Studies in Ancient Civilisations and Religious Studies (WE 3)

• Zusätzliches Lehrangebot Altertumswissenschaften

  E16yA1.1
  • 13995 Lecture
    Introduction to History of Ancient Science - Methods and Topics (Antonius Ossendrijver)
    Schedule: Di 10:00-12:00 (Class starts on: 2025-10-14)
    Location: Arnimallee 10, Room 010
    

    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."

    Additional information / Pre-requisites

    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

  • 13996 Lecture
    Thinking Across the Divide: Mathematics, History, and Society (Anuj Misra)
    Schedule: Mo 10:00-12:00 (Class starts on: 2025-10-13)
    Location: Arnimallee 10, Room 205
    

    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 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."

    Additional information / Pre-requisites

    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 Brahmasphu?asiddhanta, al-Khwarizmi’s Al-kitab al-mukhta?ar fi ?isab al-jabr wa?l-muqabala, Qín Jiusháo’s Shùshu Jiuzhang, Regiomontanus’ De Triangulis Omnimodis, Descartes’ Le Discours de la méthode, or Whitehead and Russell’s Principia Mathematica (to name just a few).

    Comments

    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 Brahmasphu?asiddhanta, al-Khwarizmi’s Al-kitab al-mukhta?ar fi ?isab al-jabr wa?l-muqabala, Qín Jiusháo’s Shùshu Jiuzhang, Regiomontanus’ De Triangulis Omnimodis, Descartes’ Le Discours de la méthode, or Whitehead and Russell’s Principia Mathematica (to name just a few).

  • 13997 Seminar
    Mathematics, Society, and the Mind: A Seminar Series (Anuj Misra)
    Schedule: Di 14:00-16:00 (Class starts on: 2025-10-14)
    Location: Arnimallee 10, Room 010
    

    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."

    Additional information / Pre-requisites

    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.

  • 14020 Seminar
    Grundlagen der Materialität und Digitalität antiker Sprachen (Lisa Wilhelmi)
    Schedule: Mo 10:00-12:00, Di 10:00-11:00 (Class starts on: 2025-10-13)
    Location: K 23/21 (Habelschwerdter Allee 45)
    

    Information for students

    Form of examination: Term-based written assignments, credit points 5 CP. Teaching language: German, if required English. This course cannot be registered via the campus management directly; in case you are interested in this course, please contact the Archaeoinformatics office (birgit.ammon-lassen@fu-berlin.de) via email. Please contact your BA/MA representative if you have any questions regarding the recognition of the course for your degree program.

    Additional information / Pre-requisites

    none

    Comments

    The course presents an overview of ancient corpus languages, their primary characteristics, local and temporal dissemination, and the materiality of written artefacts and writing media. It introduces digital collections, databases and tools that aid in their reconstruction and reappraisal.

  • 14021 Seminar
    Processing and analyzing Lithic Artifacts in 3D (Florian Linsel)
    Schedule: Mi 12:00-15:00 (Class starts on: 2025-10-15)
    Location: -1.2002 PC-Raum (UG) (Fabeckstr. 23/25)
    

    Information for students

    Module examination: Term paper (approx. 4,000 words), compulsory regular attendance: Yes, total credit points: 5 CP. This course cannot be registered via the campus management directly; in case you are interested in this course, please contact the Archaeoinformatics office (birgit.ammon-lassen@fu-berlin.de) via email. Please contact your BA/MA representative if you have any questions regarding the recognition of the course for your degree program.

    Additional information / Pre-requisites

    Requirements for participation: none

    Comments

    In this course, participants will gain basic insights into the latest digital methods for analyzing lithic artifacts and their 3D models. They will learn about current topics, e.g. how to reuse data and create annotations on 3D models with Blender. By presenting the latest research in the field of automatic segmentation of surface features, 3D refitting and how segmented 3D models are used to model chaîne opératoires, participants will gain a comprehensive insight into working with 3D models and how they can be used for research. Participants will also learn about programs that can be used for selected topics.   Lithic artifacts are among the most enduring and informative traces of the human past. From the earliest Oldowan artifacts to blade technologies, these artifacts provide crucial evidence for understanding the behavior, cognition, adaptation, and technological evolution of hominins. Therefore, studying the life cycle of stone tools, from creation and use to disposal, is essential to understanding the development of early humans.   This course focuses on the latest digital methods for analyzing lithic artifacts using complete morphological information in the form of 3D models. Topics covered include reusing existing data, using Blender for annotation routines, and the latest advances in automatically segmenting scars, 3D refitting, and modeling chaîne opératoires using graph-based approaches.   By comparing traditional lithic analysis with their digital counterparts, this course provides fundamental training for individuals, who want to work at the intersection between material culture and computational analysis.

  • 14022 Seminar
    3D Visualisierung und Modellierung in den Altertumswissenschaften (Jan Philipp Bullenkamp)
    Schedule: Do 12:00-14:00 (Class starts on: 2025-10-16)
    Location: -1.2002 PC-Raum (UG) (Fabeckstr. 23/25)
    

    Information for students

    Examination form: Individual project work, Credit points: 5 CP. This course cannot be registered via the campus management directly; in case you are interested in this course, please contact the Archaeoinformatics office (birgit.ammon-lassen@fu-berlin.de) via email. Please contact your BA/MA representative if you have any questions regarding the recognition of the course for your degree program.

    Additional information / Pre-requisites

    Requirements for participation: none

    Comments

    This course provides a practical foundation in 3D visualization and modeling techniques tailored to archaeological research and documentation. Students will learn how to create, edit, and present three-dimensional models of archaeological features, artifacts, and excavation data using Blender, an open-source 3D modeling software. The course covers key topics such as 3D geometry, mesh editing, lighting, rendering, and basic animation. Special emphasis is placed on archaeological applications, including the reconstruction of objects and sites, the creation of publication-ready visualizations, and the integration of 3D models into research workflows. No prior experience with 3D modeling is required. Through hands-on exercises and projects, students will gain the skills to produce and edit their own 3D models.

  • 14023 Seminar
    Daten verstehen in den Altertumswissenschaften I (Jan Philipp Bullenkamp)
    Schedule: Fr 10:00-12:00 (Class starts on: 2025-10-17)
    Location: -1.2002 PC-Raum (UG) (Fabeckstr. 23/25)
    

    Information for students

    Examination form: Term-based written assignments, Credit points 5 CP. This course cannot be registered via the campus management directly; in case you are interested in this course, please contact the Archaeoinformatics office (birgit.ammon-lassen@fu-berlin.de) via email. Please contact your BA/MA representative if you have any questions regarding the recognition of the course for your degree program.

    Additional information / Pre-requisites

    The course does not require any previous knowledge!

    Comments

    In this introductory course you will learn to understand archaeological data sets. Basic statistical methods necessary for understanding and analyzing archaeological data will be introduced. The course covers key topics such as descriptive statistics (e.g. mean values, dispersion), relationships between variables (correlation, regression), the basics of probability theory and the first steps in inferential statistics (confidence intervals, significance tests). Using archaeological examples, you will apply what you have learned directly in practical exercises. The aim is to create a solid foundation for statistically evaluating and analyzing your own data.