HIST235

Covers ancient Near Eastern civilization from the Sumerian Ubaid culture ca. 6000 to the fall of the Neo-Assyrian empire ca. 600 BCE, encompassing Mesopotamia, Syria, and Anatolia. We look at how the progessive discovery of the various civilizations of the ancient Near East through archaeological excavation starting in the 1800s changed western scholars' understanding of the past, and we examine critically the modern reception of the ancient Near East. Special attention is paid to the indigenous senses of history, both in scribal culture and in action, using, e.g., annals dynastic lists, city laments, year names, monumental and artifact inscriptions (both genuine and ancient fakes), autobiographies (genuine and fake), treaties, diplomatic correspondence, stone reliefs and other monumental art and architecture.

Even Years

Spring Semester