WEEK 1
1/7
- Introduction to the course
1/9
- Introduction: civilizations, states and empires
- The History of Prehistory
Readings
- Patterns in Prehistory, Chapter 1
WEEK 2
1/14
- Social Theory of State Emergence
Readings
- Patterns in Prehistory, Chapter 7
1/16
- The Rise of Agriculture
- Why Agriculture Matters
Readings
- Patterns in Prehistory, Chapter 6
WEEK 3
1/21
- Agricultural Foundations in the Ancient Near East
- Egypt: Geographic Setting
Readings
- Patterns in Prehistory, Chapter 9 (pp. 368 – 373)
1/23
- Egypt: The Neolithic Transition
WEEK 4
1/28
- Egypt: The Early Predynastic
Readings
- Patterns in Prehistory, Chapter 9 (pp. 373 – 377)
- Introduction to the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt, Chapter 5 (pp. 89-103) [view PDF]
1/30
- Egypt: The Late Predynastic
- Egypt: The Emergence of the Unified State
WEEK 5
2/4
- Egypt: The Emergence of the Unified State
Readings
- The earliest representations of royal power in Egypt: the rock drawings of Nag el-Hamdulab (Aswan) [view PDF]
- Introduction to the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt, Chapter 5 (pp. 109-120) [view PDF]
2/6
- Egypt Uncovered: Chaos and Kings
Assignments
- Blog #1 Due (post Due Thursday by 5pm, response due Sunday by 5pm)
WEEK 6
2/11
- Egypt: The Archaic, Old Kingdom, and Collapse
Readings
- Patterns in Prehistory, Chapter 9 (pp. 377-384)
- Introduction to the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt, Chapter 6 [view PDF]
2/13
- Egypt: The Archaic, Old Kingdom, and Collapse (continued)
WEEK 7
2/18
- Lecture overflow (if necessary)
- Exam 1 Q & A
2/20
- Exam 1
WEEK 8
2/25 & 2/27
- Southwest Asia: The Emergence of Inequality
- Mesopotamia: Early States
Assignments
- Blog #2 Due (post Due Thursday by 5pm, response due Sunday by 5pm)
Readings
- Patterns in Prehistory, Chapter 8
- Susan Pollack, Ancient Mesopotamia, Chapter 4 [download PDF]
WEEK 9
- No classes, Spring Break
WEEK 10
3/11 & 3/13
- Indus Valley: Harappan civilization
- Sumer-Egypt-Indus world system
Readings
- Patterns in Prehistory, Chapter 10
- Susan Pollack, Ancient Mesopotamia, Chapter 5 [download PDF]
WEEK 11
3/18 & 3/20
- China: Lungshan Roots
- China: Shang civilization
Readings
- Patterns in Prehistory, Chapter 11
Assignments
- Blog #3 Due (post Due Thursday by 5pm, response due Sunday by 5pm)
WEEK 12
3/25
- Lecture overflow (if necessary)
- Exam 2 Q & A
3/27
- Exam 2
WEEK 13
4/1
- Greece: The Emergence of the Archaic Greek State (Guest lecture by Jon Frey)
Readings
- Patterns in Prehistory, Chapter 12
4/3
- Mesoamerica: Emergence of Inequality
WEEK 14
4/8 & 4/10
- Mesoamerica: Teotihuacan
- Mesoamerica: Classic Maya states
Readings
- Patterns in Prehistory, Chapter 13
WEEK 15
4/15 & 4/17
- Mesoamerica: Classic Maya states (cont)
- Mesoamerica: The Highlands
- The Andes: Ancient Elites, Ecology and Political Power
Readings
- Patterns in Prehistory, Chapter 13
WEEK 16
4/22
- The Andes: Ancient Elites, Ecology and Political Power (continued)
- Why does this all matter?
Readings
- Patterns in Prehistory, Chapter 14
4/24
- Class Cancelled
Assignments
- Blog #4 Due (post Due Thursday by 5pm, response due Sunday by 5pm)
FINAL EXAM
- Take-home Final Exam Due April 29th before 5pm.