Course Objectives: To provide advanced knowledge of the archaeology and art history of the ancient Near East, with a particular focus on the cultural, political, and religious contexts of the region’s major civilizations. The course aims to develop students’ ability to critically analyze archaeological and artistic evidence, their methodological skills in interpreting material and iconographic sources, and their ability to independently interpret historical and cultural processes.
Curriculum
teacher profile teaching materials
Particular attention will be devoted to the processes involved in the construction of royal and imperial ideology and to how it was communicated through monumental architecture, sculpture, relief, iconography, and the planning of urban and ceremonial spaces.
The course will address the following topics: the empires of the first millennium BC and the formation of new political and territorial structures in the Ancient Near East; the emergence, development, and expansion of the Neo-Assyrian Empire; the principal Assyrian capitals: Ashur, Kalhu/Nimrud, Dur-Sharrukin, and Nineveh; the Neo-Assyrian palace as a political, administrative, ceremonial, and symbolic centre; palatial architecture, monumental decoration, and visual programmes; Assyrian reliefs and the construction of the image of the ruler; representations of warfare, hunting, tribute, deportation, and imperial domination; the ideology of power and the relationship between ruler, deity, and empire; monumental sculpture and protective figures in palatial contexts; cities, infrastructure, hydraulic systems, and the transformation of the landscape in the organization of imperial territory; strategies of control, mobility, communication, and integration of the provinces; material culture and the circulation of objects, technologies, and artistic models within the Empire; the crisis and fall of the Neo-Assyrian Empire; the formation and development of the Neo-Babylonian Empire; Babylon as a political, religious, and symbolic capital; the monumental architecture of Babylon and the building programmes of Nebuchadnezzar II; palaces, temples, city walls, processional gates, and ceremonial spaces; the Processional Way and the Ishtar Gate; religion, kingship, and the construction of urban space; continuities and transformations in Mesopotamian traditions between the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian periods; relations between Mesopotamia, Syria, the Levant, and Anatolia within the framework of the imperial dynamics of the first millennium BC; methodologies for the analysis of architecture, art, and iconography as tools for reconstructing the ideologies and practices of power.
The course will also focus on the critical analysis of specific case studies and on the comparative examination of archaeological contexts, architectural programmes, and visual ensembles, to develop greater student autonomy in the interpretation of material evidence and in the critical assessment of the main trends in archaeological and art-historical research on the Ancient Near East during the first millennium BC.
Programme
The course provides an in-depth study of the archaeology and art history of the Ancient Near East during the first millennium BC, with particular attention to the formation and development of the great territorial empires and, especially, the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian Empires. Through an integrated analysis of archaeological, architectural, artistic, and iconographic evidence, the course will examine the strategies through which imperial power organised, transformed, and represented political, urban, and territorial space.Particular attention will be devoted to the processes involved in the construction of royal and imperial ideology and to how it was communicated through monumental architecture, sculpture, relief, iconography, and the planning of urban and ceremonial spaces.
The course will address the following topics: the empires of the first millennium BC and the formation of new political and territorial structures in the Ancient Near East; the emergence, development, and expansion of the Neo-Assyrian Empire; the principal Assyrian capitals: Ashur, Kalhu/Nimrud, Dur-Sharrukin, and Nineveh; the Neo-Assyrian palace as a political, administrative, ceremonial, and symbolic centre; palatial architecture, monumental decoration, and visual programmes; Assyrian reliefs and the construction of the image of the ruler; representations of warfare, hunting, tribute, deportation, and imperial domination; the ideology of power and the relationship between ruler, deity, and empire; monumental sculpture and protective figures in palatial contexts; cities, infrastructure, hydraulic systems, and the transformation of the landscape in the organization of imperial territory; strategies of control, mobility, communication, and integration of the provinces; material culture and the circulation of objects, technologies, and artistic models within the Empire; the crisis and fall of the Neo-Assyrian Empire; the formation and development of the Neo-Babylonian Empire; Babylon as a political, religious, and symbolic capital; the monumental architecture of Babylon and the building programmes of Nebuchadnezzar II; palaces, temples, city walls, processional gates, and ceremonial spaces; the Processional Way and the Ishtar Gate; religion, kingship, and the construction of urban space; continuities and transformations in Mesopotamian traditions between the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian periods; relations between Mesopotamia, Syria, the Levant, and Anatolia within the framework of the imperial dynamics of the first millennium BC; methodologies for the analysis of architecture, art, and iconography as tools for reconstructing the ideologies and practices of power.
