The programme is addressed not only to students of Archaeology but also to the broader public, especially those with a particular interest in prehistoric/protohistoric times in broader eastern Mediterranean area.
Disease and Therapy
Disease and Therapy
Medical and other Therapeutical Practices in prehistoric eastern Mediterranean
This online course addresses the issue of health, medical treatment and other therapeutical practices in the east Mediterranean during later Prehistory, namely the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC.
The programme presents the diseases - mainly physical and rarely mental – and the cure methods/practices in Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Aegean.
On that aspect, we have the chance to realize the range and the depth of knowledge of people who lived during that era.
Each geographical region provides us with different pieces of information from varying sources– direct or non direct – regarding diseases and their cure.
It is also inevitable for this period, the causes and cure of a disease to be connected with magic/religion.
Isn’t that something – to a lesser extend - that also happens nowadays, at least when it comes to religious beliefs?
After all, the preservation of a good physical and mental health is something that is proven timeless.
All of the above will be analyzed further and in detail in this online course part of the Arts and Culture category.
After successfully completing the lessons, the participant will receive a training certificate while acquiring a magnificent one time experience.
Post-doctoral Researcher
Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology
Start Date: May 27th 2024
Duration: 4 weeks
Programme leads to Certificate of Attendance
Education type: Personal educational support
Total cost: 100 € APPLY NOW
The programme aims to examine three key-areas: Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Aegean. Although Egypt offers the most detailed picture regarding diseases and their therapy, important insights may be gained as regards the other two areas, too. Thus, the treatment of wounds and other external injuries (legs, feet, arms and head) suggests a sophisticated knowledge of orthopedics and surgery. There is also evidence for infectious diseases, caused by viruses and/or bacteria. Hence, disease and injury would have played an important role in life and death in prehistoric east Mediterranean. It is argued that healing and medicine would probably have begun as closely related to magical and other ritual practices.
Lesson 1: Egyptian medicine
In this lesson the case of Egyptian medicine will be examined.
Lesson 2: The performance: physicians – magicians - Mesopotamia- Diseases mentioned in Mesopotamian Texts
In this lesson the case of Egypt is further analyzed (physicians – magicians) as well as the area of Messopotamia.
Lesson 3: Rare diseases-Aegean cultures - Remedies -Peak Sanctuaries
In this lesson rare diseases of the era will be discussed as well as Aegean cultures, remedies and peak sanctuaries of the broader Aegean area.
Lesson 4: Skeletal remains
Finally, findings from the study of skeletal remains in broader Aegean area will be presented.
The assessment methods will be based on a mixture of open and closed type questions.
Online and distance training learning at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens offers a new way of combining innovative learning and training techniques with interaction with your tutor and fellow trainees from around the world.
The e-learning course is implemented via a user-friendly educational platform adjusted to the Distance Learning Principles. Courses are structured as weekly online meetings; interaction with the course tutor and other trainees takes place in a digital learning environment. The courses are designed to fit around your schedule; you access the course whenever it is convenient for you, however within the given deadlines.
The whole world becomes your classroom as e-learning can be done on laptops, tablets and phones as a very mobile method. Learning can be done on the train, on a plane or even during your trip to Greece!
The educational platform is a portal that offers access to electronic educational material based on modern distance learning technologies. The computer based nature of training means new technology is being introduced all the time to help trainees engage and learn in a tailored way that will meet their needs. E-learners have access to the educational platform with their personal code number in order to browse all relevant training material and interact with their instructors.
Moreover, an online communication system through own personal e-mail account is available in order to make the process easier and more interactive. Trainees can contact directly their tutors or the administration office of the course and share any concerns or anxieties related to the course in order to make the most of their experience.
Every week e-learners are provided with the relevant material, delivered either in the form of video-lectures, text notes and relevant presentations or as a combination of them. The educational material of the course is uploaded gradually, per educational unit. During the course, important info for the smooth conduct of the educational process, such as timetables for the submission of the exercises are announced on the Announcement section of the platform.
For successful completion of the course the e-learner should have fulfill her/his academic obligations, meaning should have submitted all corresponding assessment exercises and have achieved at least an average of 50% grade in the corresponding tests for each module. The score scale ranges from 0 to 100%. Finally, if the total score on one or more lessons of the course does not exceed 50%, trainees can ask for reassessment.
During the course trainees will be attending a training experience designed by academics and lecturers from the National University of Athens as well as from other Universities, Research Institutes and Cultural organizations around Greece.
Interactivity, flexibility and our long tradition guarantee that learning with us offers a successful and rewarding experience. Finally, access to a large variety of material and online resources available in each unit aims to excite your curiosity and guide you in exploring further your favourite topic. Part of the online material can be downloaded providing the chance to quickly refresh your memory after the completion of the course.
