Sommersemester 2026

Alchemy in Ancient and Islamicate Worlds (2 SWS per week)

13993 Lecture: J. Cale Johnson, Leonie Böttiger  
Thursday, 12:00-14:00 h. c.t.
First session: Thursday, 16.04.2026
Venue: Otto-von-Simson-Str. 7

This course will survey the development of alchemy from its earliest forerunners in Mesopotamia to Ancient Egypt, Greek and Roman (Late) Antiquity, and its flourishing in the premodern Islamicate world. It will situate alchemy in its diverse contexts of practical crafts, natural philosophy, and cosmology, and ask how practitioners of alchemy related to the world through their craft. We will trace ideas and practices over more than two millennia (c. 1000 BCE–1500 CE) through sources including Babylonian fragments, the Leiden and Stockholm papyri, and Arabic alchemical recipe collections and handbooks. We will focus in particular on the emergence of a specialised discipline called alchemy or chrysopoeia, how the imperative of secrecy influenced the transmission of alchemical knowledge, and the pathways through which such transmissions occurred between divergent linguistic traditions. The course will be taught in English.

For this course, please enrol via Campus Management. If this is not possible, enrol via the form "Modul-, Lehrveranstaltungs- und Prüfungsanmeldung" when you decide to take the course. You can find the form on the website of the Studienbüro Geschkult. Please submit this document to the Studienbüro within the same time frame you would have to enrol in your courses via Campus Management. The workload of the course equals: attendance 30 hours, preparation and wrap-up 90 hours, exam preparation and exam 120 hours. For a term paper you need to write 5000 words. By attending also the companion course “13994 – Research Methods in Ancient and Islamicate Alchemy” the workload equals 450 hours. For questions regarding credits you will have to approach your BA- or MA advisor of your study program.

 

Research Methods in Ancient and Islamicate Alchemy (2 SWS per week)

13994 Methode Course: J. Cale Johnson, Leonie Böttiger  
Thursday, 14:00-16:00 h. c.t.
First session: Thursday, 16.04.2026
Venue: Otto-von-Simson-Str. 7

Designed as a companion course to “Alchemy in Ancient and Islamicate Worlds,” this course equips students with essential tools for researching pre-modern science. We focus on navigating complex primary sources, specifically in cuneiform and Arabic contexts, alongside critical engagement with secondary literature. The curriculum covers the practical lifecycle of scholarship: organizing research data, mastering citation standards, and utilizing bibliographic software effectively. A significant portion of the course is dedicated to the mechanics of academic writing, refining sentence structure and paragraph cohesion for clarity and impact. Furthermore, we will address the ethical and effective application of digital tools and AI in present-day academic writing. The course will be taught in English.

For this course, please enrol via Campus Management. If this is not possible, enrol via the form "Modul-, Lehrveranstaltungs- und Prüfungsanmeldung" when you decide to take the course. You can find the form on the website of the Studienbüro Geschkult. Please submit this document to the Studienbüro within the same time frame you would have to enrol in your courses via Campus Management. The workload of the course equals: attendance 30 hours, preparation and wrap-up 180 hours, exam preparation and exam 120 hours. For a term paper you need to write 5000 words. By attending also the companion course “13993 – Alchemy in Ancient and Islamicate Worlds” the workload equals 450 hours. For questions regarding credits you will have to approach your BA- or MA advisor of your study program."

 

Mythology from the Sumerians to the Presocratics II (2 SWS per week)

13991 Methode Course: J. Cale Johnson  
Tuesday, 14:00-16:00 h. c.t.
First session: Tuesday, 14.04.2026
Venue: Otto-von-Simson-Str. 7

This seminar looks at the broad history of written myth, ranging from southern Mesopotamia in the third millennium BC, through the Hurro-Hittite and Ugaritic myths, to their earliest manifestation in Greek myth. This course focuses in particular on how myths are transformed and reinterpreted as they pass from one culture or written tradition into the next, on the origins of commentary traditions in text and image, and on whether or to what extent modern theories of mythology can contribute to our understanding. Each seminar meeting will combine lecture, discussion and reading of ancient mythical sources in English translation. The course will be taught chronologically over two semesters, so students are strongly encouraged to take course both courses as part of a single module. This course will be taught in English.

