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Assiriologia
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI "L'ORIENTALE"
Dati Generali
Periodo di attività
Syllabus
Obiettivi Formativi
► KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
By the end of the course, students are expected to demonstrate the following abilities:
(1) a foundational knowledge of the main historical, social, and economic contexts of Western Asia from the third to the first millennium BCE, with particular focus on Mesopotamia and ancient Persia;
(2) the ability to analyze and interpret historical texts in translation—administrative, epistolary, and institutional—by situating them within their socio-economic contexts.
► ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Students will be able to independently use bibliographic tools and digital resources (including online databases) to deepen their understanding of the historical documentation of the ancient Near East.
FURTHER EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
► Judgement skills:
Students will develop the critical capacity to evaluate textual sources and modern scholarship related to the social and economic history of the ancient Near East, gaining interpretive autonomy and awareness of key historiographical debates.
► Communication skills:
Students will acquire the appropriate historical and technical vocabulary (in both Italian and English) necessary to describe social and economic phenomena in ancient Western Asia, and to present and discuss primary sources in a well-structured and scholarly manner.
► Learning skills:
Students will gain familiarity with the main types of textual evidence from the ancient Near East and learn to use them in reconstructing complex historical processes. They will also acquire the tools to pursue further study independently, including the use of digital platforms and online databases.
Prerequisiti
During the first weeks of the course, the instructor will assess the participants’ prior knowledge and, where necessary, recommend introductory readings on the history of the ancient Near East. Familiarity with this background is a useful prerequisite for a more coherent and informed participation in the course.
This course is thematically related to Ancient Near Eastern History, Assiriology, Hittitology, and the Archaeology and Art History of the Ancient Near East.
Metodi didattici
Lectures will be supported by handouts containing translated texts (administrative, epistolary, institutional) and visual materials.
The historical and contextual analysis of the sources will be developed progressively, with introductory discussions on the structure and function of ancient documents.
Special emphasis will be placed on the physical medium of the texts (clay, stone, metal) and on the significance of their archaeological context. Where available, archaeological data will be presented using photographs, maps, and satellite imagery.
A digital bibliography will be made available to participants. Online resources related to the social and economic history of the ancient Near East will also be used.
Verifica Apprendimento
The final exam consists of an oral discussion based on the topics covered in class and a critical analysis of a dossier of four primary sources (in translation), selected by the student from among those studied during the course.
► Evaluation Criteria:
Ability to contextualize and interpret primary sources; capacity to draw connections between texts and assigned readings; competence in addressing broader issues related to the social and economic history of the ancient Near East; clarity of exposition, synthesis skills, and accurate use of technical terminology.
Testi
Bibliography
- Modulo 1: Nissen, H. - Damerow, P. - Englund, R.K. (1993), Archaic Bookkeeping. Writing and Techniques of Economic Administration in the Ancient Near East, Chicago / London, capitoli 6, 11, 12.
- Modulo 2: Steinkeller, P. (2020), "The Sargonic and Ur III Empires", The Oxford World History of Empire, 43-72 (only the sections pertaining to the Ur III State).
- Modulo 2: Garfinkle, S. (2008), Was the Ur III State Bureaucratic? Patrimonialism and Bureaucracy in the Ur III Period, in Garfinkle - Johnson (eds), The Growth of an Early State in Mesopotamia: Studies in Ur III Administration (BPOA 5), CSIC Madrid.
- Modulo 3: Michel, C. (2017), "Economy, Society, and Daily Life in the Old Assyrian Period", in E. Frahm (ed.), A Companion to Assyria, Wiley Blackwell.
- Modulo 3: Steinkeller, P. (2013), "Trade Routes and Commercial Networks in the Persian Gulf during the Third Millennium BC", in Collection of Papers presented at the Third International Biennial Conference of the Persian Gulf, 413-431.
- Modulo 4: Baines, J. - Yoffee, N. (2000), "Order, Legitimacy, and Wealth in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia", in G. Feinman - J. Marcus (eds), Archaic States, 199-260.
- Modulo 5: Radner, K. (2017), "Economy, Society, and Daily Life in the Neo‐Assyrian Period", in Eckart Frahm (ed.), A Companion to Assyria, 209-228, Hoboken, NJ / Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.
- Modulo 6: Jursa, M. (2014), "Babylonia in the First Millennium BCE – Economic Growth in Times of Empire", in Larry Neal & Jeffrey G. Williamson (eds.), The Cambridge History of Capitalism, 1: The Rise of Capitalism: From Ancient Origins to 1848, 24-42, Cambridge – New York: Cambridge University Press, OR (for Italian-speaking students) Jursa, M. (2013) "L'economia babilonese nel sesto secolo a.c.: crescita economica in contesto imperiale", Studi Storici, 54/2, 247-266.
Textual excerpts in translation will be read and assigned during classes.
In addition for non-attending students:
- Modulo 5: Radner, K. (2000), "How did the Neo-Assyrian King Perceive his Land and its Resources?", in R.M. Jas (ed.), Rainfall and Agricolture in Northern Mesopotamia (PIHANS, 88) pp. 235-246, Istanbul: Nederlands Historisch-Archaeologisch Instituut te Instanbul / Leiden: Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten.
- Modulo 6: Jursa, M. (2015), "Labor in Babylonia in the First Millennium BC", in P. Steinkeller, M. Hudson (eds.), Labor in the Ancient World, 345-396.
