Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Syllabus
Syllabus
Syllabus
Class schedule: Wednesdays 5:30 ‐ 8: 30 pm. at Meyerson Hall B6
Office hours: Fridays 10‐12 pm. Jaffe building (by appointment, please e‐mail).
E‐mail: harmansa@sas.upenn.edu
Blackboard site: https://courseweb.library.upenn.edu/ (Log‐in with your Pennkey)
Course web page: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/˜harmansa/arth224.html
Course Definition
This course is an attempt to provide a selective and analytical survey of the architectural history
in the Ancient Near East. Lectures and discussions will particularly focus on the development
of urban and architectural traditions in their socio‐cultural and economical context. The
extensive geography of the Near Eastern world and the variety of its archaeological landscapes
from prehistory into the Hellenistic period will be explored, with particular emphasis on
Southern and Northern Mesopotamia, Syria and the Central Anatolian plateau.
In the ancient world, unlike the built environments of modernity, monuments were considered
as bearers of both textual and pictorial representations. These texts and visual narratives were
effective tools in the construction of social identity and historical consciousness among the
public. Especially throughout the history of the Near Eastern world, the construction of
buildings coincided precisely with the writing of history, a fundamental challange to their
makers and their audience alike. This course intends to see the production of architectural space
in this light, as a social enterprise, a festive event where the economic and socio‐cultural
resources of a society are diverted into a productive undertaking. Important lines of inquiry in
the discussions will be the idea of commemoration and historical narratives through
architectural production, ideological aspects of architectural and sculptural display, and the
development and circulation of construction materials and techniques, as well as architectural
knowledge.
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Practicalities and course requirements
¾ Every week the class will comprise a lecture with slides in the beginning and a discussion
afterwards. While the lectures will cover the selective survey of the Mesopotamian
architectural history, discussions will elaborate on specific theoretical issues pertaining to the
subjects of the weekly lectures.
¾ The discussion session will be based on weekly readings. The students will be responsible to
follow the required readings per week and participate in the discussions. The readings will
involve the weekly assigned chapters from the course survey books (ordered at Penn Book
center, see below) but also articles that will be assigned for each week, concerning particular
theoretical issues. Weekly, the articles will be placed on reserve both as a hard copy at Fine
Arts Library Reserve Desk and as an electronic copy on the Blackboard site.
REQUIREMENTS of the course will be:
¾ one midterm exam (25%): mostly based on the comparative discussions of monuments
(presented in slides), and 2 brief essays. Several essay questions (about 10) will be
distributed on the week prior to the midterm, and 4 of those questions will be asked in the
exam, and students will be required to select 2 to write their essays on.
¾ a research project (50%): students will be required to choose a specific research topic in
consultation with the instructor, and submit the following throughout the semester:
1 page paper proposal with preliminary bibliography for the chosen paper topic. Submit
not later than Week 10, (having done some very preliminary reading); the paper topic
will need to be approved by the instructor. Plan to have at least one meeting with him,
before and/or after the submission of the proposal.
2‐3 page draft with complete bibliography by Week 11, (with some good ideas, on where
the research project is leading to);
10‐15 minute presentationof the on‐going research in class on Week 11 and Week 12.
10‐12 page final paper due at the finals week of the semester.
¾ participation in classroom discussions will be a major criterion for grading (25%). bonuses
can be gained by submitting short summaries in response to weekly readings.
Books ordered at the Penn Book Center (34th and Sansom Streets):
• Michael Roaf; Cultural atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East. Oxfordshire, 1996.
• Marc van de Mieroop; A history of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000‐323 BC. Oxford and
Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2004.
• Peter M.M.G. Akkermans and Glenn M. Schwartz; The archaeology of Syria: from complex
hunter‐gatherers to early urban societies (ca. 16,000‐300 BC). Cambridge World Archaeology.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
• Roger Matthews; The archaeology of Mesopotamia: theories and approaches. London and New
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York: Routledge, 2003.
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ARTH 224. Architecture and the City in the Ancient Near East
Department of the History of Art / CGS course / Spring 2001
Wednesdays 4:30 ‐ 7: 00 / Meyerson B2
Ömür Harmanşah
Course Plan
WEEK 1. [SEPTEMBER 8] INTRODUCTION
¾ Introduction to the course. Basics of the course and practicalities.
