Hebrew and Judaic Studies Sponsored
Akkadian I, II G78.1101, 1102
Identical to G77.1361, 1362. Fleming. 3 points per term.
Introduction to cuneiform script and to the Akkadian language, with emphasis on grammatical structure.
Akkadian III, IV G78.1103, 1104
Identical to G77.1363, 1364. Prerequisite: G78.1102 or the equivalent. Fleming. 3 points per term.
Reading of Akkadian literature.
Ugaritic I, II G78.1115, 1116
Fleming, Smith. 3 points per term.
Introduction to the Ugaritic language and texts, providing important background for further study in the Semitic languages.
Aramaic I: Biblical Aramaic G78.1117
Identical to G77.1378. Prerequisite: one year of classical Hebrew or the equivalent. Smith. 3 points.
Introduction to the various phases of Aramaic. Readings are selected from early and imperial documents, including Elephantine and inscriptions.
Aramaic II: Qumran Aramaic G78.1118
Identical to G77.1379. Students are encouraged but not required to take Aramaic I prior to enrolling in Aramaic II. Schiffman. 3 points.
Introduction to the Aramaic documents found at Qumran and contemporary sites. This represents the intermediate phase of Aramaic and Bar Kokhba texts.
Aramaic III: Syriac Aramaic G78.1119
Schiffman. 3 points.
Introduction to sources preserved by the early Christian communities of the ancient and medieval Near East in Syriac.
Aramaic IV: Talmudic Aramaic G78. 1120
Schiffman. 3 points.
Introduction to Galilean and Babylonian Jewish Aramaic and related texts.
Northwest Semitic Inscriptions G78.2107
Identical to G77.1381. Prerequisite: one year of classical Hebrew or the equivalent. Fleming. 3 points.
Reading and analysis of Canaanite, Phoenician, Hebrew and Aramaic inscriptions, with emphasis on philological problems and the importance of theses texts for the history of the ancient Near East.
Archaeology of Israel G78.2105
Identical to G77.1601. Fleming. 3 points.
Study of the archaeology of the land of Israel in antiquity. Emphasis is on discoveries that illuminate the background of the Bible.
Historical Grammar of Classical Hebrew G78.1060
Smith. 3 points
Traces the major features of phonology and morphology from the Canaanite language (ca. 1200) to the various stages of biblical Hebrew and then to Hebrew and Mishnah. Includes readings from different states of biblical and inscriptional Hebrew from the Iron, Persian and Hellenistic periods, as well as Hebrew texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls and later Jewish literature.
History of Israelite Religion G78.1215
Fleming, Smith. 3 points
Treats the biblical, archaeological, and comparative ancient Near Eastern evidence for Israelite religion in its origins, change, and conflict. Emphasis is on questions of definition and focus.
Seminar: History of the Ancient Near East G78.2601
Identical to G77.1600 and G27.2601. Fleming, Smith. 3 points.
History of Egypt, Canaan, and Mesopotamia, and the relevance of this history in the emergence of ancient Israel.
Topics in Ancient Near Eastern Literature G78.3305
Fleming, Smith. 3 points.
Study of a selected literary category that is found in both the Bible and other ancient Near Eastern writings, with attention to distinctive character and interconnections.
Middle Eastern Studies Sponsored
Introduction to Ancient Egyptian I, II G77.1359, 1360
Identical to G78.1111, 1112. Goelet. 4 points per term.
Introduction to hieroglyphics; readings in ancient Egyptian texts.
Advanced Egyptian I, II G77.1390, 1391
Identical to G43.3817. Prerequisite: G77.1360 or the equivalent. Goelet. 4 points per term.
Advanced readings in ancient Egyptian texts.
Anthropology Sponsored
Social Anthropology Theory and Practice G14.1010
Beidelman, Martin, Myers, Rapp, Rogers. 4 points.
Introduces the principal theoretical issues in contemporary social anthropology, relating recent theoretical developments and ethnographic problems to their origins in classical sociological thought. Problems in the anthropology of knowledge are particularly emphasized as those most challenging to social anthropology and to related disciplines.
Anthropological Anthropology G41.1020
Crabtree, White, Wright. 4 points.
