Studies on the Ancient Near East produce specialists who are able to analyze and interpret original sources, such as cuneiform texts in Akkadian and Sumerian. Studies include courses on languages, cultures, and research methodology. In addition to Akkadian and Sumerian, courses on other ancient Near Eastern languages are available, as well as courses on cultures and history.
Doctoral studies and post-doctoral research can be pursued at the University of Helsinki, and specifically with the Centre of Excellence in Ancient Near Eastern Empires (ANEE). Doctoral studies and a career in research do not require fluency in Finnish or Swedish. You can read more on the current research projects of ANEE members here.
KIK-LI111 Akkadi 1 ('Akkadian 1') (5 cr), Tero Alstola, Period I-II
KIK-LI112 Akkadi 2 ('Akkadian 2') (5 cr), Saana Svärd, Period III-IV
KIK-LI313 Akkadian 4 (5 cr), Adrianne Spunaugle, Period II
KIK-LI113 Sumeri 2 ('Sumerian II') (5 cr), Aleksi Sahala, Period I-II
KIK-LI122 Basics of ancient Near Eastern history and societies (5 cr), chance for independent completion, Paula Gheorghiade, Period I-IV
KIK-LI121 Muinaisen Lähi-idän tutkimuksen lähtökohtia (’Basics of ancient Near Eastern studies’) (5 cr), Saana Svärd, Period I-II
KIK-LI123 Material culture of the ancient Near East (5 cr), Marta Lorenzon & Paula Gheorghiade, Period I (Alternative code KUKA-AN522)
KIK-LI213 Heprea I ('Hebrew I') (5 cr), Juha Pakkala, Period I-II (Alternative code TUK-481)
KIK-LI214 Heprea II ('Hebrew II') (5 cr), Tuukka Kauhanen, Period III-IV (Alternative code TUK-482)
KIK-LI 221 Digital methods in studying Ancient Worlds (5 cr), Saana Svärd, Tero Alstola, Heidi Jauhiainen, Period II
KIK-404 Korpuslingvistiikka ja tilastolliset menetelmät ('Corpus linguistics and statistical methods') (5 cr), Tommi Jauhiainen, Period I-II
KIK-LI229 Proseminaari ('Proseminar') (4 cr), Saana Svärd, Period I-IV
KIM-LI312 Ugaritic 1 (5 cr), Jonathan Valk, Period I-II (Alternative codes KIK-HE214, TUK-L2104, TUM-V3206, TUM-V3207)
KIM-LI332 Muinaisen Lähi-idän kulttuuriperintö ('Cultural heritage of the Ancient Near East (5 cr), Martti Nissinen, Period III (Main code TUK-2625)
KIM-LI342 The rediscovery of the Near East (1789-1945): Historical, archaeological and ethnographic perspectives (5 cr), Emmanuel Pfoh, Period III
KIM-LI333 Enoch and scholarship under Empires (5 cr), Jason Silverman, Period III-IV (Alternative code TUM-3317)
KIM-LI320 Seminaari ('Seminar') (5 cr), Saana Svärd, Period I-IV
KIK-LI224 Muinaisen Egyptin historia ('History of Ancient Egypt') (5 cr), Mia Meri, 29.1.2025 — 16.4.2025
KIK-LI111 Akkadi 1 (’Akkadian 1’) (5 cr), Repekka Uotila, Period I-II
KIK-LI112 Akkadi 2 (’Akkadian 2’) (5 cr), Tero Alstola, Period III-IV
KIK-LI113 Sumeri 1 (’Sumerian 1’) (5 cr), Aleksi Sahala, Period III-IV
KIK-LI121 Muinaisen Lähi-idän tutkimuksen lähtökohtia (’Basics of ancient Near Eastern studies’) (5 cr), Saana Svärd, Period I-II
KIK-LI122 Basics of ancient Near Eastern history and societies (5 op), chance for independent completion (please contact Paula Gheorghiade and/or Joanna Töytäänvuori for details)
KIK-LI123 Material culture of the ancient Near East (5 cr), Marta Lorenzon & Paula Gheorghiade, Period I (Alternative code KUKA-AN522)
