Course requirements - Archaeology of Mesopotamia

Each student is expected to do the weekly readings thoroughly, participate in conference discussions and take extensive notes during class lectures and discussions. It is strongly recommended that you keep a good record of all lectures/discussions in writing. Throughout the semester, students will be asked to make brief presentations of selected articles or topics in class, pose relevant discussion questions to the class and write response papers afterwards based on the ensuing discussions. There will be two take-home exams (a midterm and a final), and a final research project (explained in detail below). Don’t expect any in-class exams or quizzes.

Grading will be based on class participation (25%), presentations and response papers (10%), two 3-4 page take-home exams (midterm 15% + final 15%) and the final paper project (35%). Due dates are listed in the syllabus.

Research projects

The students will choose a research topic in collaboration with the instructor and turn it into a project. The project should involve an analytical and critical discussion of a theoretical approach and its application to an archaeological case study. The main aim in the research project is the bridge the apparent gap between theoretical discussions in archaeology and the material evidence. The submissions will include a 3-4 page draft and a 8-10 page final paper.