The Ancient Middle East: Society and Cultures

Objectives

a) Be able to apply the knowledge acquired in the 1st cycle and produce, from its reflection, a personal analysis on topics related to the history of the ancient Middle East.
b) Know the specialized literature and demonstrate a critical view on the same.
c) Understand the uniqueness and diversity of the ancient Middle East, synchronic and diachronic plans in order to be able to produce both global and partial visions.
d) Understand the importance of the ancient Middle East as a source of matrix and some of the structural aspects of Western civilization.
e) Be able to interpret, review, integrate and analyze historical sources, leading to a unique and personal approach on them.
f) Acquire skills that enable a further in-depth studies on the history of the Ancient Middle East.

General characterization

Code

722051260

Credits

10.0

Responsible teacher

Francisco José Gomes Caramelo

Hours

Weekly - 3

Total - 280

Teaching language

Portuguese

Prerequisites

Available soon

Bibliography

- CARAMELO, Francisco, A linguagem profética na Mesopotâmia (Mari e Assíria), Cascais, Patrimonia, 2002.
- POLLOCK, Susan, Ancient Mesopotamia, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1999.
- LÓPEZ, Jesús e SANMARTÍN, Joaquín, Mitología y Religión del Oriente Antiguo I Egipto - Mesopotamia, Sabadell, Editorial Ausa, 1993.
- POSTGATE, J.N., Early Mesopotamia. Society and economy at the dawn of history, London - New York, Routledge, 1992.
- MARGUERON, Jean-Claude, Les Mesopotamiens, Paris, Armand Colin, 1991.

Teaching method

Sessions theoretical nature.
Practical sessions:
Exercise review of documents.
Presentation and discussion of papers.
Activities aimed at teaching - assistance to conferences.

Evaluation method

Assessment methods - Critical commentary of a book in class(20%), Oral presentation of written work(20%), Written work(60%)

Subject matter

- The construction of a political and military hegemony
The case of Babylon in the sixth century. XVIII B.C.
The case of Assyria in the century. VII B.C.
- The concept and perception of otherness in relation to other states
The vision of the "other" in the political and diplomatic relations
The legitimation of dominance over the "other"
Alliances and treaties with other states
The vision of the "other" in the prophetic literature
- The real ideology: a conception of power and an ideal of order
The background Sumerians
The period of Hammurabi
The period neo-Assyrian
Reflections in prophetic literature