Optional Supplementary Readings
- Borrelli, N. (2019), "Profumi, colori e suoni: l’elite neo-assira e la percezione del lusso", in Simonetta Graziani (ed.), Gli Assiri all’ombra del Vesuvio, Electa, 147-154.
- Laursen, S. – Steinkeller, P. (2017), Babylonia, the Gulf Region, and the Indus. Archaeological and textual evidence for contact in the third and early second millennia B.C. (Mesopotamian Civilizations 21).
- Gaspa, S. (2024), “Assyrian Imperial Elites and Textile Culture of the 1st Millennium BC: Shaping Power Visions Through Textiles”, in N. Borrelli - R. Pierini (eds), Dress for Success. Textiles, Furniture, and Power Accessories Expressing Status in the Ancient Near East and the Aegean (3rd—1st millennia BCE), JANEH 11/2 Special Issue, 241- 324.
- Henkelman, W.F.M. (2023), "Resilience in centralized state systems: The Persepolis Fortification archive and Achaemenid institutional longevity”, in R. Bernbeck, G. Eberhardt & S. Pollock (eds.), Coming to terms with the future: Concepts of resilience for the study of Early Iranian societies, Leiden, 223-248.
- Jursa, M. (2010), Aspects of the Economic History of Babylonia in the First Millennium BC. Economic geography, economic mentalities, agriculture, the use of money and the problem of economic growth (Alter Orient und Altes Testament 377).
- Steinkeller, P. (2014), "Marhashi and Beyond: The Jiroft Civilization in a Historical Perspective", in Lamberg-Karlovsky - B. Genito (eds), ‘My Life is like the Summer Rose’ Maurizio Tosi e l'Archeologia come modo di vivere (BAR International Series 2690), 691-708.
- Warburton, D.A. (2016), The Fundamentals of Economics. Lessons from the Bronze Age Near East (Civilisations du Proche-Orient).
- Zaccagnini, C. (1997), "Price and Price Formation in the Ancient Near East: A methodological approach", in J. Andreau, P. Briant, R. Descat (eds.), Economie Antique. Prix et Formation des Prix dans les Économies Antiques, 361–384.
Contenuti
This course explores the socio-economic history of Western Asia—from early village societies to complex imperial systems—through the close reading and analysis of translated primary sources. Focusing on administrative texts, private letters, and, secondarily, royal inscriptions, students will examine the development of social structures, economic practices, and state administration across the third to the first millennium BCE.
Special attention will be given to regions including Mesopotamia and ancient Persia, to trace the emergence and evolution of state institutions, trade networks, and private entrepreneurship. The course provides essential historical and methodological tools for understanding the political economy and social organization of the ancient Near East.
It is particularly suited for students pursuing studies in ancient history, archaeology, and Near Eastern civilizations.
Introduction to the Ancient Near Eastern Societies and Sources
- Overview of the socio-economic and political landscape of Western Asia (3rd–1st millennium BCE)
- Introduction to primary sources: administrative texts, letter orders, private letters, royal inscriptions
- Methodological approaches to studying ancient socio-economic history
- Use of digital tools and databases for epigraphic research
Module 1: Archaic Bookkeeping
- From Tokens to Writing: The Origins of Bookkeeping
- Numerical Systems and the Measurement of Resources
- Bookkeeping on Labor: Rations, Work Teams, and Administrative Organization
- Bookkeeping on Animal Husbandry: Monitoring Production and Livestock Resources
- Understanding Archaic Texts: Methods and Comparative Approaches
Module 2: The Third Dynasty of Ur: a failed attempt at empire
- The economic pillars: agriculture and animal husbandry
- Temple households, provincial organizations, and royal estates
- State building and taxation
- National building projects
- The king and the administration of justice
Module 3: Trade between the Third and Second Millennium BCE
- Cultural identities and Political entities: textual, archaeological, and iconographic sources
- Trading goods, trading networks, trading partners
- State interventions on the Gulf trade as reflected in the administrative sources and by royal propaganda
- Warfare and Diplomacy between Mesopotamia and the Iranian Plateau
- Old-Assyrian trade posts in Anatolia
Module 4: Elites, Royals, and the Near Eastern "high culture"
- Gift-giving practices (3rd–1st millennium BCE) and the construction of elite identity
- Royal propaganda (3rd–1st millennium BCE) and the access to exotic goods
Module 5: The Neo-Assyrian Empire: Administering an Empire
- Agriculture as the Foundation of the Assyrian State
- Water, Irrigation, and Territorial Control
- Taxation, Tribute, and Resource Redistribution
- Deportation, Labour, and the Organization of Population
- The Empire through Administrative and Royal Sources
Module 6: Achaemenid Administration: From Babylonia to Persia
- Historical context and social stratification of Persia and Babylonia in the Achaemenid empire
- Nature and structure of the archives from Persepolis and Babylonia
- Case studies of administrative practices and state control mechanisms reflected in the archives
- Analysis of the records of disbursements “for the god”
- The role of religious cults in state administration and identity formation
Conclusion: From Village Economies to Imperial Systems
- Socio-economic transformations from small agrarian communities to centralized empires
- The emergence of private entrepreneurship and trade networks
- State institutions and their administrative evolution
- Comparative analysis of Mesopotamian and Persian sources
- Contextualization within broader historical and economic frameworks
Lingua Insegnamento
inglese
Altre informazioni
Co-teaching by Professors Noemi Borrelli and Gian Pietro Basello.