Archaeology of the Near East from Prehistory to 2000 BC

This module surveys the development of Neolithic and Early Bronze Age societies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Arabia, Turkey and Cyprus.

The module also considers the interactions of these societies with their contemporaries in Egypt and Iran. It explores the major debates and evidence concerning the emergence of villages; Neolithic social organisation, art and ritual; the foundations of Middle Eastern economies; nomad-sedentary interaction; early craft specialisation and long distance trade; the emergence of hierarchical societies; the origins of writing; the emergence of cities, states and class societies; and how contemporary archaeology in the Middle East is situated within a complex social and political setting.

Teaching will be through lectures, a visit to the British Museum and handling of artefacts.