¾ Geographical orientation: the Land and the People.
A environmental and historical orientation: physical geography, natural resources, modes
- structures of human habitation, cultural landscapes, major routes of circulation. A brief
overview of what is going to be studied: the idea of the long-term development, and the
transformation of landscape with human activities.
WEEK 2. [SEPTEMBER 15] METHODOLOGIES AND HISTORIOGRAPHY
¾ Ancient Mesopotamia and Mesopotamian archaeology: brief overview of the history of
archaeological exploration in the Ancient Near East.Rediscovery of the Ancient Near
East in the 19th century; Early archaeological excavations; International phase; Large
scale excavations; Scientific archaeology.
¾ Discussion: Colonialism and post‐colonialism: discussion of Bahrani and Winter’s articles.
¾ General introduction to methodologies in studying ancient architecture.
What we will study, how we will study. The study of architectural history and material culture.
The dialogue between architectural history, archaeology and other disciplines. Introduction of
basic architectural and archaeological terms, concepts. The use of archaeological evidence for
architectural history.
Readings:
R. Matthews, The archaeology of Mesopotamia: theories and approaches. Chapters 1‐2, pages 1‐66.
Chapter 1. “Defining a discipline: Mesopotamian archaeology in history” pp 1‐26.
Chapter 2. “Tools of the trade: scope and methods of Mesopotamian archaeology” pp. 27‐66.
On reserve:
Zainab Bahrani; “Conjuring Mesopotamia: imaginative geography and a world past,” in
Archaeology under fire: Nationalism, politics and heritage in the Eastern Mediteranean and Middle
East. L. Meskell (ed.), Routledge: London and New York, 1998: pp. 159‐174.
Irene J. Winter, “Defining ‘aesthetics’ for non‐western studies: the case of ancient
Mesopotamia,” in Art history, aesthetics, visual studies. Micheal Ann Holly and Keith Moxey
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(eds.), Clark Studies in the Visual Arts; Yale University Press: New Haven and London,
2002: pp. 3‐28.
WEEK 3. [SEPTEMBER 22] FIRST VILLAGES, FIRST CITIES: SOCIAL COMPLEXITY IN
MESOPOTAMIA
[First assignment due.]
¾ From hunter‐gatherers to farming societies; the agricultural revolution and the early
Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlements. Çatalhöyük in South Central Anatolia.
¾ Hassuna, Samarra and Halaf cultures: elaboration of domestic architecture: an
overview.
¾ Ubaid period in Southern Mesopotamia: the precursors of the monumental temple.
From shrine to temple: Eridu temples in stratigraphic sequence.
¾ Uruk period: Late Uruk period (3600‐3200 BC) the site of Uruk (modern Warka). The
Eanna precinct to the goddess Inanna. Kullaba precinct of the god An/Anu. Tell Uqair,
the Uruk period temple complex and its architectural decoration.
¾ Discussion: Agriculture, the rise of social complexity and urbanization in the Southern
Mesopotamia.The rise of the temple as an economical institution and the symbolic center of the
urban society.
Readings:
M. Van de Mieroop, A history of the Ancient Near East, Chapter 2., pp. 19‐38.
R. Matthews, The archaeology of Mesopotamia: theories and approaches. Chapter 4, pages 93‐126.
On Reserve:
J.N. Postgate, Early Mesopotamia: Society and Economy at the dawn of history (Routledge: London
and New York, 1992: Chapter “4. City and countryside” pages 73‐87.
Susan Pollock; 2001. “The Uruk period in Southern Mesopotamia,” in Uruk Mesopotamia & its
neighbors: cross‐cultural interactions in the era of state formation. M. Rothmann (ed.), School of
American Research Press: Santa Fe: pages 181‐231.
WEEK 4. [SEPTEMBER 29] EARLY DYNASTIC PERIOD: THE TEMPLE AND THE ZIQQURAT.
[Start thinking about research projects]
¾ The Early Dynastic Period in Southern Mesopotamia: Introduction to the Third
Millennium architectural traditions. Oriental Institute, Chicago excavations in the Diyala
basin. The urban character of the Third Millennium southern Mesopotamian sites. The
site of Khafajah: its urban layout and brief history. Other sites with monumental
architecture: Tell Asmar, Tell Agrab. Mid‐third millennium urbanization in Northern
Mesopotamia
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¾ Discussion focus:The idea of the temple and ritual practices in the ancient Near East. Religious
practices and the shaping of ritual space. Elaboration of Sumerian myth and religion.