For this course, please enrol via Campus Management. If this is not possible, enrol via the form "Modul-, Lehrveranstaltungs- und Prüfungsanmeldung" when you decide to take the course. You can find the form on the website of the Studienbüro Geschkult. Please submit this document to the Studienbüro within the same time frame you would have to enrol in your courses via Campus Management. The workload of the course equals: attendance 30 hours, preparation and wrap-up 180 hours, presentation and term paper 120 hours. For a term paper you need to write 5000 words. By attending also the companion course in the next semester the workload equals 450 hours. For questions regarding credits you will have to approach your BA- or MA advisor of your study program."

 

Early Semitic Linguistics (2 SWS per week)

13990 Introductory Course: J. Cale Johnson  
Tuesday, 12:00-14:00 h. c.t.
First session: Tuesday, 14.04.2026
Venue: Otto-von-Simson-Str. 7

This introductory course focuses on Semitic linguistics, particularly in the earliest stratum of written sources in the third and second millennium BCE. Each unit will consist of a brief introduction to a specific domain of linguistics, including phenomena such as phonology, morphology, word order, discourse structures, tense, modality, evidentiality and the like, followed by an extended discussion of one or two specific ancient languages that are of particular importance for Comparative Semitic linguistics. This semester we will chiefly be interested in Amorite and Eblaite, both of which are largely attested in the 3^rd and early 2^nd millennium BCE. The Amorite material is largely onomastic, although a first text in connected Amorite was published in 2022. There has been a great deal of work on the grammar of Eblaite, since its discovery 1974, with an important grammar published, for example, in 2012. The course does not presuppose knowledge of cuneiform, nor does it presuppose any previous work on Comparative Semitics. The course will be taught in English.

For this course, please enrol via Campus Management. If this is not possible, enrol via the form "Modul-, Lehrveranstaltungs- und Prüfungsanmeldung" when you decide to take the course. You can find the form on the website of the Studienbüro Geschkult. Please submit this document to the Studienbüro within the same time frame you would have to enrol in your courses via Campus Management. The workload of the course equals: attendance 30 hours, preparation and wrap-up 90 hours, exam preparation and written exam 120 hours. For questions regarding credits you will have to approach your BA- or MA advisor of your study program."

 

Introduction to Astrology and Astronomy in the Ancient World (2 SWS per week)

13997 Lecturer: Mathieu Ossendrijver
Tuesday, 10:00-12:00 h. c.t.
First session: Tuesday, 14. April 2026
Venue: Otto-von-Simson-Str. 7

The lecture introduces central topics from the astral sciences (astronomy, celestial divination, astrology, cosmology) of the ancient world with a focus on Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Greco-Roman world. Topics to be covered are methodological aspects of research on ancient astral science; the reconstruction of ancient practices and theories based on original sources.

Additional information for students:

For this course, please enrol via Campus Management. If this is not possible, enrol via the form "Modul-, Lehrveranstaltungs- und Prüfungsanmeldung" when you decide to take the course. You can find the form on the website of the Studienbüro Geschkult. Please submit this document to the Studienbüro within the same time frame you would have to enrol in your courses via Campus Management. The workload of the course equals 240 hours: attendance 30 hours, preparation and wrap-up 90 hours, presentation and Hausarbeit (5000 words) 120 hours. For questions regarding credits you will have to approach your BA- or MA advisor of your study program.

 

Wintersemester 2025/26

Introduction to History of Ancient Science - Methods and Topics (2 SWS per week)

13995 Lecture: Mathieu Ossendrijver 
Tuesday, 10:00-12:00 h. c.t.
First session: Tuesday, 14.10.2025
Venue: Arnimallee 10, room 010

This course offers an introduction to methods, sources, and topics in the history and the historiography of ancient science. Addressed topics include past and present approaches to the study of ancient science (e.g Kuhn's paradigms, sociology of knowledge), philological, archival, and epistemological approaches); knowledge transfer; divination, mathematics, astral science, scholarly circles

Additional information for students:

If it is not possible to enrol for this course via Campus Management, please enrol via the form "Modul-, Lehrveranstaltungs- und Prüfungsanmeldung" when you decided to take the course. Please submit this document to the Studienbüro within the same time frame you would have to enrol in your courses in Campus Management, namely within the first two or three weeks of the course. The workload of the course equals 240 hours: attendance 30 hours, preparation and wrap-up 90 hours, presentation and Hausarbeit (5000 words) 120 hours. For questions regarding credits you will have to approach your BA- or MA advisor of your study program."