KIK-LI212 Muinaisegypti 1 – Keskivaltakunnan kielen alkeet (’Ancient Egyptian 1 – basics of the language of the Middle Kingdom’) (5 cr), Kaisa Autere, Period I-II (Alternative code KIK-LI113)
KIK-LI213 Heprea I (’Hebrew I’) (5 cr), Juha Pakkala, Period I-II (Alternative code TUK-481)
KIK-LI214 Heprea II (’Hebrew II’) (5 cr), Tuukka Kauhanen, Period III-IV (Alternative code TUK-482)
KIK-LI224 Approaches to the History of Ancient Israel/Palestine (5 cr), Martti Nissinen & Emanuel Pfoh, Period IV (Alternative code TUM-V3203)
KIK-LI229 Proseminaari (’Proseminar’) (4 cr), Saana Svärd, Period I-IV
KIM-LI311 Akkadian 3 (5 cr), Repekka Uotila, Period IV
KIM-LI312 Aramaic 2 (5 cr), Jonathan Valk, Period I
KIM-LI320 Seminaari (‘Seminar’) (5 cr), Saana Svärd, Period I-IV
KIM-LI331 Art Crime and Cultural Heritage Ethics (5 cr), Rick Bonnie, Period IV (Alternative codes KUMA-MU512; KUKA-AN522; KUKA-AN531; KUMA-AR311a; KUMA-AR311b; KUMA-AR312)
KIM-LI332 Cultural Heritage of the Ancient Near East (5 cr), Martti Nissinen, Period III, 16.1-20.2 (main code TUK-2625)
KIM-LI333 Judeans in the Persian Empire (5 cr), Jason Silverman, Period I-II (Alternative code TUM-3317)
KIM-LI342 Religions of the Ancient Near East in Literature and Archaeology (5 cr), Adrianne Spunaugle, Period III (Alternative codes TUK-2625; TUM-3317)
KIK-LI224 / KIM-LI334 Kuolema muinaisessa Egyptissä (5 cr), Mia Meri, 6.9.-22.11.2023
KIK-LI224 / KIM-LI334 Atonin nousu ja tuho – amarnakausi muinaisessa Egyptissä (5 cr), Mia Meri, 31.1.-17.4.2024
KIK-LI111 Akkadi 1 ('Akkadian 1') (5 cr), Saana Svärd & Repekka Uotila, Period I-II
KIK-LI113 Aramaic 1 (5 cr), Jonathan Valk, Period I-II (alternative codes KIK-HE214, TUK-L2104, TUM-V3206, TUM-V3207)
KIK-LI121 Muinaisen Lähi-idä tutkimuksen lähtökohtia ('Basis of studying the Ancient Near East') (5 cr), Saana Svärd, Period I-II
TUK-481 Heprea I ('Hebrew I') (5 cr), Juha Pakkala, Period I-II (alternative code KIK-LI113)
KIK-LI224 From Nile to Indus: The History of the Persian Empire (5 cr), Uzume Wijnsma, Period I-II
KIK-LI229 Proseminaari ('Proseminar') (4 cr), Saana Svärd, Period I-IV
KIK-LI123 Materiality of the Ancient Near East (5 cr), Lena Tambs, Marta Lorenzon & Stefan Smith, Period II (alternative code KUKA-AN522)
KIK-LI112 Akkadi 2 ('Akkadian 2') (5 cr), Aleksi Sahala, Period III-IV
KIK-LI212 Muinaisegypti 2 ('Ancient Egyptian 2') (5 cr), Kaisa Autere, Period III-IV
TUK-482 Heprea II ('Hebrew I') (5 cr), Tuukka Kauhanen, Period III-IV (alternative code KIK-LI214)
TUK-2621/KIM-LI331 Reception of the Ancient Near East in film (5 op), Jason Silverman, Period III-IV
KIK-LI221 Muinaisen Lähi-idän tutkimushistoriaa ja metodologiaa (5cr), Tero Alstola & Lena Tambs, Period III-IV
KIK-LI213 Akkadian 3 (5 cr), Evelien Vanderstraeten, Period IV
KIK-LI214 Akkadian 4 Reading Colloquial Neo-Assyrian: Letters, Legal Documents, Proverbs (5 cr), Christopher Jones, Period IV
KIM-LI331/TUK-2621 Reception of the Ancient Near East in film (5 op), Jason Silverman, Period III-IV
KIM-LI332 Gender and Power Dynamics within the Ancient Near East (5 cr), Adrianne Spunaugle, Period I-II
KIM-LI343 Applied GIS for visualising Studies of the Ancient Near East (5 cr), Stefan Smith, Periodi II (alternative codes KUMA-AR311a, KUMA-AR311b, KUMA-AR314)