Development of the idea of the high mound and the birth of the ziqqurat, and the symbolism of
architecture.
Readings:
M. Van de Mieroop, A history of the Ancient Near East, Chapter 2, pages 19‐38.
P. Akkermans and G. M. Schwartz, The archaeology of Syria, Chapter 8, pages 233‐287.
On reserve:
J.N. Postgate, Early Mesopotamia: Society and Economy at the dawn of history (Routledge: London
and New York, 1992: “Chapter 6. The Temple” pages 109‐136.
Geoff Emberling, “Urban social transformations and the problem of the ‘First City’,” in The
social construction of ancient cities. Monica L Smith (ed.); Washington and London:
Smithsonian Books 2003: pages 254‐268.
WEEK 5. [OCTOBER 6] PICTORIAL NARRATIVES IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM BC
MONUMENTS.
¾ Akkadian Empire. The monumental stele and the ideology of its imagery.
Akkadian buildings at Tell Brak. The Palaces at Kish.
¾ Discussion: The production of monumental art in the third millennium BC: the stele and
sculpture. Develeopment of a visual vocabulary. Historical narratives and pictorial representation
in the context of commemorative monuments and state ideology among the archaic states of the
Ancient Near East.
Readings:
M. Van de Mieroop, A history of the Ancient Near East, Chapter 4., pp. 59‐69.
On reserve:
Irene J. Winter; “After the battle is over: the stele of the vultures and the beginning of historical
narrative in the art of the ancient Near East”, Studies in the History of Art. 16 (1985) pages 11‐32.
Irene J. Winter; “The eyes have it: Votive statuary, Gilgamesh’s axe, and cathected viewing in
the Ancient Near East,” in Visuality before and beyond the Renaissance, Robert S. Nelson (ed.);
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000: pages 22‐44.
Pollock, Susan; Ancient Mesopotamia: the Eden that never was. Cambridge University Press:
Cambridge, 1999: Chapter 7, “Ideology and images of power,” pages 173‐195.
WEEK 6. [OCTOBER 13] ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM BC
[Submission of 1 page research proposals‐topics settled with instructor]
¾ Gudea and his building activities (the use of texts in the study of architectural history).
Foundation rituals and deposits.
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¾ Ur III Period. Presentation of Ur, the temple precinct and the city.
E‐temen‐ni‐gur: The ziqqurat of Ur‐Nammu and the Court of Nanna
Gig‐par‐ku of the Entu Priestess and Goddess Ningal
E‐hursag: Place (?) of Ur‐Nammu and Shulgi
E‐nunmah: Storehouse. Mausolea of Shulgi and Amar‐Sin
¾ Discussion: Buildings and text: dynastic ideology and visual imagery. Construction materials
and techniques: resources, the procurement of the materials. Limitations and potentials of the
particular building materials. The theory of construction aesthetics and the architectonic
quality.Foundation deposits in the Mesopotamian architecture.
Readings:
M. Van de Mieroop, A history of the Ancient Near East, Chapter 4., pp. 69‐79.
On reserve:
Claudia E Suter; Gudea’s temple building: the representation of an early Mesopotamian ruler in text
and image. Cuneiform Monographs 17, Styx Publications: Groningen, 2000. pages TBA.
Richard Ellis, Foundation Deposits in Ancient Mesopotamia (New Haven and London, 1968);
Chapter 1. “Building Rites”; pages 5‐34; Summary 153‐168.
P R S Moorey, Ancient Mesopotamian materials and industries: The archaeological evidence.
Clarendon Press: Oxford 1999, Chapter 6: “The building crafts” pages 302‐362. (skim).
WEEK 7. [OCTOBER 20] MIDTERM EXAM
October 23‐26 FALL BREAK
WEEK 8. [OCTOBER 27] MIDDLE BRONZE AGE IN UPPER MESOPOTAMIA:
NOMADS, TRADE AND NEW URBANIZATION
¾ Old Babylonian‐Old Assyrian Periods in Upper Syro‐Mesopotamia:
Assyrian colonies and the Central Anatolian trade: Kültepe (ancient Kanesh/Karum).
