Each student is expected to do the weekly readings thoroughly, participate in conference discussions and take extensive notes during class lectures and discussions. It is strongly recommended that you keep a good, intimate record of all discussions in writing (and if you wish, share it with others on the wiki). It is a hard task to form sustainable memories. Throughout the semester, students will be asked to acts as discussants of selected articles in class, making brief presentation of the gist of the argument and posing relevant discussion questions to the class. There will be a take-home exam (a midterm), and a final research project (explained in detail below). Don’t expect any in-class exams or quizzes.

• Short writing assignments throughout the semester (20 %)
• Participating class discussions (25 %)
• Midterm take-home essay. (20 %)
• Research project that will end with a final paper. (35%)

RESEARCH PROJECT

You are expected to choose a research topic in collaboration with Ömür and turn it into an individual research project. The final paper should involve a critical discussion of an archaeological case study from the Near East, in the light and with the guidance of a theoretically informed approach. The main aim in the research project is the bridge the apparent gap between theoretical discussions in archaeology and the material evidence. The submissions will include a 1 page proposal, a 4-5 page draft and a 12-15 page final paper (longer for the graduate students). All assignments will be posted on the wiki.