Sections offered SPRING 2021:
#12121 |
JAMSHEED CHOKSY |
TBD |
WEB |
CLASS NOTES: COLL Intensive Writing section; IUB GenEd S&H credit; IUB GenEd World Culture credit; COLL (CASE) S&H Breadth of Inquiry credit; COLL (CASE) Global Civ & Culture credit
Above class meets 100% Online through Asynchronous instruction. For more information visit https://fall2020.iu.edu/learning-modes/
This course introduces students to ancient Near (or Middle) Eastern cultures. The survey begins with early farming communities of 8000 BCE at sites like Fayum, Jericho, Çatal Huyuk, and Jarmo. It then covers the Bronze and Iron Age kingdoms of the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Israelites, Egyptians, Hittites, and Iranians plus the spread of Hellenism. Emphasis will be placed on understanding and analyzing agriculture, urbanization, state formation, dynastic history, social stratification, literacy, legal and economic issues, and religious developments. Archaeological and textual information will be utilized in conjunction with visual aids. No previous knowledge or course prerequisites are needed.
Learning Objectives/Outcomes
Students in this course will gain ability to:
- Contextualize and analyze political and socioeconomic events within the framework and perspective of history.
- Identify geographical, topological, and cartographical features.
- Analyze and discuss conceptual differences and similarities between communities and cultures in the ancient Near East.
- Read, understand, synthesize, and analyze documents, including Mesopotamian, Biblical, and Persian textual, inscriptional, and artistic data.