A. Lecture Courses

Lower Division.

R 1AB. COMPOSITION IN CONNECTION WITH READING ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN LITERATURE (4)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of individual conferences per week. Prerequisite: Passing grade in Subject A examination or course; 1A is a prerequisite to 1B. Expository writing based on analysis of selected masterpieces of the ancient Near East in translation, such as the Bible, Code of Hammurapi, Epic of Gilgamesh. 1A satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement, and 1B satisfies the second half.

R 2AB. COMPOSITION IN MODERN MIDDLE EASTERN LITERATURE (4)

Three hours of lectures and one-hour conference per week. Prerequisite: Passing grade in Subject A examination or course; 2A or equivalent course is prerequisite to 2B. Expository writing based on analysis of selected modern Middle Eastern literatures in translation, such as Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Turkish prose and/or poetry. 2A satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement, and 2B satisfies the second half.

10. INTRODUCTION TO THE NEAR EAST (4)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. The background and present status of the ethnic and religious groups in the Arab states, Turkey, Israel and Iran.

15. INTRODUCTION TO NEAR EASTERN ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY (4)

The ancient Near East (present-day Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, and Turkey) is considered the ‘cradle of civilization.’ Here in Mesopotamia and its neighboring regions, the first urban societies arose and writing was invented. This course surveys the major archaeological sites and monuments from the earliest settlements to the conquest of the Near East by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between the arts and ancient society in order to enable students to acquire the skills for accessing and appreciating ancient civilizations. The course is recommended for potential majors and for interested students in both the humanities and sciences. There are no prerequisites. It fulfills the College of Letters and Science breadth requirement in Arts and Literature or Historical Studies.
A homepage for this couse is also available.

C 16. INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC ART (4)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. The art and architecture of Islamic lands from the 7th to the l7th century. (NES 16 is cross-listed with History of Art 16.)

18. INTRODUCTION TO EGYPTOLOGY (4)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of museum study per week. A survey of the art and architecture of dynastic Egypt and their relations to the social and political institutions of the times.

24. SEMINAR (1)

Individual faculty members occasionally offer one-unit seminars with enrollment limits of 15, priority to first-year students. Recent titles have been: Basics about Language and Linguistics, Soils and Civilization, Imagining the West in Modern Arabic Literature, Highlights of Near Eastern Art and Archaeology.

25. ANCIENT BABYLONIAN LEGENDS AND MYTHS (3)

Three hours of class per week. Lectures on and readings of the Gilgamesh Epic, Creation and Flood Myths and other Mesopotamian literary texts in translation.

C 26. INTRODUCTION TO CENTRAL ASIA (3)

Three hours of lecture per week. The course will introduce the student not only to ancient and modern Central Asia, but also to the role played by the region in the shaping of the history of neighboring regions and regimes. The course will outline the history, languages, ethnicities, religions and archaeology of the region and will acquaint the student with the historical foundations of some of the political, social and economic challenges for contemporary post-Soviet Central Asian republics. (NES 26 is cross-listed with Geography 55.)

32. HEBREW LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION (3)

Three hours of class per week. Readings from all periods and genres of Hebrew literature.

34. HEBREW BIBLE IN TRANSLATION (3)

Three hours of lecture per week. Readings from the Hebrew Bible in English translation.

C 92. IMAGINING ARAB CIVILIZATION (4)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. This course examines major aspects of Arab culture through literature, art, film, and other media. Questions of religious, political, and philosophical nature co-exist in Arab culture with literary conventions and aesthetic norms. The course explores the dynamic interaction among these abiding concerns of Arab culture from pre-Islamic times to the present. (NES 92 is cross-listed with UGIS 92.)

98. DIRECTED GROUP STUDY FOR LOWER DIVISION STUDENTS (1-4)

One contact hour per week per unit. Enrollment is restricted; see the Introduction to Courses and Curricula section of the General Catalog. Prerequisite: Lower division standing. Student must submit a written proposal with consent of instructor to the de-partment chair for approval. Topics vary. May be re-peated for credit. Must be taken on a pass/not pass basis.

