Download BIRKBECK University of London Academic Year: 2014

BIRKBECK University of London
Academic Year:
2014-15
Module Title:
Introduction to Akkadian 1
Module Code:
SSHC201H4-ACB
Subject Area:
Archaeology
Award:
Certificate of Higher Education
Class Venue:
Westminster Kingsway College, room K102
(211 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8RA)
Birkbeck ID card is necessary to access the building
First meeting:
Thursday 9th October 2014, 6.30pm-8.30pm
Module taught by:
Frans van Koppen
Module Description
This module introduces you to the grammar of the Akkadian language and the principles of
the cuneiform script. Through lectures and exercises, you will acquire the elementary skills
required to read original works of Akkadian literature from the ancient Near East, aptly
described as the 'first half of history'.
Entry Requirements
This course forms part of the Certificate in History and Archaeology. There are no formal
entry requirements for this course, which is open to all with an interest in the study of the
Akkadian language. No previous knowledge is required but some familiarity with the culture
of ancient Mesopotamia is welcome. Some basic understanding of grammatical descriptions
will also be helpful in the acquisition of Akkadian language skills. All modules are taught at
university level, and students should be able to read, write and speak English fluently to
benefit from their studies.
Aims and Outcomes
The main aim of the course is that students should develop the skills required for studying
the Akkadian language and cuneiform script at an introductory level. This will open up the
possibility to read Akkadian prose texts, for example the Laws of Hammurabi that are subject
of the follow-up course Introduction to Akkadian 2 (SSHC202H4ACB).
By the end of the course students should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the
Old Babylonian dialect of Akkadian, the Neo-Assyrian cuneiform script, and an appreciation
of the written culture of Mesopotamia and the historical context of the Akkadian language.
Students should be able to think critically about what they have heard, read and seen and
they should have completed and been assessed on their coursework.
Teaching and Learning
The 10 two-hour class meetings will include short lectures, grammatical presentations, textbased work by students and feedback. Akkadian grammar and vocabulary handouts will be
provided. Students are expected to practise each week’s material by means of homework
exercises. Class meetings are designed to be highly interactive and student participation is
encouraged.
Coursework and assessment
Students taking accredited courses will be expected to prepare coursework for formal
assessment and such other coursework as is appropriate for the teaching and learning on
the course. Students must attend at least 50% of the meetings to qualify for assessment.
Students’ knowledge and skills will develop through participation in class work and through
individual research in the form of written work outside class hours. Homework is a
fundamental element of the course and students are strongly encouraged to spend several
hours per week, in addition to class time, on independent learning.
Independent coursework will consist of written language exercises with a grammatical slant.
Halfway through the course term the cuneiform script is introduced and students are
encouraged to familiarize themselves with the repertoire of simple syllabic signs by means of
flashcards and other tools. Deciphering sentences written in cuneiform script will be part of
independent coursework during the second half of the term. Developing the relevant study
skills is an integral part of the course and guidance and support in relation to all coursework
will readily be given.
The coursework for formal assessment will consist of two assignments to be submitted as
follows:


one written exercises relating to Akkadian grammar (50% of total);
one written exercise relating to cuneiform script (50% of total);
These assignments will be submitted to the lecturer for formal assessment during the course
and will be submitted to secondary examiners for final assessment. Full guidance in relation
to the assignments will be given in class and is available outside class hours if needed.
Course Content
1. The languages of ancient Mesopotamia are a starting point for an introduction to the
history and culture of ancient Mesopotamia, in particular during the second and first
millennia BC when Akkadian (in its two main dialects of Babylonian and Assyrian)
was the most important written language of the ancient Near East. The cuneiform
script, developed by the Sumerians for their language in the centuries after 3000 BC,
was also used to write down Akkadian for more than 2000 years until the writing
system was given up around the beginning of our era, at a time when Akkadian as a
spoken language had been superseded by Aramaic. It was a dead language until its
decipherment about 150 years ago.
2. For an introduction to the grammar and vocabulary of the Akkadian language we will
turn to the Old Babylonian dialect, the language spoken and written in southern
Mesopotamia c. 1800-1600 BC, which later Babylonians and Assyrians considered
the classic form of their language and modern scholars prefer as the simplest access
to Akkadian grammar. Akkadian is the earliest-attested member of the family of
Semitic languages and is related to Arabic, Hebrew and Aramaic. All Semitic
languages share a structure of semantic roots which produces lexemes through
modification of the vowel pattern of simple consonantal roots. The Akkadian
language is elegant, with a relatively simple and logical grammar, as we will discover
in the course of the first term when dealing with its basic features in weekly seminars
and class exercises (aided by paradigms and other study aids).
