History and Culture of the Ancient Near East - Period 1

Ancient Mesopotamia was the birthplace of some of the most important inventions in the history of humanity. Many of the ideas, concepts and worldviews that shaped the western world as we know it are rooted in the ancient Near East, and more particularly, in ancient Mesopotamia. This is where writing was invented for the first time, where urbanism began, and where the origins of monotheism are to be found. In this course, you will learn the most important historical periods of the ancient Near East, from the Neolithic (ca. 10,000 BCE) down to the end of the Persian (Achaemenid) period (ca. 330 BCE). In the historical part of the course we focus on historical and social processes, political organization and conflicts between cities and states. In the cultural part of the course you will learn about religion, temples and cult, kingship and palace organization, family life, professions and class, women and their position in society, economy and law.

Contact hours listed under a course description may vary due to the combination of lecture-based and independent work required for each course therefore, CEA's recommended credits are based on the ECTS credits assigned by VU Amsterdam. 1 ECTS equals 28 contact hours assigned by VU Amsterdam.