99. SUPERVISED INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-4)

One contact hour per week per unit. Enrollment is restricted; see the Introduction to Courses and Curricula section of the General Catalog. Prerequisite: Lower division standing; 3.3 GPA and consent of instructor. Student must submit a written proposal with consent of instructor to the department chair for approval. Topics vary. May be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a pass/not pass basis.

Upper Division.

100A. UNDERGRADUATE PROSEMINAR (4)

Three hours of seminar per week. This proseminar is designed to introduce undergraduates to research methodologies and methods of critical analysis and to foster the development of bibliographic, analytical, writing and related research skills required for advanced seminar work. Changing interdisciplinary topics will focus on various aspects of ancient Near Eastern cultures and will involve some combination of the following: historical, art historical and/or archaeological evidence and interpretations; research strategies; fieldwork techniques; textual criticism. May be repeated for credit when subject matter changes.

101A-101B. HISTORY OF ANCIENT EGYPT (4-4)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Prerequisite: NES l8 or consent of instructor. Chronological survey of the history of ancient Egypt from Prehistoric times down to the conquest of Alexander the Great. Particular attention will be paid to the textual record and problems of its interpretation.

102A-102B. ARCHAEOLOGY OF ANCIENT EGYPT (4-4)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of museum section per week. Prerequisite: NES 18 or consent of instructor. A survey of the archaeological materials available for the reconstruction of Egyptian culture and society. Special emphasis will be given to current archaeological theories and recent discoveries. Extensive use will be made of the Hearst Museum collection.
l02A: early prehistory through the First Intermediate Period.
l02B: the Middle and New Kingdoms.

103. RELIGION OF ANCIENT EGYPT (3)

Three hours of class per week. Prerequisite: NES l8 or consent of instructor. A survey of the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, based primarily upon the written sources.

104. BABYLONIAN RELIGION (3)

Three hours of class per week. A survey of Babylonian religious beliefs and practices based on indigenous texts and monuments. (NES 104 is cross-listed with Religious Studies 104.)

105A-105B. ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIAN DOCUMENTS AND LITERATURE (3-3)

Three hours of class per week. A representative survey of original third-first millennium cuneiform texts in translation.
105A: the Sumerian religious and scholastic tradition; myths of creation, hymns, epics and early historical material.
105B: Assyro-Babylonian historical and legal documents and private and royal correspondence; kingship and the cult; divination, astrology and magic; the classic literary works.

106A-106B. ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF ANCIENT EGYPT (4-4)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Prerequisite: For 106A, NES 18 or equivalent or consent of instructor; for 106B, 106A or consent of instructor. Stylistic and iconographic study of Egyptian art and architecture from Predynastic times through the end of the pharaonic period. Discussion sections will focus on Egyptian material in the Hearst Museum collection.
106A: the period from Predynastic times until the end of the First Intermediate Period (ca. 5000-2000 B.C.).
106B: the period from the end of the First Intermediate Period through the Graeco-Roman period (ca. 2000 B.C. - 1st century A.D.).

107. ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE AND DOCUMENTS (3)

Three hours of class per week. Prerequisite: NES l8 or consent of instructor. Historical and thematic survey of the major genres of ancient Egyptian texts from the Old Kingdom through the Graeco-Roman Period (ca. 2500 B.C. - lst century A.D.). Special attention will be paid to the social relevance and stylistic characteristics of the documents discussed.

108. TOPICS IN THE ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN WORLD (4)

Three hours of class per week. Topics in the cultural connections of the ancient Mediterranean world, from the second millennium B.C.E. to late antiquity. Typical themes might be: (1) ideologies of gender and sexuality; (2) religion in the ancient Mediterranean; (3) the literatures of the ancient Mediterranean.

109. MESOPOTAMIAN HISTORY (3)

Three hours of class per week. Ancient Mesopotamian political, cultural, and economic history from the invention of script to the Persian conquest of Babylon will be presented in survey, and one topic will be selected for in-depth study.

109. MESOPOTAMIAN HISTORY (3)

Three hours of class per week. Ancient Mesopotamian political, cultural, and economic history from the invention of script to the Persian conquest of Babylon will be presented in survey, and one topic will be selected for in-depth study.

110. ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY OF ANCIENT EGYPT IN THE FIRST MILLENNIUM B.C. (3) Three hours of illustrated lecture per week. Prerequisite: NES 18 or equivalent or consent of instructor. The course surveys the art and/or archaeology of ancient Egypt in the first millennium B.C. It covers ancient Egyptian material culture of the Third Intermediate, Late, Ptolemaic, and Early Roman periods.

111. SPECIAL TOPIC SEMINAR (4)

Three hours of seminar per week. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. This seminar is designed to afford students an opportunity to work closely with NES faculty on a topic of mutual interest in great depth. Emphasis on student participation. Original research and extensive writing required. May be repeated for credit.

112. SURVEY OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN HISTORY (4) Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Prerequisite: NES 18 or consent of instructor. Students who have passed NES 101AB will receive no units for NES 112. Students who have passed either 101A or 101B will receive only 2 units for NES 112. A concise survey of Ancient Egyptian history from Late Predynastic times to the conquest of Alexander the Great.

120A-120B. NEAR EASTERN ART (4-4)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
120A: the Neolithic through the Kassite period.
120B: the Iron Age through Sassanian times.

C 121A-121B. ISLAMIC ART (4-4)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Topics in Islamic art and architecture from the rise of Islam to the present. (NES 121AB is cross-listed with History of Art 121AB.)

122A-122B. IRANIAN ARCHAEOLOGY (4-4)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. A survey of the archaeology of Iran from Paleolithic times down to the Sassanian period.

123A-123B. MESOPOTAMIAN ARCHAEOLOGY (4-4)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. A survey of the archaeology of Mesopotamia.

124A-124B. THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (3-3)

Three hours of class per week. The aim of this course is to investigate specific archaeological problems by means of a general survey of archaeological sites in Cyprus, Jordan, Israel, and Syria. The time period covered will be Ceramic/late Neolithic-Middle Bronze (about 5000-l600 B.C.).

125. ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE (4)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. This course examines the relationship between archaeology and the Bible from the Patriarchal through Exilic periods. It combines a survey of the relevant archaeological record with an examination of current issues of biblical interpretation and history. Major theoretical issues and interpretive frameworks will be investigated, as well as the results of archaeological research for understanding the history and culture reflected in the biblical narrative. Slides, videos, and, where appropriate, museum collections will be used extensively.

126. SILK ROAD ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY (3)

Three hours of class per week. The course will outline the art and archaeology of the Silk Roads from the 5th century BCE to the 10th century CE. A number of specific sites located along the Silk Roads will be selected and explored in depth, as examples which reveal the manifold cultural currents along the trade routes. Special attention will be paid to the eclecticism in Silk Road cultures brought about by the movement of peoples and merchandise which facilitated the spread and fusion along these trading routes of various ideas, cultural forms, art styles and religious concepts. The social and political underpinnings of this eclecticism will be examined.

127. LAND OF CIVILIZATIONS: THE ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY OF ANCIENT SYRIA (4)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. The course provides a broad introduction to the cultures of ancient Syria from the Neolithic period to 500 BCE. The diversity of cultures and their development over time will be assessed in light of the built environment and artistic production. Emphasis is placed on interpreting the material culture of the region within its social and political contexts.

130A-130B. HISTORY OF ANCIENT

ISRAEL (3-3)

Three hours of class per week. The patriarchal age through the Hellenistic period.

131. ASPECTS OF BIBLICAL RELIGION (4)

Three hours of class per week. The teachings of ancient IsraelÕs priests, prophets and sages on various universal problems.

132. JUDAISM AND HELLENISM (3)

Three hours of class per week. The analysis of the impact of Hellenism on Judaism through a detailed study of various apocryphal and pseudepigraphical Alexandrian writings. Special attention will be given to Wisdom Tradition and the philosophical works of Philo Judaeus and their relationship to Greek philosophy and early Christianity.

133. JUDAISM IN LATE ANTIQUITY (3)

Three hours of class per week. The emergence and development of classical Judaism, its piety, institutions, thought and literature.

134. TALMUD AND MIDRASH IN TRANSLATION (3)

Three hours of lecture per week. Reading in translation and discussion of selection of Talmudic Midrashic literature, their use for a history of Jewish thought and their historical development and place within the broader Jewish and general context (1st - 8th centuries Common Era).

