Corso di laurea magistrale in
Archeologia e Storia antica

Students shall learn the Hittite political, social and cultural history. The activity of learning the cuneiform script and the Hittite language will be progressive and involves all the students in a real partecipation in class; in fact, students will exercise their linguistic skills by transliterating and  translating passagges of Hittite text in class with the support of the teacher.

The chosen texts have a high significance for the knowledge of the relations of the Hittites with the Micenaens.

The Hittite language and the cuneiform writing.

Introduction to the history of the Hittite kingdom. The oldest documents on Ahhiyawa from the time of Tuthaliya I and Arnuwanda I. Hittite conquest of Arzawa at the time of Mursili II. The relation between Hatti and Ahhiyawa during the reign of Hattusili III and the "Tawagalawa letter". The last evidence on Ahhiyawa.

A visit to the Louvre Museum together with the students of the other disciplines on ancient Western Asia completes the course.

Lectures. After having learnt the main aspects of the Hittite history, all the studentìs will start learning the Hittite language and the cuneiform script, and then they will begin to translate and anaylise the aformementioned texts with the the teacher's support.

Those who are not able to attend face-to-face lectures may access teaching matyerial on the Moodle platform and, instead of attending face-to-face lectures, they shall study 5 essay chosen among those published in the Handbook Hittite Empire (2022).

The teacher will offer his support to study and prepare for the exam with online meetings (dates will be provided in the news section).

Those who have taken the course will be expected to demonstrate comprehension skills in a secondary field of study, to have strengthened their knowledge, to have developed critical thinking skills and to be able to come up with original ideas. Regarding the course content they are required knowing the history of Hatti; besides they shall show thir competence in transliterating and translating at least one of the text passages studied in class. Besides, they shall analyse the chosen passage under the historical and political point of vew and, hence, demonstrate to have developed their ability in the critical analysis of the ancient documents.

The attainment of an excellent knowledge of the topics addressed in the lessons, of the chronology of the civilisations studied, together with a good critical capacity and mastery of expression and specific language, will be assessed with very good or excellent marks (28-30 cum laude). On the other hand, the predominantly mnemonic or not well-developed acquisition of the contents and linguistic and logical skills that are not always adequate will be assessed with marks ranging from fair (21-24) to good (25-27); a minimum level of knowledge of the course contents, combined with formative gaps or inadequate linguistic and logical skills, will lead to a grade of sufficiency (18-20). Finally, the absence of a minimum level of knowledge of the course content, combined with inadequate linguistic and logical skills and training gaps, will lead to an assessment of insufficient.

The teacher is available to give addictional information to those who should ask for more explications, 12 hours, schedule to be agreed.

For those who may have specific learning disabilities (SLD) or disabilities, please review the support procedures (https://www.unito.it/servizi/lo-studio/studenti-e-studentesse-con-disabilita) and accommodations (https://www.unito.it/accoglienza-studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa) provided by the University, particularly the necessary procedures for exam support (https://www.unito.it/servizi/lo-studio/studenti-e-studentesse-con-disturbi-specifici-di-apprendimento-dsa/supporto).

Teaching materials on the Hittite language and the cuneiform writing will be given by the tacher by means of the moodle platform

The professor will offer his support to study and prepare for the exam with online meetings (dates will be provided in the news section).

Students are allowed to take their examination in English.