Anthro 491

ANTHROPOLOGY 491 - Archaeology of Empires

This course aims to provide a comparative study of some of the world's most prominent ancient empires, including Assyria, Egypt, Rome, the Aztec, and the Inka. The developmental histories of those polities and their essential socio-political features are examined in light of theories of the nature of early empires and methods of studying them.

Lectures and class discussions will examine the following principle topics:

Defining Empire

Architecture and Ideology

Images of Leadership

Military Infrastructure

Frontier and Provinces

Social Identity

Collapse