C 135. BIBLICAL CIVILIZATION (3)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. This is the first course in a four-course sequence in the history of Jewish culture and civilization. It covers the biblical period and the period up to the destruction of the second temple. This course will explore the current state of our knowledge, including the legacy of ancient Near Eastern myth and religion, the history of Israelite religion, the literary features of biblical narrative, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.

136. HISTORY AND HISTORIOGRAPHY IN THE HEBREW BIBLE (3)

Three hours of lecture per week. A critical examination of the form and content of history-like narratives of the Hebrew Bible in the light of concepts of history and historiographic practices in the ancient Near East and in contemporary historical studies. Selective focus on one or more books in Genesis through Kings, Chronicles, and Ezra-Nehemiah.

137. MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY JEWISH THOUGHT (4)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. An analysis of modern Jewish movements and ideas. Topics include Spinoza, Hasidism, the Enlightenment, Jewish religious movements in America, Zionism, Buber, Rosensweig, Kaplan, Heschel.

138. THE HERO IN THE BIBLE AND THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST (3)

Three hours of lecture per week. An investigation of concepts of the hero/heroine in the literatures of ancient Mesopotamia, Canaan, and Israel. The importance of heroic epic in defining and exploring morality, the self, and the cosmos will be a guiding concern. Texts include the epics of Gilgamesh and Aqhat, the Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament. All texts are read in translation.

139. MODERN JEWISH LITERATURES (3)

Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor. Trends and genres in modern Jewish literatures - translated from Hebrew and Yiddish, with selected texts translated from other Jewish languages like Ladino and Judeo-Arabic. Focus will be on developments in Jewish literary traditions since the Enlightenment in the context of tensions between occidental and oriental formations of Jewish culture.

140. TOPICS IN ISLAMIC THOUGHT AND INSTITUTIONS (3)

Three hours of class per week. Selected topics from Islamic intellectual history. May be repeated for credit.

141. MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ISLAMIC THOUGHT (3)

Three hours of class per week. A survey of leading Muslim thinkers and movements of the past two centuries.

142. SHI'ITE ISLAM (3)

Three hours of class per week. The beliefs, traditions, and practices of the ShiÕite school of Islam.

143A-143B. ISLAM IN IRAN (3-3)

Three hours of class per week. A general survey of the religious history of Iran in the Islamic period, covering the rise and development of religious institutions, the elaboration of the religious sciences, Sufism, and sectarian movements.

144. SUFISM: THE MYSTICISM OF ISLAM (3)

A general presentation of Sufism that, while not aiming at exhaustiveness, will seek to acquaint students with the place and function of Sufism in Islam; the main outlines of its history; doctrinal and ritual features; the relationship between Sufism and literature, especially poetry; the principal Sufi orders; leading figures in the elaboration of Sufism as a distinct mode of Islamic practice; and the great diversity of Sufism as reflected in its geographic spread throughout the Muslim world. May be repeated when subject matter varies.

146A-146B. ISLAM (3-3)

Three hours of lecture per week. A comprehensive and detailed introduction to the sources, doctrines, practices and institutions of Islam, together with their historical development and elaboration in a selected number of ethnic and geographic environments and an overview of Islam in the world today.

147. THE RISE OF ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION (4)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. A survey of Islamic civilization in the Middle East during the medieval period. Topics include the emergence of Islam in Arabia and the role of the Prophet Muhammad; the rapid rise of an Islamic empire and its effects on the societies it governed; the creation of an Islamic civilization and the religious, political, and intellectual debates it engendered; contact with Europe and Asia through trade, Crusades, and nomadic conquest; the contributions of non-Muslims, women, slaves.

150A-150B. ARABIC LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION (3-3)

Three hours of class per week. Survey of Arabic literature (no knowledge of Arabic required). May be repeated for credit as topic varies.
150A: from its origins in pre-Islamic poetry through its historical development during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods.
150B: from the post-Abbasid period to the present.

