The course Culture in its Historical Dimension aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of culture as a dynamic phenomenon shaped by historical processes, social interactions, and environmental adaptations. Through a transdisciplinary approach integrating archaeology, anthropology, and history, the course seeks to: -Analyze cultural evolution from prehistoric societies to early civilizations, identifying patterns of change and continuity in areas such as political organization, symbolic practices, and socioeconomic structures. -Explore human-environment interactions as drivers of cultural development, examining how the environment influenced ¿and was transformed by¿ agricultural practices, urbanization, and belief systems in contexts like Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, or Mesoamerica. -Promote a comparative perspective to contrast diverse cultural models (e.g., chiefdoms vs. archaic states, centralized empires vs. decentralized societies), highlighting similarities and divergences between regions such as the ancient Mediterranean, East Asia, and pre-Hispanic America. -Develop critical skills to interpret archaeological, ethnographic, and historical sources, emphasizing the ability to challenge traditional narratives and propose innovative analyses of processes like the rise of social inequality, cultural hybridization, or the collapse of complex systems. -Reflect on the historical legacy of ancient cultures, connecting past phenomena with contemporary debates on identity, sustainability, and globalization. The course aspires to equip students with conceptual and methodological tools to approach culture not as a static set of traditions, but as a process in constant transformation, shaped by material, symbolic, and environmental factors. Through emblematic case studies (Göbekli Tepe, Çatal Höyük, Rome, the Han dynasty) and theoretical debates, the goal is to train professionals capable of critically analyzing cultural complexity and its impact on shaping the modern world.

MODULE I: THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL STUDIES IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Fundamental concepts of culture and history Theoretical approaches to the historical study of cultures Research methods in diachronic cultural studies Course presentation and evaluation criteria TRANSCULTURAL STUDIES IN ARCHAEOLOGY AND ANCIENT HISTORY Theory and methods of transcultural studies Comparative anthropology applied to ancient societies Limitations and advantages of the transcultural approach CASE STUDY 1: KINSHIP SOCIETIES AND EARLY STATES Comparative analysis of kinship structures across cultural contexts Transition from kinship-based societies to state formations Debate on cultural universalism vs. particularism Application of transcultural methodologies to archaeological cases HUMAN-ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTIONS Cultural Ecology Theory Environmental determinism vs. cultural possibilism Cultural adaptations to diverse environments Resilience and cultural change in response to environmental transformations CASE STUDY 2: JULIAN STEWARD AND KARL BUTZER Julian Steward¿s theoretical contributions to cultural ecology Karl Butzer¿s geoarchaeological approach Application of their models to historical cases Critical evaluation of multilinear evolution methodology MODULE II: PREHISTORY AND EARLY COMPLEX SOCIETIES CULTURAL PRODUCTION IN PREHISTORIC SOCIETIES Cultural manifestations in the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods Art, ritual, and symbolism in prehistoric societies Lithic and ceramic technologies as cultural expressions Anthropological interpretations of prehistoric material culture CASE STUDY 3: GÖBEKLI TEPE Analysis of the archaeological site and its significance Reinterpretation of the neolithization-sedentarization sequence Ritual and symbolic meaning of monumental structures Contemporary debates about Göbekli Tepe THE EMERGENCE OF CIVILIZATION Theories on the origins of civilizations Environmental, demographic, and social factors Early urbanism and its cultural implications Transcultural perspectives on social complexity CASE STUDY 4: ÇATAL HÖYÜK Urban structure and social organization Daily life and ritual practices Gender perspectives and domestic spaces Çatal Höyük in the context of the Near East CHIEFDOMS AND ARCHAIC STATES IN THE NEAR EAST AND ASIA Definitions and characteristics of chiefdoms and early states Processes of political centralization and social stratification Economic systems and resource control Ideological legitimization of political power CASE STUDY 5: MESOPOTAMIA AND THE INDUS VALLEY Comparison of urbanization processes Writing systems and administrative practices Social structure and power relations Cultural and religious expressions MODULE III: CULTURAL INTERACTIONS AND CONTACTS CULTURAL INTERACTIONS AND HYBRIDIZATION IN THE ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN Theories on cultural contact and exchange networks Colonization, trade, and cultural diffusion Processes of religious and cultural syncretism Formation of hybrid cultural identities CASE STUDY 6: PHOENICIANS, GREEKS, AND LOCAL POPULATIONS Mediterranean trade networks Colonial settlements and their cultural impact Cultural adaptations and transformations Analysis of material evidence for cultural hybridization MODULE IV: EMPIRES AND ANCIENT GLOBAL CULTURES EARLY IMPERIAL CULTURES Definitions and theories of empires Strategies of domination and cultural integration Local resistance and cultural negotiation Imperial infrastructure and territorial control ROME AND THE HAN DYNASTY Comparative analysis of political structures Administrative and fiscal systems Cultural integration policies Ideological expressions and propaganda Historical and cultural legacy CULTURAL EVOLUTION FROM A LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE Debates on cultural evolution and progress Critique of traditional "historical-cultural" concepts Contemporary approaches in archaeology and historical anthropology Multilinearity vs. unilinearity in cultural change CASE STUDY 9: COMPARATIVE CULTURAL TRAJECTORIES Analysis of convergence and divergence in cultural systems Resilience and collapse of cultural systems Critical evaluation of evolutionary models Contemporary applications of historical cultural perspectives MODULE V: INTEGRATION AND FINAL REFLECTION INTEGRATION SEMINAR Group presentations of research projects Debates on selected topics Interdisciplinary approaches to the historical study of cultures CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES IN HISTORICAL CULTURAL STUDIES Decolonization of cultural history New technologies applied to studying cultural pasts Connections between cultural past and present Ethical challenges in interpreting cultural heritage

AF1. THEORETICAL-PRACTICAL CLASSES In these sessions, students will acquire the required knowledge. They will receive class notes and key reference texts to facilitate class participation and subsequent work. Exercises, practical problems, workshops, and assessment tests will be conducted to develop necessary skills. For 6 ECTS courses, 48 hours are typically allocated with 100% in-person attendance. AF2. TUTORIALS Individualized (one-on-one) or group tutorials provided by the instructor. For 6 ECTS courses, 4 hours are allocated with 100% in-person attendance. AF3. INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP STUDENT WORK Independent or collaborative work by students. For 6 ECTS courses, 98 hours are allocated with 0% in-person attendance. MD1. THEORY CLASSES Lectures delivered by the instructor using audiovisual and digital tools, covering core concepts of the subject. Supplementary materials and bibliographic resources will be provided to enhance student learning. MD2. PRACTICAL SESSIONS Resolution of case studies, problems, and practical exercises assigned by the instructor, completed individually or in groups. MD3. TUTORIALS Individualized (one-on-one) or group tutorials provided by the instructor. For 6 ECTS courses, 4 hours are allocated with 100% in-person attendance.