The course will also focus on the critical analysis of specific case studies and on the comparative examination of archaeological contexts, architectural programmes, and visual ensembles, to develop greater student autonomy in the interpretation of material evidence and in the critical assessment of the main trends in archaeological and art-historical research on the Ancient Near East during the first millennium BC.
Core Documentation
The reference texts will be indicated annually according to the specific topics explored in the course and the most recent scholarly publications.Attendance
Attendance is strongly recommended, given the seminar-based and participatory nature of the course. Classes will be held twice a week, preferably in person. Where necessary, remote participation will be possible. Regular attendance will allow students to take part in discussions, case-study analyses, and the in-depth activities planned throughout the course.Type of evaluation
During the course, students’ ability to contribute to discussions through relevant observations, comparisons between case studies, and critical reflections on the topics addressed will be taken into account. The final assessment will consist of the presentation and discussion of an individual in-depth study focusing on a specific topic, archaeological complex, or issue related to the Ancient Near East during the first millennium BC. The topic must be developed through an independent and reasoned selection of relevant scholarly literature and presented using PowerPoint. The presentation will be followed by a discussion aimed at assessing the student’s ability to support their own interpretations, compare them with different scholarly perspectives, and relate the selected case study to the broader historical, archaeological, and art-historical issues addressed during the course. The assessment will take into account the quality of the in-depth study, the ability to use sources and scholarly literature critically, the strength and coherence of the argument, independent judgement, and the ability to communicate the results of the analysis clearly and with appropriate scholarly rigour. teacher profile teaching materials
Particular attention will be devoted to the processes involved in the construction of royal and imperial ideology and to how it was communicated through monumental architecture, sculpture, relief, iconography, and the planning of urban and ceremonial spaces.
The course will address the following topics: the empires of the first millennium BC and the formation of new political and territorial structures in the Ancient Near East; the emergence, development, and expansion of the Neo-Assyrian Empire; the principal Assyrian capitals: Ashur, Kalhu/Nimrud, Dur-Sharrukin, and Nineveh; the Neo-Assyrian palace as a political, administrative, ceremonial, and symbolic centre; palatial architecture, monumental decoration, and visual programmes; Assyrian reliefs and the construction of the image of the ruler; representations of warfare, hunting, tribute, deportation, and imperial domination; the ideology of power and the relationship between ruler, deity, and empire; monumental sculpture and protective figures in palatial contexts; cities, infrastructure, hydraulic systems, and the transformation of the landscape in the organization of imperial territory; strategies of control, mobility, communication, and integration of the provinces; material culture and the circulation of objects, technologies, and artistic models within the Empire; the crisis and fall of the Neo-Assyrian Empire; the formation and development of the Neo-Babylonian Empire; Babylon as a political, religious, and symbolic capital; the monumental architecture of Babylon and the building programmes of Nebuchadnezzar II; palaces, temples, city walls, processional gates, and ceremonial spaces; the Processional Way and the Ishtar Gate; religion, kingship, and the construction of urban space; continuities and transformations in Mesopotamian traditions between the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian periods; relations between Mesopotamia, Syria, the Levant, and Anatolia within the framework of the imperial dynamics of the first millennium BC; methodologies for the analysis of architecture, art, and iconography as tools for reconstructing the ideologies and practices of power.
