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Archaeological research is
fundamental
to the modern investigation of the origins and development of
the world's earliest civilizations, and the University of Chicago
has long played a central role in this enterprise-both in fielding
archaeological expeditions in the Near East and in developing
new approaches to the interpretation of what has been found. Students
of archaeology in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and
Civilizations participate in archaeological fieldwork and in a
rigorous program of academic study that equips them to become
skilled recorders and interpreters of those ancient cultures which
are the forerunners of our own civilization. Having received such
training, graduates of the Near Eastern archaeology program at
the University of Chicago have successfully pursued professional
careers in archaeology in a variety of academic and institutional
settings.
Each student of Near Eastern archaeology designs an academic program, in consultation with a faculty advisor, which is suited to his or her abilities and interests. In addition to acquiring a broad command of Near Eastern archaeology and history, students choose a regional specialization. The department provides instruction in the archaeology of ancient Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Syria-Palestine, Egypt, and Arabia, and in the archaeology of the Islamic Near East. Although all aspects of archaeological work are covered in the curriculum, the particular methodological interests of the current faculty include: scientific materials analysis (especially archaeometallurgy); spatial analysis, geoarchaeology, and the reconstruction of ancient landscapes using aerial photographs and satellite images; computer-based data management and quantitative data analysis in archaeology; the socio-historical integration of archaeological and philological evidence; and the use of social theory in the study of ancient societies.
Several active archaeological field expeditions are directed by NELC faculty members. These include the Amuq Valley Regional Project in Turkey, directed by Aslihan Yener and Tony J. Wilkinson; the Yemen Archaeological Landscape Project, directed by McGuire Gibson and Tony J. Wilkinson; the Ayla/Aqaba Project in Jordan, directed by Donald Whitcomb. Geoarchaeological projects and archaeological surveys in Syria are directed by Tony J. Wilkinson, and the Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon, Israel, has David Schloen as associate director.
Course offerings in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations are supplemented by a wealth of educational and research opportunities elsewhere in the university. The Near Eastern department is housed in the premises of the Oriental Institute, an independent research institution which is a major contributor to all fields of ancient Near Eastern studies. The Oriental Institute's large museum collection, its public education programs, and its long-term research projects (including archaeological field expeditions directed by faculty members) make it possible for students to acquire invaluable practical experience. Additional courses and special lectures of interest to students of Near Eastern archaeology are available in the Departments of Anthropology and of Art, in which there are faculty members in various branches of Old World and New World archaeology, and in the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, the Divinity School, and the interdisciplinary Committee on the Ancient Mediterranean World.
The study of premodern languages and texts is an integral part of research into the literate societies of the ancient and Islamic Near East, and language training is therefore an essential component of the curriculum in Near Eastern archaeology at the University of Chicago. A minimum of two years (i.e., six courses) of instruction in one or more Near Eastern languages is normally required. This may consist of a three-quarter elementary sequence and a three-quarter intermediate sequence of courses in a single language relevant to the student's area of specialization, or a combination of two languages (e.g., one year each of Akkadian and Sumerian for Mesopotamian archaeology). Some faculty advisors will require or recommend more than two years of instruction in such languages, depending on the student's research interests and area of specialization. For students who prefer to focus on studies of ancient Near Eastern technology, regional landscape studies, or quantitative data analysis, the archaeology faculty may reduce the ancient language requirement to a single year of instruction, provided that the student can demonstrate that he or she is able to construct a coherent alternative program of study. In such cases a rigorous program of instruction in ancient technology, geoarchaeology, or a related subfield will be substituted for the second year of the ancient language requirement.
In addition to first-hand experience with textual sources in their original languages, students of Near Eastern archaeology will be required to become well acquainted with the major literary compositions and archives of the Near East in English translation. Note also that the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations requires a good reading knowledge of both French and German, and students are urged to study these languages before entering the department or as soon as possible thereafter. Modern Middle Eastern languages (e.g., Arabic, Turkish, and Hebrew) are becoming increasingly important as languages of archaeological scholarship; training in one of these is therefore strongly recommended for students of ancient Near Eastern archaeology. Students in Islamic Archaeology must take two years of Arabic and must achieve an average of B in eacy year.
In keeping with the current departmental requirements, the following is a typical schedule of courses and examinations for students of Near Eastern archaeology:
Nine to eighteen more courses, depending on research interests and extent of prior preparation.