New urban foundations of Shamshi‐Adad and his early Assyrian kingdom. The
kingdom of Mari on the Euphrates and Zimri‐Lim. Hammurabi and the First Dynasty
of Babylon. Case study Mashkan‐Shapir, and the study of the urban fabric in Old
Babylonian city. Ebla and Northern Syrian geography. New architectural traditions
¾ Discussion: The palace, the temple and the city: new architectural technologies in Upper
Mesopotamia. Techniques of wall decoration: an ideological tool of public display. The idea of
technology, style and “technological style”. Discussions of “technique” versus “technology” in
material culture studies.
Readings:
P. Akkermans and G. M. Schwartz, The archaeology of Syria, Chapter 9 “Regeneration of complex
societies”, pages 288‐326.
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On reserve:
Irene J. Winter, “The affective properties of styles: An inquiry into analytical process and the
inscription of meaning in art history,” in Picturing Science, Producing Art, C.A. Jones and P.
Galison (eds.), New York & London: Routledge, 1998; pages 55‐77.
Irene J. Winter, Irene J; “Seat of kingship/a wonder to behold: the palace as construct in the
ancient Near East” Ars Orientalis 23 (1993) pages 27‐55.
Elizabeth C. Stone; Paul Zimansky; Piotr Steinkeller; Vincent Pigott; Lisa Wells; Tony
Wilkinson; The anatomy of a Mesopotamian city: survey and soundings at Mashkan‐shapir.
Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 2004. (Skim the book, and read pages 26‐42 and 373‐
380.)
WEEK 9. [NOVEMBER 3] THE LATE BRONZE AGE: THE GREAT EMPIRES
¾ Late Bronze Age in the Eastern Mediterranean: trade networks and the artisanal koiné.
North Syria between the empires: the sites of Ugarit, Emar and the Levantine coast. The
Kassites and the Middle Assyrians: the cities of Dur Kurigalzu and Assur. The idea of the
ceremonial capital.
¾ Hittite Empire and its architectural traditions Boğazköy (ancient Hattusha); Extramural
open –air sanctuary at Yazılıkaya (royal cult center). Eflatunpınar, spring sanctuary; Maşat
Höyük (ancient Tapigga), palace structure; Ortaköy (ancient Shipanuwa), palace
architecture.
¾ Discussion: The question of the territorial state and empires: the role of the ceremonial urban
center in the imperial ideologies. Formation of a royal rhetoric. Interregional trade and formation
of artisanal exchange networks.
Readings:
P. Akkermans and G. M. Schwartz, The archaeology of Syria, Chapter 9 “Regeneration of complex
societies”, pages 327‐359.
R. Matthews, The archaeology of Mesopotamia: theories and approaches. Chapter 5 “Archaeologies of
Empire”, pages 127‐154.
On reserve:
Ronald L. Gorny; “Hittite imperialism and anti‐imperial resistance as viewed from Alişar
höyük,” Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 299/300 (1995) pages 65‐89.
Andrew Sherratt and Susan Sherratt; “Technological change in the East Mediterranean Bronze
age: capital, resources and marketing,” in The social context of technological change: Egypt and
the Near East, 1650‐1550 BC. Andrew J. Shortland (ed.), Oxbow Books: Oxford, 2001: pages
15‐38.
Eleanor Robson, “Technology in society: three textual case studies from Late Bronze age
Mesopotamia,” in The social context of technological change: Egypt and the Near East, 1650‐1550
BC. Andrew J. Shortland (ed.), Oxbow Books: Oxford, 2001: pages 39‐57.
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WEEK 10. [NOVEMBER 10] NEO‐ASSYRIAN EMPIRE AND ITS COMMEMORATIVE
MONUMENTS
¾ Iron Age; Neo‐Assyrian Empire: Large capitals and their architecture: Palace and the
temple. Continuation of the ziqqurat architectures in the urban scape. Kalhu (Nimrud),
Dur Sharrukin (Khorsabad), Ninuwa (Nineveh). Provincial capitals, frontier cities and
fortresses: Imgur‐Enlil (Balawat), Til Barsip (Tell Ahmar).
¾ Discussion: Commemorative monuments. The use of monumental art in the architectural and
urban contexts. Visual narratives in the context of palace architecture. The Assyrian townscape.
The idea of new foundations: Founding a new city. Building/construction rituals/ceremonies.
