(A) Required Experience: 

This is a class for beginners or preferably for those who have a basic knowledge on ancient Mesopotamian history and religions, and wish to refresh or enrich their knowledge on the material culture, the literary and artistic production, as well as the history of people and beliefs in Mesopotamia. 
N.B.: I have broken into three meaningful parts the long history of Mesopotamia from ca. 6000 to ca. 550 BCE. Anyone interested specifically in the Neo-Summerian and the Old-Babylonian empires can enroll straight to this part without missing anything.

(B) Teaching style and students interaction:

The learning process of this class is based on a combination of a power-point presentation, a lecture that asks students to participate, class dialogue, questions based on the ongoing lecture, and new ideas based on the participants. There is not one universal solution to teach. Rather I combine techniques to achieve the maximum of my strengths and of my students. Having taught so far young kids, teenagers, University students and mature learners, I know that teachers need to approach students with understanding. After all, such a small class has the advantage of making the combined technique of ppt presentation-lecture-dialogue feasible and efficient. Thanks to Zoom, engaging students and interacting with them is always possible. 

(C) Specific topics to be covered Per Day: 

Days 1 and 2) Middle Euphrates in the 3rd millenium BCE: Mari I-II

Day 3) The Khabur River Civilizations in North Mesopotamia and Tell Brak (the Eye Temple)

Day 4) North Tigris in the Early Bronze Age: Assur and Nineveh 

Day 5) North and South united under Akkad - Fall of Akkad - The Second Dynasty of Lagash - king Gudea revives the city of Lagash and Girsu

Day 6) king Ur-Ningirsu of Lagash - Fall of Lagash - Utu-Hengal, king of Uruk, revives the idea of a "king of Sumer" 

Day 7) The establishment of the Third Dynasty of Ur (22nd and 21st centuries BCE) - the great ziggurat of Ur

Day 8) The legal code of Ur-Nammu of Ur (The first fully surviving legal code in human history) - The Ideas of Social Justice and Order by Law 

Day 9) The famous Library of Nippur - the ziggurat of Enlil in Nippur - the Dynasty of Ur III (from Shulgi to Ibbi-Sin)

Days 10) The remarkably well-organised State of Ur III (recorded transactions-archives-applied sciences-legal system-monetary economy-debt relief)

Day 11) The End of the 3rd millenium BCE in Sumeria - Invasion from Elam and the Gutians - Fall of Ur  - The Aftermath of the Fall of Ur - Advent of the Amorites

Days 12) and 13) Rise and Fall of the Amorite dynasty of Isin - Rise of the Amorite dynasty of Larsa 

Day 14) Kings Warad-Sin and Rim-Sin of Larsa 

Days 15 and 16) Assur and Old Assyrian Trade Colonies 

Day 17) Puzur-Ashur Dynasty of Assur

Day 18) Kingdom of Upper Mesopotamia
 
Days 19 and 20) Rise of Babylon - Hammurabi and Babylonian Supremacy

The above classes are also an introduction to the great art and architecture of the Mesopotamians, their pantheon and demons, their epic poems and other literary production, as well as to their libraries and scientific accomplishments