PT|EN
History of Pre-Classical Civilizations
Courses Degree in History
Cod: 31048
Department: DCSG
ECTS: 6
Scientific area: History - Ancient History
Total working hours: 156
Total contact time: 15

This course unit studies societies, cultures and civilizations found in Egypt, Mesopotmania and the Syrian-Palestinian area having writing capacities (from the end of pre-history until the 5th century BC). According to the recommended textbook, some of the most significant areas of this period will be approached to: politics, economy, religion, culture.

  1. Egypt
  2. Mesopotamia
  3. Palestine

• Understanding critically the information introduced on the pre-classical civilizations past;
• Distinguishing structuring phenomena from trends of situational and episodic elements;
• Expressing in a clear organised writing.

I. The Egyptian civilization
• Institutions and Society
• Economy
• Religion
• Culture
II. Mesopotamia
• The Sumerians
• The Acad Empire
• The Third Dynasty of Ur or the Sumerian renaissance
• The Neo-babylonic period
• The cultural heritage of Mesoptamia
III. The Syrian-Palestinian region: the Hebrews
• Formation of the Hebrew people
• The monarchy
• Babylon besieged
• Post-exile: beginning of new times
• The conception of history, according to Judaism
• Society and institutions
• Religion

Basic bibliography:
António Augusto TAVARES, Civilizações Pré-Clássicas, Lisboa, Universidade Aberta, 1995.
Complementary Bibliography:
 Atlas: 
- John BAINES, Jaromír MÁLEK, Egipto. Deuses, Templos e Faraós, Lisboa, Círculo de Leitores, 1991.
 -John ROGERSON, Bíblia. Os Caminhos de Deus, Lisboa, Círculo de Leitores, 1991.
Dictionaries
 - Luís Manuel de ARAÚJO (dir.), Dicionário do Antigo Egipto,  Lisboa, Editorial Caminho, 2001.
- Jean-Christophe ATTIAS, Esther BENBASSA, Dicionário Temático Larousse – Civilização Judaica, Lisboa, Círculo de Leitores, 2000.
- Guy RACHET, Dicionário Temático Larousse – Civilização Egípcia, Lisboa, Círculo de Leitores, 1999.
- Guy RACHET, Dicionário Temático Larousse – Civilizações do Antigo Oriente, Lisboa, Círculo de Leitores, 2000.
Others:
-  José das Candeias SALES, A ideologia real egípcia e acádica. Representações do poder político pré-clássico, Lisboa, Editorial Estampa, 1997.
- José das Candeias SALES, As divindades egípcias. Uma chave para a compreensão do Egipto antigo, Lisboa, Editorial Estampa, 1999.
- José das Candeias SALES, Estudos de Egiptologia. Temáticas e Problemáticas, Lisboa, Livros Horizonte, 2007.
- José das Candeias SALES, Poder e Iconografia no antigo Egipto, Lisboa, Livros Horizonte, 2008.

Online learning with continuous supervision favoring asynchronous communication (Moodle platform).
Students have to perform the tasks requested by the teacher: essays, critical recensions, reports, protocols, etc. All works will be evaluated and/or classified.

Continuous assessment is privileged: 2 digital written documents (e-folios) during the semester (40%) and a final digital test, Global e-folio (e-folio G) at the end of the semester (60%). In due time, students can alternatively choose to perform one final exam (100%).

Students are required to have access to a computer with Internet connection and an e-mail address as well as to have computer literacy from the users' perspective.