Building deposits The flourishing of the Eastern Mediterranean trade networks and the travelling
craftsmen. Large palace complexes.
Reading:
M. Van de Mieroop, A history of the Ancient Near East, Chapters 12‐13., pp. 216‐252.
On reserve:
David Stronach; “Village to Metropolis: Nineveh and the beginnings of urbanism in Northern
Mesopotamia” in Nuove fondazioni nel vicino‐oriente antico: relatà e ideologie, S. Mazzoni (ed.),
Pisa, 1994: 85‐114.
Irene J. Winter; ʺRoyal Rhetoric and the Development of Historical narrative in Neo‐Assyrian
Reliefsʺ, Studies in Visual Communication 7 (1981) 2‐38.
WEEK 11. [NOVEMBER 17] IRON AGE CITY‐STATES OF NORTH SYRIA AND SOUTHEAST
ANATOLIA
[Submission of 2‐3 page drafts/in‐progress reports of research project, 10‐15 minute
presentations]
¾ Iron age: Neo‐Hittite city states
The continuity in the Hittite architectural traditions in Anatolia and Northern Syria:
Karkamis, Zincirli, Karatepe.
¾ Discussion: The transfer/circulation of architectural knowledge in the Ancient Near East.
Formation of an interregionally shared architectural tradition: the idea of the orthostats and
monumental buildings.
Readings
P. Akkermans and G. M. Schwartz, The archaeology of Syria, Chapter 9 “Iron Age Syria”, pages
360‐397.
On reserve:
J. David Hawkins, “Karkamish and Karatepe: Neo‐Hittite City‐States in North Syria” in J.M. Sasson
(ed.), Civilizations of the Ancient Near East, New York, 1995: Vol. II: 1295‐1307.
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Stefania Mazzoni; “The gate and the city: change and continuity in Syro‐Hittite urban
ideology,” in Die orientalische Stadt: Kontinuität, Wandel, Bruch. G. Wilhelm (ed.), SDV
Saarbrücker Druckerei und Verlag: Saarbrücken, 1997: pages 307‐338.
Irene J. Winter; “Art as evidence for interaction: relations between the Assyrian empire and
North Syria,” in Mesopotamien und seine Nachbarn: politische und kulturelle Wechselbeziehungen
im alten Vorderasien vom 4. bis 1. Jahrtausend v. Chr. XXV. Rencontre Assyriologique
Internationale Berlin 3. bis 7. Juli 1978. Hans‐Jörg Nissen and Johannes Renger (eds.); Berlin:
Dietrich Reimar Verlag, 1982: pages 355‐382.
WEEK 12. [NOVEMBER 24] URARTIAN LANDSCAPES FROM THE CAUCASUS TO THE BANKS
OF THE EUPHRATES
[10‐15 minute presentations of research projects‐ continued from previous week]
¾ Iron age: The kingdom of Urartu:
Eastern Anatolia, Northwestern Iran and Transcaucasus in the Middle Iron age: The
cities of Tushpa, Ayanis, Hasanlu. Distinctive stone masonry achieved through the
sophisticated use of iron technologies.
¾ Phrygian kingdom: Central Anatolia in the Iron age. King Midas and his Gordion.
¾ Discussion: The concept of monumentality, displayed in the high mound‐lower mound setting
of urban centers. Settlement patterns. City and its hinterland. Idea of the shaping of landscape.
Landscape archaeology.
Readings:
On reserve:
Adam T. Smith. “Rendering the political aesthetic: Political legitimacy in Urartian
representations of the built environment,” Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 19 (2000)
pages 131‐163.
Paul Zimansky, “Urartian material culture as state assamblage: an anomaly in the archaeology
of empire,” Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 299/300 (1995) pages 103‐115.
G. Kenneth Sams, “Gordion and the Near East in the Early Phrygian Period,” in Aspects of art and
iconography; Anatolia and its neighbors: Studies in honor of Nimet Özgüç, M. J. Mellink et al. (eds.),
Ankara, 1993: pages 549‐55.