151. FOLKTALES OF THE MIDDLE EAST (4)

Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. An introduction to the art of the folktale as practiced in the folk narrative traditions of the Middle East. We will first focus on the cultural dynamics of the Arabic folktale: its portrayal of women, social conflicts and gender roles; its use of imagery, symbolism and the supernatural; and its translation of cultural themes like fate and destiny into plot motifs. We will then compare the Arabic folktale as an oral genre with tales from the other traditions including Turkish and Persian.

152. CULTURAL ENCOUNTERS IN MODERN ARABIC LITERATURE (3)

This course is organized around two broad but inter-related issues: the quest for identity and the representation of the "other" in modern Arabic literature. Central to both concerns is the treatment of colonialism, nationalism, and gender in modern Arabic literature and Arab culture in general. May be repeated when subject matter varies.

153. THE MEDIEVAL FRAMETALE GENRE: ITS HISPANO-ARABIC ROOTS (4)

Three hours of class per week. The art of inserting stories within stories is typical of certain Oriental literature, and was widely cultivated in Arabic. Via Spain, the Arabs transmitted this form of writing to medieval Europe. A masterpiece such as the Libro de buen amor, which stands as an isolated work in Spanish literature, nevertheless bears comparison with certain Arabic works that preceded it. This course will study the structure, meaning, and function of the frame tale genre, using examples from Arabic, Spanish, and English, including animal fables, romances, mirrors for princes, and picaresque narratives. It will examine the Arabic literature Spain borrowed, and show how, from Spain, individual tales found their way into the medieval West.

155. WONDER AND THE FANTASTIC: THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS IN WORLD LITERARY IMAGINATION. (3)

Three hours of lecture per week. After studying the tales themselves and examining their structure and how they fit into the genre of folk literature, we will investigate how the Nights was transmitted, translated, and received in Europe, as a window on 19th-century gender and racial attitudes, especially Western views of the "oriental" other. How the Nights were creatively manipulated by Western writers will be studied, as will the influence of these tales on modern Arabic literature itself. Several examples of how the Nights have been represented in Western films will be considered. All works will be read in English translation.

160. RELIGIONS OF ANCIENT IRAN (3)

Three hours of class per week. Principally devoted to Zoroastrianism and Manicheanism, but with some attention to Indo-Iranian origins, and relevance of Iranian religion for the history of Hellenistic Gnosticism, Judaism and Islam.

161. INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE STUDY OF IRANIAN LANGUAGES (3)

Three hours of class per week. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Survey of the languages of the Iranian branch of the Indo-European family of languages.

162A-162B. HISTORY OF PERSIAN LITERATURE (3-3)

Three hours of class per week.
162A: Classical Persian literature from Firdawsi to the 15th century.
162B: Persian literature from the 15th century to the contemporary period.

170A-170B. TURKISH LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION (3-3)

Three hours of class per week. A study of Turkish literature in translation, drawing on texts from the 8th to the 20th century. Readings will be chosen to illustrate the development within specific genres: lyric poetry, drama, folktale, etc.

173A-173B. TOPICS IN THE HISTORY OF CENTRAL ASIA AND THE TURKS (3-3)

Three hours of class per week. A survey of the main themes in the cultural, ethnic and linguistic history of Central Asia and adjacent regions, principally from the rise of Islam down to the present. The first half of the course will deal with the Iranian element in Central Asia, and particularly with the Tajiks. The second half will be devoted to the Turks, including their history and expansion, not only in Central Asia but also in Anatolia and South East Europe. May be repeated for credit.

174. LAW AND SOCIETY IN THE EARLY MODERN MIDDLE EAST (3)

Three hours of class per week. This course examines the social and religious lives of women and men through the lens of the law. A major concern is the relationship between law and culture, namely, the ways in which the law reflected ideals and tensions ranging from ideological competition between states to the problems of ordinary townspeople and peasants. In analyzing actual court cases, we will ask how individuals participated in the life of the court, and how they used the court to articulate their own self-interest and sense of moral worth. Readings will be in English. Students wishing to work with sources in the original Ottoman Turkish should also enroll in Turkish 104 (1 unit).

H195. SENIOR HONORS (2-4)

Prerequisite: limited to senior honors candidates. Directed study centered upon preparation of an honors thesis. Must be taken on a pass/not pass basis.