3. We will also explore the principles of the cuneiform writing system. Cuneiform signs
can express sound, meaning and – depending on context – both, and the polivalency
of the cuneiform script was a source of intellectual reflection for ancient
Mesopotamian scribes and still fascinates students today. We will look in more detail
at the limited set of easy syllabic signs that were used to write Akkadian in the Old
Babylonian period and learn to recognise them in their Neo-Assyrian forms, which is
the standard type of cuneiform script for beginners.
A study pack with a synopsis of Akkadian grammar, paradigms, a glossary, and a cuneiform
sign list will be provided during the course.
Other activities
Students will also be informed of, and are invited to, all pertinent Assyriological lectures and
events that will take place in the Bloomsbury area in the course of the academic year; details
for many of these events can be found in the London Diary for the Ancient Near East
(http://www.soas.ac.uk/nme/ane/ldane/).
Recommended Reading
Basic Course Books:
The following books are essential tools for independent study of the Akkadian language:
Jeremy BLACK, Andrew GEORGE, and Nicholas POSTGATE, A Concise Dictionary of
Akkadian, 2nd corrected printing. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2000, ISBN 3-447-04264-8.
John HUEHNERGARD, A Grammar of Akkadian (= Harvard Semitic Studies 45), 2nd edition.
Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2005, ISBN 1-57506-922-9. A copy of the first edition (1997:
Atlanta, GA : Scholars Press; 3rd corrected printing: 2000: Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns) is
also adequate.
Birkbeck Library should have these books but it is highly recommended that students obtain for their
personal use A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian and A Grammar of Akkadian.
Possible booksellers (with varying prices) include: www.eisenbrauns.com; www.amazon.co.uk;
www.oxbowbooks.com; and the British Museum bookshop (Great Court, British Museum, Great Russell
Street, London).
Douglas B. MILLER & R. Mark SHIPP, An Akkadian Handbook: Paradigms, Helps,
Logograms, and Sign Lists. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1996, ISBN 0931464862.
MILLER & SHIPP 1996 is not without its flaws and not always easy to find but nevertheless contains a
lot of valuable information and is sold quite cheaply by its publisher; when ordering anything from
www.eisenbrauns.com consider adding this item to your order.
Martin Worthington, Complete Babylonian. Teach Yourself, 2010. ISBN 0340983884.
Worthington 2010 is not used as a textbook for this course but is a valuable reference work for
independent study of the Akkadian language.
Background Reading:
General
KUHRT, A.: 1995. The Ancient Near East c. 3000-330 BC. Vols I-II. London and New York:
Routledge
POSTGATE, J.N.: 1992, reprinted 1995. Early Mesopotamia: Society and Economy at the
Dawn of History. London and New York: Routledge
READE, J.: 2000. Mesopotamia (2nd edition). London: British Museum Publications
ROAF, M.: 1990. Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East. New York and
Oxford: Equinox
VAN DE MIEROOP, M.: 2007. A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC (2nd
edition). Blackwell Publishing (1st edition 2004)
About the Akkadian language and the cuneiform script
POSTGATE, J.N.: 2007. Languages of Iraq, Ancient and Modern. London: British School of
Archaeology in Iraq
WALKER, C.B.F.: 1987. Cuneiform. London: British Museum Publications
WOODARD, R.D. (ed.) 2008. The Ancient Languages of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Aksum.
Cambridge University Press
WOODS, C. (ed) 2010. Visible Language: Inventions of Writing in the Ancient Middle East
and Beyond. Oriental Institute Museum Publications 32. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of
the University of Chicago.
Library and study skills resources
You may find the following web links helpful for your studies.
 For information on the resources available for history students through Birkbeck
College Library, including on-line books, reference works, journals, catalogues, and
search
tools.
There
is
material
at
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/subguides/socialscience/history but please note for
Certificate and Diploma students some of the access schemes shown on these
pages are only available to degree students for further information please refer to
Aubrey Greenwood, Archaeology Subject Librarian.
 For guidance on study skills, including essay and report writing, research and
referencing, go to http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/subguides/studyskills
Course Evaluation
During the course students will be asked to complete an evaluation form which gives the
opportunity to provide feedback on all aspects of their learning experience.
Further Information
For further information on issues such as student support, plagiarism and procedural
guidelines, please consult the History and Archaeology Student Handbook available on
Moodle: http://moodle.bbk.ac.uk/