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Faculty of PhilosophyNear Eastern Archaeology - Bachelor 75%

Near Eastern archaeology focusses on the settlement and cultural history of the Ancient Near East, from human settlement to the stages of urbanisation and the development of territorial states, and finally to the formation and demise of the ancient Near Eastern empires.

Facts & Formalities

DegreeBachelor of Arts
Type of programmeUndergraduate
Start of programmeWinter and summer semester
Standard period of study6 semesters
Language(s) of instructionGerman and English
Fees and contributions151.05 € / Semester
Application procedureSubjects with no admission restrictions
Application deadlinesInformation about deadlines can be obtained after you have put together a degree program.

Course Content

In the 75%-option of the Bachelor’s degree programme in Near Eastern archaeology, students acquire general knowledge of ancient Near Eastern cultures, political history and languages. In addition, the course provides students with an introduction to archaeological practice. Students acquire specific knowledge of Near Eastern settlement archaeology, social and economic developments, technologies and techniques as well as production and craft. A further focus of the academic programme is on profane and religious architecture as well as art and artisan craft. Students learn the basics of analysis and documentation of archaeological find material and ground monuments and are able to analyse and assess objects and excavation sites in terms of dating, development and function as well as related to their political and social importance. They can culturally, chronologically and stratigraphically classify excavated settlement and finds and identify and categorise artefacts. In addition, students receive insights into the natural-scientific and theoretical methods applied in Near Eastern archaeology. Courses offered in the department of Assyriology provide students with an introduction to the old languages on the Near East. They also learn about the political history, religions and literature. 

The cultural studies expertise acquired during the course of the programme facilitates the graduates’ understanding of complex intercultural relationships in the long history of the ancient Near East. In this degree programme, students will also learn to independently perform academic research and to present their findings not only within the context of inter-disciplinary dialogue, but also to the general public.

Course Structure

The Bachelor’s programme at 75% includes the Near Eastern archaeology major and must be supplemented by a further major subject. The degree programme is a modular programme. 

It consists of two introductory modules that provide students with a systematic overview of the cultural-historical processes of ancient history and in the historical periods of the ancient Near East. Two basic modules in Assyriology lay the foundations for learning Accadian grammar and the cuneiform system of the 2nd and 1st century BC. Students learn the fundamentals of ancient Near Eastern history, religion, literature, economics, society and legal system. The basic module focusses on specific questions related to the cultures and periods of the ancient Near East as well as to source analysis. The module on archaeological practices provides an introduction to excavation work (excavation techniques, interpretation of finds) and archaeological documentation as well as to the basics of surveying. Courses in the specialised module concentrate on research approaches, methods and theories used in Near Eastern archaeology. In the Assyriology advanced module, students acquire knowledge of the Accadian language, cuneiform system and textual Accadian traditions. Finally, the academic programme also includes an interdisciplinary module which is intended to provide students with insights into the neighbouring subjects as well as into social and natural sciences.