 

Thinking Across the Divide: Mathematics, History, and Society (2 SWS per week)

13996 Lecture: Anuj Misra
Monday, 10:00-12:00 h. c.t.
First session: Monday, 13.10.2025
Venue: Arnimallee 10, room 010

COURSE OVERVIEW

This course discusses developments in mathematics within their historical, sociocultural, and philosophical contexts. In this course, students will learn about mathematical encounters between different cultures by reading historical documents from various sources.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this course are to train learners in (a) recognising diversity in mathematical thinking; (b) becoming aware of the interconnectedness between mathematical activities, sociocultural practices, geopolitical movements, and philosophical positions; and (c) analysing the past to engage with the present. In addition, the course is designed to help students develop transferable skills in historical analyses, critical thinking, verbal and written communication, and collaborative research.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course introduces the history of mathematical practices in different cultures. Through a series of lectures, we will examine select contributions from classical antiquity, post-classical history, and the modern period. Our emphasis will be on understanding the diversity in the mathematical thinking of different cultures. The lectures will include material from historical books, research articles, monographs, and textbooks. In addition, we will also include articles from ethnographic and anthropological studies to understand non-traditional forms of mathematical practice: for instance, the study of South Indian kolam (decorative patterns) design or the Mäori art of mahi kete whakairo (weaving of flax kits). Towards the end of the first half of this course, we will select (parts of) a historical mathematical text to discuss it in greater detail. This selection will be chosen in consultation with all participating students. For example, our selection could come from Euclid’s Elements, Brahmagupta’s Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta, al-Khwārizmī’s Al-kitāb al-mukhtaṣar fī ḥisāb al-jabr waʾl-muqābala, Qín Jiǔsháo’s Shùshū Jiǔzhāng, Regiomontanus’ De Triangulis Omnimodis, Descartes’ Le Discours de la méthode, or Whitehead and Russell’s Principia Mathematica (to name just a few).

If it is not possible to enrol for this course via Campus Management, please enrol via the form "Modul-, Lehrveranstaltungs- und Prüfungsanmeldung" when you decided to take the course. Please submit this document to the Studienbüro within the same time frame you would have to enrol in your courses in Campus Management, namely within the first two or three weeks of the course. The workload of the course equals 240 hours: attendance 30 hours, preparation and wrap-up 90 hours, presentation and Hausarbeit 120 hours. (Together with the companion course "Mathematics, Society, and the Mind" the workload equals 450 hours). For questions regarding credits you will have to approach your BA- or MA advisor of your study program."

 

Mathematics, Society, and the Mind: A Seminar Series  (2 SWS per week)

13997 Seminar: Anuj Misra, with special sessions by visiting scholars 
Tuesday, 14:00-16:00 h. c.t.
First session: Tuesday, 14.10.2025
Venue: Arnimallee 10, room 010

This is a companion seminar series for the lecture course on “Thinking Across the Divide: Mathematics, History, and Society” (LV 13996). Through a curated selection of research articles and primary texts (in translation), as well as topical seminars by visiting scholars, we will discuss the influence of language, culture, and identity on the mathematical thinking of different societies. The aim of the discussions will be to motivate students to reflect upon the philosophy of mathematics seen through the lenses of onto-epistemic pluralities. 

Additional information for students:

If it is not possible to enrol for this course via Campus Management, please enrol via the form "Modul-, Lehrveranstaltungs- und Prüfungsanmeldung" when you decided to take the course. Please submit this document to the Studienbüro within the same time frame you would have to enrol in your courses in Campus Management, namely within the first two or three weeks of the course. The workload of the course equals 330 hours: attendance 30 hours, preparation and wrap-up 180 hours, Hausarbeit 120 hours. (Together with the companion course “Thinking Across the Divide: Mathematics, History and  Society", LV 13996, the workload equals 450 hours). For questions regarding credits you will have to approach your BA- or MA advisor of your study program."

