Anthro 102

ANTHROPOLOGY 102 - Rise of Civilizations

This course will focus on the two major transitions in human history: the origins of domestication and the rise of early states. The lectures will focus on the early civilizations of the world (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus, Ancient China, Maya, Aztec, Inka, and Cahokia) where these developments occurred independently. We will also examine secondary civilizations (e.g., Mediterranean, Kush, Great Zimbabwe, and Angkor). The global archaeological evidence we examine will be supplemented by examination and discussion of the various theoretical frameworks that have been proposed to account for these transitions.

The structure of the course will be problem-oriented, and comparative. We will first examine why human sedentism, population pressure, and domestic food production changed the human lifestyle throughout the world. We will go on to consider these events among a number of classic ancient societies, identifying similarities and differences. The substantive record, special research topics, and problems will be interwoven in our lectures and class discussions. This is a reading intensive class, in which each student must critically evaluate the inferences made for prehistory from archaeological data. They include: (1) cultural change over time; (2) social differentiation and the rise of social classes; (3) the development of complex social institutions (political hierarchies, trade networks, and organized religion); and (4) global awareness and public outreach.

We will also examine cross-culturally current social issues to which the archaeological record is particularly relevant (such as warfare, environmental degradation and human subsistence practices, and the population explosion). Complementary to our text, the instructor's personal experience in and out of the field in Polynesia, Europe, and Africa will be used to provide relevant context. To illustrate particular points, films, slides, and written exercises will be used throughout the semester.