2018-19

The course deals first with the explication of the formation and development over time of the concepts of semiology and semiotics as an interdisciplinary approach employed by the social sciences. The course lays particular stress on the semiotic approach to culture, through an elucidation of the concept of 'text', which, in the approach employed by Geertz, can be taken from written discourse and applied to all components of a culture.

The course presents the history of the so-called "Islamic world", i.e. those areas where Islam raised and prevailed. The course examines the periods of Islamic history from the pro-Islamic era in Arabia (6th c.) until the 16th century, when most of the Islamic territories are incorporated into    the Ottoman state. The course is historical and not theological, it deals with the history of regions conventionally called "Islamic world" and not with Islam as a religion.

The goal of a teacher lies in his or her students cultivating their abilities, in a teaching environment characterized by a spirit of co-operation, to
deal with historical sources of various types, written, visual or oral, drawn from the whole spectrum of history,
to evaluate such sources in terms of their teaching potential,
to use them in teaching and
4 . to incorporate them as an organic part of the lesson plan.

The course examines the following topics: Definition of bones. The evolution of the skeletal system. The skeleton of man. Bone histology: chemical structure, development and function of bones. Physiology of bones, osteons, hydroxyapatite and collagen, sex and age identification, calcification, fossilization, mummification and taphonomy, ancient history of diseases, paleopathology and ancient DNA.

The course deals with the history of Roumelia (the Balkan Province) from the 14th to the 20th century. Particular attention is given to Thrace, which is the main area studied.  Thrace was the heartland, nearest to Istanbul, the main city of the Balkan peninsula and played an important role in national movements and other developments during the period. The course also focusses on the issue of social mobility and the emergence of the Ottomans as new conquerors. Such social mobility changed the demographic composition of the area.