Sommersemester 2025

Medicine in the Ancient World (2 SWS per week)

13990 Basic course: J. Cale Johnson
Tuesday, 12:00-14:00 h. c.t.
First session: Tuesday, 15. April 2025
Venue: Arnimallee 10, room 010

The course will survey the development of medicine in Mesopotamia, draw important parallels with contemporary Egyptian medical practice, and also look at the spread of originally Mesopotamian traditions into several Aramaic dialects. These materials and traditions represent the most important examples of disciplinary medicine prior to the advent of Greco-Roman medicine and we will also look at any possible links between these traditions and the Greco-Roman world. We will focus in particular on the emergence of technical literature in Mesopotamia, how technical compendia anchored specific disciplines and indoctrinated its would-be practitioners, and the specific pathways through which these materials were transmitted to other medical traditions. There is a companion reading seminar for those interested in reading some texts in translation. This course will be taught in English, 2 hours per week.

Additional information for students:

For this course, please enrol via Campus Management. If this is not possible, enrol via the form "Modul-, Lehrveranstaltungs- und Prüfungsanmeldung" when you decide to take the course. You can find the form on the website of the Studienbüro Geschkult. Please submit this document to the Studienbüro within the same time frame you would have to enrol in your courses via Campus Management. The workload of the course equals: attendance 30 hours, preparation and wrap-up 90 hours, exam preparation and exam 120 hours. For a term paper you need to write 5000 words. By attending also the companion course “13991 - Ancient Medicine in Translation” the workload equals 450 hours. For questions regarding credits you will have to approach your BA- or MA advisor of your study program."

 

Ancient Medicine in Translation (2 SWS per week)

13991 Reading class: J. Cale Johnson
Thursday, 14:00-16:00 h. c.t.
First session: Thursday, 17. April 2025
Venue: Arnimallee 10, room 010

This course serves as both a discussion section for the lectures and secondary literature readings in “Medicine in the Ancient World” as well as the primary context in which we will read and discuss ancient texts in translation. Although these primary documents in translation will be in a number of different ancient genres, including diagnostic texts and therapeutics prescriptions, we will also look at letters, law codes and mythological texts that are relevant to ancient medicine. No knowledge of ancient languages or writing systems is required, although we will occasionally look at selected passages in transliteration and translation. The bulk of the class will, however, focus on texts in English translation. Students are strongly encouraged to take this course in combination with “Medicine in the Ancient World” as a single module. This course will be taught in English.

Additional information for students:

For this course, please enrol via Campus Management. If this is not possible, enrol via the form "Modul-, Lehrveranstaltungs- und Prüfungsanmeldung" when you decide to take the course. You can find the form on the website of the Studienbüro Geschkult. Please submit this document to the Studienbüro within the same time frame you would have to enrol in your courses via Campus Management. The workload of the course equals: attendance 30 hours, preparation and wrap-up 180 hours, exam preparation and exam 120 hours. For a term paper you need to write 5000 words. By attending also the companion course “13990 - Ancient Medicine in Translation” the workload equals 450 hours. For questions regarding credits you will have to approach your BA- or MA advisor of your study program."

 

Text Assemblage Lab (2 SWS per week)

13992 Method Course: J. Cale Johnson
Wednesday, 10:00-12:00 h. c.t.
First session: Wednesday, 16. April 2025
Venue: Arnimallee 10, room 010

This course takes a step-by-step practical approach to assembling textual materials into a useful format or working environment. At the same time, the course will deal with thematic issues such as archives, filing systems, textual criticism, media studies and conceptual metaphor theory, based on weekly readings from different secondary literatures. The ideas from these materials will be dealt with informally in the active work of the lab, but the secondary literature will also be discussed separately in the Text Assemblage Colloquium, which will meet separately. We presuppose that each participant needs to have at least one year of an ancient semitic language before beginning the lab. Please contact the conductor of the course via wissensgeschichte@geschkult.fu-berlin.de. Ideally, participants in the course will develop their own dataset of open linked data that can, in turn, be used as the raw material for future work in digital humanities or programmatic approaches to philological data. Each term we will, depending on the participants, focus on a single type of textual artifact from a single time and place, so the course can be repeated.

Additional information for students:

For this course, please enrol via Campus Management. If this is not possible, enrol via the form "Modul-, Lehrveranstaltungs- und Prüfungsanmeldung" when you decide to take the course. You can find the form on the website of the Studienbüro Geschkult. Please submit this document to the Studienbüro within the same time frame you would have to enrol in your courses via Campus Management. The workload of the course equals: attendance 30 hours, preparation and wrap-up 90 hours, and portfolio 120 hours. Together with the companion course LV 13995, the workload equals 300 hours. For questions regarding credits you will have to approach your BA- or MA advisor of your study program."

