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IUB Honors Courses Indiana University Bloomington

CEUS-R 250 – Introduction to the Ancient Near East

Posted on by brigphil

Sections offered SUMMER 2021:

#13947
#15184

JAMSHEED CHOKSY

SECOND EIGHT WEEKS
100% Online (Asynchronous)

WEB

CLASS NOTES: COLL Intensive Writing section; COLL (CASE) Global Civ & Culture credit; COLL (CASE) S&H Breadth of Inquiry credit;  IUB GenEd S&H credit; IUB GenEd World 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 religions including temple cults, Gnosticism, Mithraism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Judaism, and Christianity. 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:

  • Identify geographical, topological, and cartographical features.
  • Contextualize and analyze political and socioeconomic events within the framework and perspective of history.
  • Analyze and discuss conceptual differences and similarities between communities and cultures in the ancient Near East.
  • Read, understand, synthesize, and analyze documents, including Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Biblical, and Iranian textual, inscriptional, and artistic data.

Assignments and Grading Scheme

  • Module Video Assignments: Worth 56 points, comprising up to 4 points per module (3 points for assignment and 1 point for peer response) for modules 1, 3-15.
  • Map Quiz: Worth 5 points.
  • E-Office hours: Worth 8 points, 4 points each for e-meeting with instructor and associate instructor.
  • Intensive Writing Paper Assignment: Topic: “How have societies of the Ancient Near East shaped the world?” based on the contents of this course. Worth 25 points, comprising:
    Up to 12 points for the outline version of approximately 2500 words including title, thesis statement, basic contents, and bibliography of course materials used from Canvas.
    Up to 19 points for the complete version of approximately 5000 words expanded from the outline version of approximately 2500 words.
  • Hutton Honors section students must quote extensively in the paper from materials posted on Canvas for the course and should also cite other scholarly articles and books–i.e., write a research paper.
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