198. DIRECTED GROUP STUDY FOR UPPER DIVISION STUDENTS (1-4)

Instruction in areas not covered by regularly scheduled courses. May be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a pass/not pass basis.

199. SUPERVISED INDEPENDENT STUDY AND RESEARCH (1-4)

Enrollment restricted in accordance with regulations shown in the General Catalog. May be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a pass/not pass basis.

Graduate.

200. GRADUATE PROSEMINAR 1) One to two hours of seminar per week. Introduction to the academic profession of Near Eastern studies. This course will survey the various disciplines and sub fields contained under this rubric, including their developmental histories, methodologies, and primary and secondary data sources. Enrollment in this course is required of all graduate students during their first year of study.

220A-220B. SEMINAR IN NEAR EASTERN ART (4-4)

One three-hour seminar per week. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor. Graduate seminar on specific aspects of the arts of Western and Central Asia. Topic to be announced at first seminar meeting. Students who take two semesters in succession may be assigned credit and grade at the end of the sequence. May be repeated for credit.

223A-223B. SEMINAR IN NEAR EASTERN ARCHAEOLOGY (4-4)

Three hours of seminar per week. Research into a major aspect or problem of Mesopotamian archaeology. May be repeated for credit.

290A-290B-290C-290D-290E-290F-290G-290H. SPECIAL STUDIES (1-5)

Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Independent study for graduate students. 290A--Near Eastern Studies; 290B--Arabic; 290C--Cuneiform; 290D--Egyptian; 290E--Hebrew; 290F--Persian/Iranian; 290G--Semitics; 290H--Turkish. Students may enroll in more than one section of 290, but the total number of units of Special Study in any one semester may not exceed l2. May be repeated for credit.

292. MUSEUM INTERNSHIP (4)

Ten to l5 hours per week of curatorial work. Jointly supervised by a professional staff of a participating museum and a faculty member in the Art and Archaeology division of the Department of Near Eastern Studies. May be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

295. SUPERVISED FIELD RESEARCH IN ARCHAEOLOGY (2-12)

Full-time participation in an archaeological excavation or exploratory survey, preceded by three hours of seminar per week for one half of one semester, at the discretion of the instructor. Students will participate in all aspects of the operation and will be responsible for preparing a written report on some specific part of the work. Geographical areas and sites to be determined each year. Students taking the semi-nar only will receive 2 units. May be repeated for credit.

296. PROBLEMS IN EGYPTIAN ARCHAEOLOGY (2, 4)

Three hours of seminar per week. Prerequisite: NES l02A-102B or consent of instructor. Changing topics involving archaeology and ancient Egypt. Focus may be regional, chronological, methodological, and/or thematic. Two units to be graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis; four units to be graded on a letter grade basis. May be repeated for credit as topic varies.

297. TOPICS IN ANCIENT CERAMICS OF EGYPT AND THE LEVANT (2, 4)

Three hours of seminar per week. Prerequisite: NES 102A-102B or 124A-124B or consent of instructor. Changing topics in the study of ancient ceramics, stressing the relationship between pottery on the one hand, and archaeological practice and research in Egypt and/or the Levant on the other hand. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between pottery and broader issues involving the history and culture of these regions. Where appropriate, extensive use is made of slides and "hands-on" experience with available ceramic collections (e.g., Hearst Museum collection). Two units to be graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis; four units to be graded on a letter grade basis. May be repeated for credit as topic varies.

298. SEMINAR (l-4)

Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Special topics in Near Eastern studies. Topics vary. May be repeated for credit.

299. INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH (4-12)

Individual conferences. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Ph.D. qualifying exams, limited to students engaged in research for the doctoral dissertation. May be repeated for credit.

601. INDIVIDUAL STUDIES FOR MASTER'S STUDENTS (1-8)

Individual study for the comprehensive or language requirements in consultation with the graduate adviser.* Units may not be used to meet either unit or residence requirements for a master's degree. May be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

* In practice, this means "in consultation with the student's committee."

602. INDIVIDUAL STUDY FOR DOCTORAL STUDENTS (1-8)

Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required of candidates for the Ph.D. May not be used for unit or residence requirements for the doctoral degree. May be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.