 

Text Assemblage Colloquium  (1 SWS per week)

13995 Colloquium: J. Cale Johnson
Wednesday, 12:00-14:00 h. c.t.
First session: Wednesday, 16. April 2025, then every second week
Venue: Arnimallee 10, room 010

This course is meant as a discussion section and open forum for the secondary literature introduced in the LV 13992 “Text Assemblage Lab”. In addition, however, graduate and PhD students will also occasionally present their ongoing research and discuss its relevance for the topics dealt with in the Text Assemblage Lab and the Colloquium. All students enrolled in the Text Assemblage Lab are strongly encouraged to take the Colloquium as well, but graduate students without the necessary ancient language training are encourage to take the Colloquium alone. This course will meet for two hours every other week, hence 1 SWS total for the semester.

Additional information for students:

For this course, please enrol via Campus Management. If this is not possible, enrol via the form "Modul-, Lehrveranstaltungs- und Prüfungsanmeldung" when you decide to take the course. You can find the form on the website of the Studienbüro Geschkult. Please submit this document to the Studienbüro within the same time frame you would have to enrol in your courses via Campus Management. The workload of the course equals: attendance 15 hours, preparation and wrap-up 45 hours. Together with the companion course LV 13992, including portfolio, the workload equals: 300 hours. For questions regarding credits you will have to approach your BA- or MA advisor of your study program."

 

Introduction to Astrology and Astronomy in the Ancient World (2 SWS per week)

13993 Lecturer: Mathieu Ossendrijver
Tuesday, 10:00-12:00 h. c.t.
First session: Tuesday, 15. April 2025
Venue: Arnimallee 10, room 010

The lecture introduces central topics from the astral sciences (astronomy, celestial divination, astrology, cosmology) of the ancient world with a focus on Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Greco-Roman world. Topics to be covered are methodological aspects of research on ancient astral science; the reconstruction of ancient practices and theories based on original sources.

Additional information for students:

For this course, please enrol via Campus Management. If this is not possible, enrol via the form "Modul-, Lehrveranstaltungs- und Prüfungsanmeldung" when you decide to take the course. You can find the form on the website of the Studienbüro Geschkult. Please submit this document to the Studienbüro within the same time frame you would have to enrol in your courses via Campus Management. The workload of the course equals 240 hours: attendance 30 hours, preparation and wrap-up 90 hours, presentation and Hausarbeit (5000 words) 120 hours. For questions regarding credits you will have to approach your BA- or MA advisor of your study program.

 

Mythology from the Sumerians to the Presocratics I (2 SWS per week)

13994 Seminar: J. Cale Johnson
Thursday, 10:00-12:00 h. c.t.
First session: Thursday, 17. April 2025
Venue: Arnimallee 10, room 010

This seminar looks at the broad history of written myth, ranging from southern Mesopotamia in the third millennium BC, through the Hurro-Hittite and Ugaritic myths, to their earliest manifestation in Greek myth. This course focuses in particular on how myths are transformed and reinterpreted as they pass from one culture or written tradition into the next, on the origins of commentary traditions in text and image, and on whether or to what extent modern theories of mythology can contribute to our understanding. Each seminar meeting will combine lecture, discussion and reading of ancient mythical sources in English translation. The course will be taught chronologically over two semesters, so students are strongly encouraged to take course both courses as part of a single module. This course will be taught in English, 2 hours per week.

Additional information for students:

For this course, please enrol via Campus Management. If this is not possible, enrol via the form "Modul-, Lehrveranstaltungs- und Prüfungsanmeldung" when you decide to take the course. You can find the form on the website of the Studienbüro Geschkult. Please submit this document to the Studienbüro within the same time frame you would have to enrol in your courses via Campus Management. The workload of the course equals: attendance 30 hours, preparation and wrap-up 90 hours, exam preparation and exam 120 hours. For a term paper you need to write 5000 words. By attending also the companion course in the next semester the workload equals 450 hours. For questions regarding credits you will have to approach your BA- or MA advisor of your study program."