Islamic Numismatics (summer term 2012)
Webinar Islamic Numismatics Summer 2012
57.182 MA-S (HS): Forschungsansätze der internationalen Orientalistik [IIT]
2st. Fr 14-16 Rm 121, Beginn: 13.4.12
Prof. Dr. Stefan Heidemann
Tel.: +49-(0)40-42838-3181
Fax: +49-(0)40-42838-5674
e-Mail: stefan.heidemann [at] uni-hamburg.de
Islamic Numismatics as a Source for Economic, Political and Art History of the Middle East
Islamic coins are the most prolific epigraphic sources for pre 1500 history in the Middle East. Nevertheless their potential for understanding urban or regional history is often neglected, even in comparison to other material sources, such as ceramics and pottery, which usually get much more attention. This course is designed to introduce historians and archaeologists to the main issues of working with Islamic coins and coins finds.
Why are Islamic coins so important for history?
For the period prior to the fifteenth century, historians of Islamic societies have almost no primary documents or archives at hand. In contrast to scarce primary documents, the secondary sources, literary and historical accounts especially from the ninth to the tenth century are abundant. This gross imbalance between the primary documents, produced in the course of the events, and chronicles written much later, has led scholars to depend greatly upon medieval but secondary authors. Coins offer the often needed primary independent evidence produced in the course of events.
Islamic coins as bearers of texts there can be up to 150 words on one coin are unique in the history of civilization. They are in fact a condensed form of text document which needs to be deciphered in various ways, serving different fields such as political, economic, industrial, social and legal, Islamic art and material culture, and metallurgy. As groups, coins constitute a source of their own - a sequence of coins from a single mint as narrative, hoards and archaeological finds as a source for an economic and urban history.
Topics explore
- definition and terminology of coins and Coinage
- production and organization of a mint
- coins as means of economic exchange
- coins in a legal context history of coinage and economy in the Middle East
- reading and analysing of coins from different periods
- archaeological coin finds and their interpretation
- coin hoards and their interpretation
The web class explores those different dimensions of the coin as source. The class will be held in English and via the web. Registration in advance with the lecturer is mandatory for the preparation and the set up of the equipment.
Mode:
Once a week, 90 minutes, in a small group, online. Lessons will be progressive. Estimated time to prepare the lessons will be at least 2 hours per week. Cancelled sessions due to illness of the lecturer (or unanticipated circumstances preventing him or her from teaching) will be substituted (normally added at the end of the semester).
Application process and deadlines
Applications from outside of Unversität Hamburg must be emailed to Stefan Heidemann (stefan.heidemann [at] uni-hamburg.de) at the Asien Afrika Institute by March 20 2012. They should include a statement of interest, and a brief CV.
For Students of Universität Hamburg this course is part of their regular study. For students from other Universities than Hamburg a recommended tuition fee will be asked of 250 $ or 200€ for the semester. Solutions for participants from countries without hard currencies are possible. The course includes 13 online sessions. If the student has to cancel his or her participation before the first session, he or she will be reimbursed the whole amount less a charge of 100€. Later, no reimbursement will be paid.
Requirements:
Students must have a firm passive knowledge of Standard Arabic and English. The command of English will be assessed in a personal online meeting before the semester starts.
Students need a computer, internet access, and a headset. In a personal online meeting at the end of March 2012, we will check whether all technical assets are working. Technical problems showing up during the semester that prevent a student from attending the class are subject to his or her own responsibility. Missed classes will therefore not be substituted. However, if there is a technical problem preventing all students from participating, the class will be substituted (normally added at the end of the semester). Further information and instruction will follow.
Certificate:
For Students from other Universities than Universität Hamburg a certificate of participation will be issued if the student has at least attended 10 meetings and if he or she has met the expectances as defined by the lecturer at the beginning of the semester (might include presentations in class or written exercises).