WEEK 13. [DECEMBER 1] BABYLON: THE ANCIENT CITY AND ITS MODERN MYTH
¾ The Neo‐Babylonian period
The city of Babylon in archaeological evidence and post‐classical myth. Important Neo‐
Babylonian Kings, who carried out building activity at Babylon: Nabopolassar (625‐605
BC), Nebuchadnezzar II (604‐562 BC). City planning, fortifications, Temple precinct of
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Marduk: ziqqurat (E‐temen‐an‐ki) and the temple precinct (E‐sag‐ila); Northern and
Southern Palaces and the supposed “hanging gardens”, processional way, Ishtar Gate.
¾ Discussion focus: Myth and the historicty of the image of the city. The architecture that is
associated with this mythological view of the past.
Readings:
On reserve:
Andrew R. George; “ ‘Bonds of the lands’: Babylon, the cosmic capital,” in Die orientalische Stadt:
Kontinuität, Wandel, Bruch. G. Wilhelm (ed.), SDV Saarbrücker Druckerei und Verlag,
Saarbrücken, 1997: 125‐145.
Amélie Kuhrt; “The palace(s) of Babylon,” in The royal palace institution in the First Millennium
B.C.: regional development and cultural interchange between East and West. Inge Nielsen (ed.);
Monographs of the Danish Institute at Athens: Athens, 2001: pages 77‐94.
Julian E. Reade, “Alexander the Great and the hanging gardens of Babylon,” Iraq 62 (20000
pages 195‐217.
WEEK 14. [DECEMBER 8] PERSIAN EMPIRE AND ITS AFTERMATH
¾ Achaemenids, Medes and Persians:
Pasargadae and Persepolis.
¾ Mesopotamia in the Seleucid Period.
The continuation of the traditions and the legacy of Mesopotamian architectural
traditions. Wrap up session.
¾ Discussion focus: The continuity and legacy of the long‐term Mesopotamian architectural
traditions.
Readings:
M. Van de Mieroop, A history of the Ancient Near East, Chapter 15, pp. 267‐280.
On reserve:
Michael Roaf; “Sculptors and designers at Persepolis” in Investigating Artistic Environments in the
Ancient Near East, Ann C. Gunter (ed.), Washington DC, 1990: pages 105‐114.
Michael Roaf; “Media and Mesopotamia : History and Architecture”, in Later Mesopotamia and
Iran. Tribes and Empires 1600‐539 B.C. John Curtis (ed.), British Museum Press, London,
1995: pages 54‐66.
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David Stronach; “Anshan and Parsa: Early Achaemenid history, art and architecture on the
Iranian plateau,” in Mesopotamia and Iran in the Persian period: Conquest and imperialism 539‐
331 B.C. J. Curtis (ed.), British Museum Press: London, 1997; pages 35‐53.
FINALS WEEK [DECEMBER 15] Final submission of 10‐12 page research papers
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Bibliographies
Dictionaries:
Aurenche, Olivier; 1976. Dictionaire Illustré Multilingue de l’Architecture du Proche Orient Ancien, Paris.
Bienkowski, Piotr and Alan Millard; 2000. Dictionary of the Ancient Near East, University of Pennsylvania
Press: Philadelphia.
Black, Jeremy and Anthony Green; 1992. Gods, demons and symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia, University of
Texas Press: Austin.
Leick, G.; 1988. A dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern architecture, London.
Meyers, Eric M. ( chief ed.); 1997. The Oxford Encyclopedia of archaeology in the Near East, 5 volumes., Oxford
University Press: New York.
Historical and archaeological references:
Crawford, Harriet E.W.; 1991. Sumer and the Sumerians, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.
Joukowsky, Martha S.; 1996. Early Turkey: Anatolian archaeology from prehistory through the Lydian period,
Dubuque, Iowa.
Kuhrt, Amélie; 1995. The Ancient Near East: c. 3000‐330 BC, 2 volumes. Routledge: London and New York.
Nissen, Hans J. 1988. The early history of the Ancient Near East: 9000‐2000 BC., Trans. by E. Lutzeier and K.J.
Northcott, University of Chicago Press: Chicago and London.
Nissen, Hans J; 1999. Gescichte Alt‐Vorderasiens, München. [Prehistory to Alexander, historical study, and a
substantial bibliography]
Oates, Joan; 1986. Babylon, Revised edition, Thames and Hudson: New York.
Oppenheim, A. Leo; 1964. Ancient Mesopotamia: Portrait of a dead civilization. The University of
Chicago Press: Chicago and London [Revised edition completed by Erica Reiner, 1977].
