ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN CIVILIZATIONS I

Teaching in italian
Civiltá del mediterraneo antico I
Teaching
ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN CIVILIZATIONS I
Subject area
L-ANT/02
Reference degree course
CULTURAL HERITAGE
Course type
Bachelor's Degree
Credits
5.0
Teaching hours
Frontal Hours: 30.0
Academic year
2024/2025
Year taught
2025/2026
Course year
2
Language
ENGLISH
Curriculum
ITALO CINESE TECHNOLOGY

Teaching description

Teaching program is provisional and may be subject to changes

A general knowledge of the geography of the Mediterranean and surrounding regions, as well as at least a basic knowledge of ancient European history from the second millennium BC to the fall of the Roman Empire, would help students to follow the course.

The course Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations I focuses on a core area of European civilisation during the last two millennia BC. It offers a narrative of the main political, social and religious features that were shaped over a long period of time, from the Bronze Age (c. 3200 BC) to the fall of the Roman Empire (476 AD), and which became defining features of medieval and modern Western society. 
The first part of the course explores the geographical setting of the ancient world, which differs significantly from the modern configuration of the region. Factors such as geography, ecology and human technology that have consistently influenced the definition of the region will be considered, as will the names, images and myths associated with the area. The course will also focus on relevant phenomena centred on the sea itself, as well as on common patterns and various forms of human interaction across the sea. 
Finally, some key themes such as mobility, hegemonies, sea powers or "thalassocracies", cultural integration and the reception of relevant cultural features in the ancient Mediterranean world will be considered.

On completion of this module, students will have a clear, albeit general, knowledge of the dynamic configuration of the Mediterranean region, as well as the major cultural and power centres that have emerged over the last two millennia BC. They will be aware of some social, political and cultural processes that took place during this long period. They will be able to read and understand some sources such as texts and artefacts that shed light on these processes.

Lectures and Classes with the support of PPT presentations; individual and group exercises

Module will be taught in a 4 week block mode (2 weeks preparatory course + 2 weeks lectures).

A detailed plan of the course (preparation + lectures) will be made available.

A final written examination will assess the students' study and understanding of the basic elements taught in the preparatory section (geography, chronologies), their knowledge of the course teaching material and of the assigned readings.
Grade:
ECTS       A+      A    B    C    D    E     F
ITALIAN  30/L    30  28  26   24  22   <18

Grades will be determined according to the following breakdown:
Attendance and course work (preparation and training; lectures): 30%
Final exam: 70%

27/02/2024

07/2024

09/2024

ìThe course is taught in English, It will be taught at the NWU of Xi'an (PRC)

Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations I focuses on ancient cultural history in its broadest sense, with the aim of understanding the beginnings of European civilisation.
It will provide a general overview of the following topics
- The Mediterranean: the idea and the image in time
- The Mediterranean as an object of history
- Geography, ecology and seafaring as factors shaping the area 
- Forms of human mobility and cultural contact: trade and exchange; movement of people (through migration and colonisation, but also through forced deportation) 
- Common patterns, such as settlement patterns and urbanisation, forms of dependence or power, myths and religion 
- Actors and agencies in the creation, transmission and reception of Mediterranean cultural characteristics. 
Some of the key themes of these long-term processes will be considered, including state formation, social roles and elite representation, hegemonies and empowerment, and the power of the sea or 'thalassocracy'. 
Literary and documentary sources will provide fascinating insights into these cultural features.

teaching materials provided by the teacher as PDF files.

exercises and preparation material (provided as PDF files)

Broodbank,C. (2013) The Making of the Middle sea:a history of the Mediterranean from the beginning to the emergence of the classical world. London: Thames&Hudson, pp.30-

Braudel, F. (2001) The Mediterranean in the Ancient World, London: Allen Lane (readings)

Semester

Exam type
Compulsory

Type of assessment
Oral - Final grade

Course timetable
https://easyroom.unisalento.it/Orario

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