The course will study the growth and development of the Ancient Near East from its origin in Ancient Sumer in the bronze age to the rise of the Persians. Attention will also be given to Egypt and Israel and their contributions to the milieu of culture and society in the ancient Near East. The course will look at, in varying degrees, the culture, art, architecture, and religion of these societies.
Quarters Offered
Winter
Course Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to demonstrate the following knowledge or skills:
- Describe the major civilizations of the Ancient Near East.
- Identify important persons and events from the various periods and civilizations and be able to discuss their contributions.
- Describe culture, religion, art and architecture of the Ancient Near East.
- Appraise the impact of the Ancient Near East on the development of world cultures.
Course Content Outline
- Prehistory and the Dawn of Near Eastern Civilization
- The First Empires
- Egypt to the End of the Old Kingdom
- Egypt’s Middle Kingdom
- Egypt’s New Kingdom and the 18th Dynasty
- Babylon and Hammurabi
- The Hittites
- The Collapse of Eastern Civlizations
- Early Iron Age Recover
- Assyria and Neo-Babylonia
- Achaemenid Persia
- Israel and Judah
- Legacy of the Ancient Near East
Department Guidelines
PO4 should be assessed: Students will be able to recognize or articulate personal/interpersonal aspects of, or connections between, diverse cultural, social, or political contexts.
PO5 should be assessed: Students will be able to solve problems by gathering, interpreting, combining and/or applying information from multiple sources.