World History: Ancient Civilizations
Hist. 101
Fall 2011
Instructor: Dr. Tim Sistrunk
Office: 210 Trinity Hall Office hours: T-Th 11:00-12:30 and by appointment
email: [email protected]
Required Reading:
Tignor, Robert, et alia. Worlds Together, Worlds Apart, 2nd ed. 1: Beginnings
through the 15th century, W.W. Norton, Online ebook (Hereafter cited as Worlds)
(http://books.wwnorton.com/nortonbooks/discipline.aspx?DiscId=11
Purpose and Objectives:
This course is a survey of the history of the global community from the Neolithic
Age up to 500 C.E. It is designed to give the student an appreciation of many of the
most significant peoples, places and events that have shaped global economic and
political institutions and ways of thinking and it is intended as an introduction to the
historian's craft. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to define the
significance of key individuals and circumstances and fit them into a chronological and
geographical context in order to discern the general patterns of change that
characterized the period
To this end, the class will consist of lectures, films, slide presentations, student
presentations and discussions. Our range of inquiry will be dictated, especially, by the
original documents that we will be reading, however, throughout the course, there will
be ample opportunity to explore students special interests.
Grading:
Standard Grading scale (100-90% = A; 89-80% = B etc...)
Quizzes 70%, Participation 5%, Response papers 25%
Participation: Be active, alive, awake! Discuss works intelligently, bring up
questions in class, and show that you have thought about the reading.
Presentations and discussions will also be evaluated as will overall class etiquette.
Excessive absences will harm your grade.
Quizzes There will be three examinations. Multiple choice and Essay selection
You will need to keep up with course reading and class lecture to do well.
A study sheet will be provided. If you must leave an exam for emergency
purposes, you will take a make-up exam.
Response papers: These 5 written assignments will be assigned over the
semester and include reflections on reading assignments and responses to
discussion, public events and lecture.
*** You must have a medical excuse from the student health center or on letterhead
paper from your doctor if you miss an exam for medical reasons. If something
unforeseen happens, make-ups will be offered at a time convenient for the instructor.
There are no make-ups of make-ups.
*** Any student who has a disability of any kind that might prevent the fullest
expression of her or his abilities should contact me the first week of the class so that we
can discuss class requirements.
Likewise, any student who foresees conflicts with assignments because of religious
holidays should discuss these with me the first week of class.
Schedule (Subject to Change):
Week 1 (August 23, 25)
Intro./ Paleolithic and Neolithic Patterns
1.1 Paleolithic Beginnings
Reading
Assignment
Virtual tour: Visite de la grotte
(http://www.lascaux.culture.fr/#/fr/00.xml
1.2 Neolithic Changes
Worlds chap. 1: 26-45
Week 2 (August 30, September 1)
Ancient Near East: Nature and the Divine
2.1 Mesopotamia
Reading
The Epic of Gilgamesh Tablets 1-6
(http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/
Worlds chap. 2: 59-66
Week 3 (September 6, 8)
Reading
Code of Hammurabi, nos 1-8, 27-65, 104-105, 108-109, 122-123, 150, 198200, 224-225
(http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/CODE.HTM
Week 4 (September 13, 15)
4.1 Egypt
Reading
Hymn to the Nile
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/hymn-nile.html
Worlds chap.2: 72-81
4.2 Hebrews
Reading
Hebrew Texts, Gen. 1-8, Ex. 1-14, 19-22, Job 38-41; Psalms 104, 147-148
(http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0.htm
Worlds chap. 4: 146-168
Week 5 (September 20, 22)
Nomads and Seafarers
Reading
Worlds chap 3: 128-132
Iliad Bks. I, VI
( http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/iliad.html
Week 6 (September 27, 29)
South Asia
***Quiz Sept. 27
4.1 Vedic Age
Reading
Laws of Manu chapter 1
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/india/manu-full.html
Rig-Veda to Visakarman
(http://www.mountainman.com.au/rig_veda.html
Katha Upanishad
(http://www.mountainman.com.au/katha_up.html
Worlds chap. 4: 166-168
Week 7 (October 4, 6)
4.2 Empire Builders
Reading
Buddhist texts, selections
Edicts of Ashoka: 14 Rock Edicts, nos. 1-4, 8, 13;
7 Pillar Edicts, nos. 5, 7
(http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/ashoka.html
Worlds chap.5: 195-199/ chap. 6: 246-248; 254-258
Week 8
(October 11, 13)
Ancient China
Worlds chap. 4:170-178/ chap. 5: 185-192
5.1 Irrigation and Centralization
Reading
Confucius Analects
(http://classics.mit.edu/Confucius/analects.html
”The Doctrine of the Mean”
(http://classics.mit.edu/Confucius/doctmean.html
5.2 Qin and Han Empires
Reading
“On the Eclipse of the Sun” Han Wendi
Extracts of Ch’in and Han Law
Worlds chap 7: 277-297
Week 9 (October 18, 20)
Africa
Reading
“Annals of the Nubian Kings”
Worlds chap. 5: 212-216
Week 10 (October 25, 27)
***Quiz October 25
Classical Greeks
Week 11 (November 1, 3)
Reading
Worlds: chap. 5: 216-223
“Antigone”
(http://classics.mit.edu/Sophocles/antigone.html
Plato Apology of Socrates
(http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/apology.html
Week 12 (November 8, 10)
Hellenistic World
Reading
Worlds chap. 6: 233-245
“Dream of Scipio”
(http://www. wsu.edu/~dee/ROME/SCIPIO.HTM
Week 13 (November 15, 17)
Rome
Reading
Worlds chap. 7: 298-315
The Civil Law: Enactments of Justinian: Institutes 1.2 pr.; 2.1 pr.-5;
2.1.11-24
(http://www.constitution.org/sps/sps.htm
THANKSGIVING BREAK
Week 14 (November 29, Dec. 1)
Christianity and the State
Reading
Worlds chap. 8: 327-331
Christian Texts: Matthew 1-7, 13; John 15; Acts 26-28; II Corinthians 3-5
Revelations 6-9
(http://etext.virginia.edu/kjv.browse.html
Week 15 (December 6, 8)
Global Connections
***Final Examination: Dec. 13, 12:00-1:50