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Divination played an especially important role in the history of Mesopotamia and Anatolia and the bulk of the course focuses on the different forms of divination in ancient Mesopotamia, ancient Anatolia and neighboring societies in the Eastern Mediterranean (e.g., Greece), but the course will also pay attention to divination in China, America and Central Asia. We will look specifically at the ways in which divinatory practice was valued, as a form of knowledge, whether or not it represents a scientific practice, its role in statecraft and religion, and, in particular, how different forms of divination moved from Mesopotamia into neighboring regions and vice versa. There is a companion reading seminar: "Reading divinatory texts in translation". Guest auditors are welcome, but will need to register via email: wissensgeschichte@geschkult.fu-berlin.de