Ancient Near East, New York 2005, vol III, 1589-1603.
Studente are asked to read two articles from the volume: P. FERIOLI, E FIANDRA, G.G. FISSORE, M. FRANGIPANE (eds.), Archives before Writing. Proceedings of the International Colloquium Oriolo Romano, October 23-25, 1991
Suggested readings:
D. COLLON, First Impressions. Cylinder Seals in the Ancient Near East, London, Chicago (British Museum Publications and University of Chicago Press) 1987.
P. FERIOLI, E FIANDRA, G.G. FISSORE, M. FRANGIPANE (eds.), Archives before Writing. Proceedings of the International Colloquium Oriolo Romano, October 23-25, 1991
Further literature will be communicated during the course.

Students who are unable to attend the lessons are invited to ask the instructor for a different program and bibliography.

The exam will be oral, and will consist of: 1) a discussion about some of the topics dealt with during the lessons and 2) the presentation, by the student, one of the selected articles. The student may be asked to comment some of the slides shown during the course. The evaluation will take into account both the degree of comprehension and knowledge of the subject acquired by attending the lessons and through individual study, and the ability to present a topic in an articulated way and by making use of an appropriate terminology.
Erasmus students with insufficient knowlegdge of Italian language wil be offered the possibility to take the exam in English

Frontal lessons with display of Power Point presentations + reading of selected texts
The lessons may be integrated by lectures on specific subjects by Italian or foreign experts and other activities (guided visits to museums and exhibitions, seminaries and exercises)

Italian

Students are strongly advised to attend the lessons (lectures by invited scholars and other activities included).
An alternative program can be agreed upon for those for whom this is impossible

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