0001075 - Archaeology of the Arabian Peninsula

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES.

The objective of the course is to provide a historical archaeological background on the cultures of the Arabian Peninsula, from the Iron Age to the advent of Islam, in the broader interregional context of the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia. For the purpose of a good understanding of the diversity of cultural phenomena in the Arabian world, those historical and archaeological dynamics linking the different peninsular Arabian areas to the regions of the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia will be explored. In particular, the emergence of the caravan kingdoms of the 1st millennium BCE and the development of international trade to the Mediterranean and the Levant/Mesopotamia; the development of the proto-urban societies of eastern Arabia and their relationship to the Persian Gulf regions between the 1st millennium BCE and the 4th century CE; the advent of monotheisms in the Arabian Peninsula and the historical dynamics of Late Antiquity (3rd-7th centuries CE). In order for students to be aware of the state of research, in addition to the mass of data available for Yemen, the results of the most recent archaeological and epigraphic campaigns of international missions operating in Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman will be covered.



ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

The student must demonstrate not only knowledge and understanding of the specific issues related to the ancient Arabian cultures covered in the course, but also contextualize them in the historical landscape of the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia. Moreover, from the notions learned concerning the state of studies and the results of the most recent archaeological campaigns and the most modern methodologies of analysis applied to the contexts covered, the student must demonstrate the ability to elaborate complex discussions concerning specific and interregional cultural phenomena.



ADDITIONAL EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Autonomy of judgment:

Students should have the ability to handle acquired skills with critical attitude and autonomy of judgment and make assessments even on the basis of limited or incomplete data.

Communication skills:

Students must be able to clearly communicate the result of the knowledge learned and effectively use the acquired methodological tools.

Learning skills:

Students should have developed the skills necessary to undertake further studies with a good degree of autonomy and critical sense for the development of original lines of research.