The course will also focus on the critical analysis of specific case studies and on the comparative examination of archaeological contexts, architectural programmes, and visual ensembles, to develop greater student autonomy in the interpretation of material evidence and in the critical assessment of the main trends in archaeological and art-historical research on the Ancient Near East during the first millennium BC.
Programme
The course provides an in-depth study of the archaeology and art history of the Ancient Near East during the first millennium BC, with particular attention to the formation and development of the great territorial empires and, especially, the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian Empires. Through an integrated analysis of archaeological, architectural, artistic, and iconographic evidence, the course will examine the strategies through which imperial power organised, transformed, and represented political, urban, and territorial space.Particular attention will be devoted to the processes involved in the construction of royal and imperial ideology and to how it was communicated through monumental architecture, sculpture, relief, iconography, and the planning of urban and ceremonial spaces.
The course will address the following topics: the empires of the first millennium BC and the formation of new political and territorial structures in the Ancient Near East; the emergence, development, and expansion of the Neo-Assyrian Empire; the principal Assyrian capitals: Ashur, Kalhu/Nimrud, Dur-Sharrukin, and Nineveh; the Neo-Assyrian palace as a political, administrative, ceremonial, and symbolic centre; palatial architecture, monumental decoration, and visual programmes; Assyrian reliefs and the construction of the image of the ruler; representations of warfare, hunting, tribute, deportation, and imperial domination; the ideology of power and the relationship between ruler, deity, and empire; monumental sculpture and protective figures in palatial contexts; cities, infrastructure, hydraulic systems, and the transformation of the landscape in the organization of imperial territory; strategies of control, mobility, communication, and integration of the provinces; material culture and the circulation of objects, technologies, and artistic models within the Empire; the crisis and fall of the Neo-Assyrian Empire; the formation and development of the Neo-Babylonian Empire; Babylon as a political, religious, and symbolic capital; the monumental architecture of Babylon and the building programmes of Nebuchadnezzar II; palaces, temples, city walls, processional gates, and ceremonial spaces; the Processional Way and the Ishtar Gate; religion, kingship, and the construction of urban space; continuities and transformations in Mesopotamian traditions between the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian periods; relations between Mesopotamia, Syria, the Levant, and Anatolia within the framework of the imperial dynamics of the first millennium BC; methodologies for the analysis of architecture, art, and iconography as tools for reconstructing the ideologies and practices of power.
The course will also focus on the critical analysis of specific case studies and on the comparative examination of archaeological contexts, architectural programmes, and visual ensembles, to develop greater student autonomy in the interpretation of material evidence and in the critical assessment of the main trends in archaeological and art-historical research on the Ancient Near East during the first millennium BC.
Core Documentation
The reference texts will be indicated annually according to the specific topics explored in the course and the most recent scholarly publications.Attendance
Attendance is strongly recommended, given the seminar-based and participatory nature of the course. Classes will be held twice a week, preferably in person. Where necessary, remote participation will be possible. Regular attendance will allow students to take part in discussions, case-study analyses, and the in-depth activities planned throughout the course.Type of evaluation
During the course, students’ ability to contribute to discussions through relevant observations, comparisons between case studies, and critical reflections on the topics addressed will be taken into account. The final assessment will consist of the presentation and discussion of an individual in-depth study focusing on a specific topic, archaeological complex, or issue related to the Ancient Near East during the first millennium BC. The topic must be developed through an independent and reasoned selection of relevant scholarly literature and presented using PowerPoint. The presentation will be followed by a discussion aimed at assessing the student’s ability to support their own interpretations, compare them with different scholarly perspectives, and relate the selected case study to the broader historical, archaeological, and art-historical issues addressed during the course. The assessment will take into account the quality of the in-depth study, the ability to use sources and scholarly literature critically, the strength and coherence of the argument, independent judgement, and the ability to communicate the results of the analysis clearly and with appropriate scholarly rigour.