Pollock, Susan ; 1999. Ancient Mesopotamia: The Eden that never was, Cambridge University Press :
Cambridge.
Postgate, J. N.; 1992. Early Mesopotamia: Society and Economy at the dawn of history, Routledge: London and
New York.
Potts, D.T.; 1997. Mesopotamian civilization: The material foundations, Ithaca New York.
Potts, D.T.; 1999. The archaeology of Elam: Formation and transformation of an Ancient Iranian state, Cambridge
University Press: Cambridge and New York.
Roaf, Michael; 1996. Cultural atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East. Oxfordshire.
Roux, Georges; 1964. Ancient Iraq, Penguin : London.
Saggs, H.W.F. ; 2000. Babylonians, University of California Press : Berkeley, Los Angeles.
Sasson, Jack M. et. al. (ed.), 1995. Civilizations of the Ancient Near East. 4 volumes. New York.
von Soden, W.; 1993. The Ancient Orient: An introduction to the study of the Ancient Near East, (trans. of
German publ. 1985), Leominster.
Yakar, Jak; 2000. Ethnoarchaeology of Anatolia: Rural socio‐economy in the Bronze and Iron Ages,
Jerusalem.
Myth and religion
Foster, Benjamin R. (trans. and ed.); 1995. From distant days: Myths, tales and poetry of Ancient Mesopotamia,
Bethesda, Maryland.
Jacobsen, Thorkild; 1976. The treasures of darkness: A history of Mesopotamian religion, Yale University Press:
New Haven and London.
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Art historical surveys:
Amiet, Pierre; 1980. Art of the Ancient Near East, New York.
Frankfort, Henri; 1954. The Art and Architecture of the Ancient Orient. Penguin: London.
Groenewegen‐Frankfort H. A.; 1987. Arrest and Movement: Space and time in the art of the Ancient Near East,
Harvard University Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Moortgat, Anton; 1969. The Art of Ancient Mesopotamia: The Classical Art of the Near East, Phaidon: London
and New York.
Orthmann, W. et. al.; 1975. Der Alte Orient, (Propyläen Kunstgeschichte 14; repr. 1988), Berlin.
Strommenger, Eva; 1964. The art of Mesopotamia, London.
Main studies on the architecture and urbanism
Badawy, A; 1966. Architecture in Ancient Egypt and the Near East, Cambridge.
Crawford, Harriet E.W.; 1977. The architecture of Iraq in the Third Millennium BC, London.
Forest, Jean‐Daniel; 1999. Les premiers temples de Mésopotamie (4e et 3e millénaires), Oxford, England.
Heinrich, Ernst; 1982. Tempel und Heiligtümer im alten Mesopotamien, Deutsches Archäologishes Institut,
Denkmäler Antiker Architektur 14, Berlin.
Heinrich, Ernst; 1984. Paläste im Alten Mesopotamien, Deutsches Archäologishes Institut, Denkmäler
Antiker Architektur 15, Berlin.
Kubba, S.A.A.; 1987. Mesopotamian architecture and town‐planning from the Mesolithic to the end of the Proto‐
historic period, c. 10,000 ‐ 3,500 B.C. BAR International Series 367: Oxford.
Kubba, S.A.A.; 1998. Architecture and linear measurement during the Ubaid period in Mesopotamia, Oxford,
England.
Lampl, Paul; 1968. Cities and planning in the Ancient Near East. George Braziller: New York.
Margeuron, Jean‐Claude; 1982. Recherches sur les palais Mésopotamiens de l’âge bronze, Paris.
Mieroop, Marc van de; 1999. The Ancient Mesopotamian city, Oxford University Press.
Moorey, P.R.S.; 1994. Ancient Mesopotamian materials and industries: The archaeological evidence. Clarendon
Press: Oxford.
Naumann, Rudolf; 1971. Architektur Kleinasiens von ihren Anfängen bis zum Ende der hethitischen Zeit.
Tübingen: Ernst Wasmuth.
Roaf, Michael; 1995. “Palaces and temples in Ancient Mesopotamia,” in Civilizations of the Ancient Near
East, J. Sasson et. al. (eds.), New York. Vol I: 423‐441.
Tunca, Önhan; 1984. L’Architecture religieuse ptotodynastique en Mesopotamie [Akkadica Supplementum II],
Peeters: Leuven.
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