Emphasis is on the development of archaeology as a discipline and the discipline’s concern with the discovery of worldwide patterns of sociocultural change.
Biological Anthropology G41.1030
DiFiore, Disotell, Harrison, Jolly. 4 points.
Introduces the biological and evolutionary perspective on the human species and provides the basic skills and knowledge that serve as an introduction to the more advanced courses in the subdiscipline. After reviewing the elements of genetic and evolutionary theory, the course examines the diversity of modern primates, outlines the course of human evolution, and touches upon the diversity of modern human populations.
Linguistic Anthropology G41.1040
Schieffelin, Kulick. 4 points.
Introduces and examines the interdependence of anthropology and the study of language both substantively and methodologically. Topics include the relationship between language, thought and culture; the role of language in social interactions; the acquisition of linguistic and social knowledge; and language and speech in ethnographic perspective.
Gender Issues in Archaeology G41.1201
Wright. 4 points.
Focuses on recent theoretical and methodological advances in the study of gender in prehistory. Topics include the ideological biases in the interpretation of rules attributed to women and men in prehistory; the impact of major historical transformations known from the archaeological record; and the effects of long-term historical processes on the lives of women and men.
Historical Archaeology G41.1205
Crabtree. 4 points.
Development and present status of the field of historical archaeology, stressing the relationship of historical archaeology with anthropology and history. Theoretical orientation is followed with methodological applications for the identification, excavation, and analysis of archaeological materials found in historical contexts, comparing these with techniques used with prehistoric materials. North American examples from the earliest contact period to the present. Field trips in the New York area.
Prehistory of South Asia G41. 1207
Wright. 4 points.
Provides an in-depth study of South Asia from the earliest sedentary settlements in the region through the development of food-producing economies, urbanization, and state-level societies in the third millennium B.C. Focuses on processes that led to the development of the Indus Valley civilization and its collapse, and the growth of societies on its margins (the Indo-Iranian Borderlands, Central Asia, and the Arabian Peninsula).
Prehistory of the Near East and Egypt I G14.1208
Crabtree. 4 points.
Surveys the prehistory of the Near East and Egypt from the earliest occupation to the domestication of plants and animals, covering the period from over one million to eight thousand years ago.
Prehistory of the Near East and Egypt II G14.1209
Crabtree. 4 points.
Covers the period from about ten thousand to four thousand years ago, the prehistoric to Ur III (Mesopotamia and Old Kingdom periods in Egypt). The course is comparative and concentrates on archaeological evidence, although written documentation is considered. Origins of agriculture; development of towns, villages, and cities; invention of new technologies; and emergence of state-level societies.
Ancient Societies II: Cities and States G14.2212
Crabtree, Wright. 4 points.
Critical evaluation of evidence for the origins and development of cultural complexity that culminated in urban settlements and state systems of political organization. Compares the processes by which complex systems developed independently in several areas of the Old and New Worlds. Examines anthropological theories concerning the evolution of the state as well as our understanding of the complexities of modern state systems.
Archaeological Theory G14.2213
Crabtree, White, Wright. 4 points
The framework of problems and questions that guides anthropological archaeology is exposed and assessed in detail. The process of theory construction and the nature and procedures involved in scientific explanation are critically examined. Dominant theory constructs within which the archaeological record is understood and/or explained are discussed.
Archaeological Methods and Techniques G4.2214
Crabtree, White, Wright. 4 points.
Examines how archaeologists bridge the gap between the theoretical goals of anthropology and a static database. Includes the relationship between theory and method, excavation techniques, sampling strategies, survey design, chronology building, taphonomy, faunal analysis, typological constructs, functional analysis of artifacts, and quantitative manipulation of archaeological data.
Institute of Fine Arts Sponsored
Each term, the Institute offers a variety of specialized courses, circumscribed by general topic areas. Those related to Ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian Studies are listed below. For specific information on current courses, please consult the Institute’s Announcement of Courses or call the Institute’s Academic Office, 212-992-5868.
Prehistoric Art of the Old World
Egyptian Art
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Aegean Art
Greek Art
Early Christian and Early Byzantine Art
Transhistorical Studies
Theory and Criticism
Curatorial Studies
Fundamental Conservation Courses
Advanced Conservation Courses
