ID:
501547
Duration (hours):
36
CFU:
6
SSD:
ANATOLISTICA
Year:
2025
Overview
Date/time interval
Primo Semestre (22/09/2025 - 19/12/2025)
Syllabus
Course Objectives
The aim of the course is to introduce students to the Hittite language and the written tradition of the Hittites within the cultural and linguistic context of Anatolia and, more broadly, the Near East in the 2nd millennium BC. The course provides an introduction to Hittite cuneiform and to Anatolian hieroglyphic writing. By the end of the course, students will have acquired a basic knowledge of the Hittite language (phonetics, noun and verb morphology, sentence structure) and of the writing systems used by the Hittites, and will be able to translate and analyze simple texts from both a grammatical and content perspective, situating them within their historical and cultural context.
Course Prerequisites
None, although knowledge of the historical and cultural context of the ancient Near East in the 2nd millennium BC, as well as of other ancient Indo-European languages such as Greek or Latin, can be useful.
Teaching Methods
Lectures and practical exercises in reading cuneiform and Anatolian hieroglyphics.
Assessment Methods
The exam is oral and includes: a question on the topics of the general part covered in class; reading cuneiform, translation, and commentary of two texts analyzed in class and in the teaching seminar; and a question on Anatolian hieroglyphic writing. The final evaluation is based on the student’s understanding of the topics covered and on their ability to present the acquired knowledge clearly and accurately. Knowledge of the main grammatical features of the Hittite language will be assessed through the analysis of texts.
Texts
1. General part
In addition to the lecture notes and powerpoint presentations (available for download on the KIRO platform), students are requested to study:
S. de Martino, La civiltà degli Ittiti, Roma 2020.
R. Francia - M. Vigo, Letterature dell'Anatolia ittita, Milano 2024 (Capitolo 1: Introduzione, pp. 1-51).
Th.P.J. van den Hout, "The Written Legacy of the Hittites", in H. Genz - D.P. Mielke (eds.), Insights into Hittite History and Archaeology, Leuven 2011, pp. 47-84.
2. Introduction to the Hittite language and cuneiform script Teaching materials and the texts analyzed in class are available for download on the KIRO platform.
Recommended Hittite grammar: R. Francia-V. Pisaniello, La lingua degli Ittiti, Milano 2019.
3. Introduction to the study of Anatolian hieroglyphic writing Teaching materials and the texts analyzed in class are available for download on the KIRO platform. Other bibliographical indications will be provided during classes.
In addition to the lecture notes and powerpoint presentations (available for download on the KIRO platform), students are requested to study:
S. de Martino, La civiltà degli Ittiti, Roma 2020.
R. Francia - M. Vigo, Letterature dell'Anatolia ittita, Milano 2024 (Capitolo 1: Introduzione, pp. 1-51).
Th.P.J. van den Hout, "The Written Legacy of the Hittites", in H. Genz - D.P. Mielke (eds.), Insights into Hittite History and Archaeology, Leuven 2011, pp. 47-84.
2. Introduction to the Hittite language and cuneiform script Teaching materials and the texts analyzed in class are available for download on the KIRO platform.
Recommended Hittite grammar: R. Francia-V. Pisaniello, La lingua degli Ittiti, Milano 2019.
3. Introduction to the study of Anatolian hieroglyphic writing Teaching materials and the texts analyzed in class are available for download on the KIRO platform. Other bibliographical indications will be provided during classes.
Contents
1. Introductory General Part
a) The rediscovery of the Hittites in the 19th and 20th centuries and the decipherment of the Hittite language; the birth and development of Hittitology.
b) The question of the Indo-Europeans in Anatolia.
c) Peoples, languages, and writing systems of pre-classical Anatolia.
d) The Hittite written tradition: sites where Hittite texts have been found, historical overview of the Hittite written corpus, textual genres, and main compositions.
2. Introduction to the Hittite Language and Cuneiform Script Classes on Hittite grammar with reading of passages in the original language and script, drawn from the Annals of Mursili II and the Hittite Law Code.
This part of the course is complemented by a 10-hour teaching seminar with exercises in reading cuneiform and translating Hittite texts (dott. F. Bastici). Attendance at the seminar is mandatory for students of the Near Eastern curriculum and highly recommended for all other students.
3. Introduction to Anatolian Hieroglyphic Writing Study of Anatolian hieroglyphic writing between the 2nd and 1st millennia BC, with guided reading of selected short inscriptions from the same period.
a) The rediscovery of the Hittites in the 19th and 20th centuries and the decipherment of the Hittite language; the birth and development of Hittitology.
b) The question of the Indo-Europeans in Anatolia.
c) Peoples, languages, and writing systems of pre-classical Anatolia.
d) The Hittite written tradition: sites where Hittite texts have been found, historical overview of the Hittite written corpus, textual genres, and main compositions.
2. Introduction to the Hittite Language and Cuneiform Script Classes on Hittite grammar with reading of passages in the original language and script, drawn from the Annals of Mursili II and the Hittite Law Code.
This part of the course is complemented by a 10-hour teaching seminar with exercises in reading cuneiform and translating Hittite texts (dott. F. Bastici). Attendance at the seminar is mandatory for students of the Near Eastern curriculum and highly recommended for all other students.
3. Introduction to Anatolian Hieroglyphic Writing Study of Anatolian hieroglyphic writing between the 2nd and 1st millennia BC, with guided reading of selected short inscriptions from the same period.
Course Language
Italian
More information
Attendance at classes is highly recommended. Students who are unable to attend the course are required to contact the teacher to arrange an alternative program.
Degrees
Degrees (3)
No Results Found