Old World Prehistory

Curriculum Guideline

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Course
ANTH 2212
Discontinued
No
Course Code
ANTH 2212
Descriptive
Old World Prehistory
Department
Anthropology
Faculty
Humanities & Social Sciences
Credits
3.00
Start Date
End Term
Not Specified
PLAR
No
Semester Length
15 weeks
Max Class Size
35
Contact Hours
Lecture: 2 hrs. per week / semester Seminar: 2 hrs. per week / semester
Method(s) Of Instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Learning Activities

The course will employ a variety of instructional methods to accomplish its objectives, including some of the following:  lecture, relevant films, slides and in-class discussions.

Course Description
A survey of cultural developments in Africa, Europe and Asia from the hunting-gathering societies of the Upper Palaeolithic 40,000 years ago to the development of Bronze Age states and chiefdoms in these regions beginning 5,500 years ago.
Course Content
  1. Introduction
    • Background to the Old World (geography; review of human biological evolution).
  2. Upper Palaeolithic
    • Exploration of the origin and timing of modern behaviour and hunter-gatherer lifeways during the late Pleistocene
  3. Environmental transitions at the end of the Pleistocene/early Holocene and the impact of these transitions on hunter-gatherer life ways
  4. Mesolithic Cultures in Africa, Europe and Asia
  5. Neolithic Cultures
    • theories for the origins of agriculture and the transition from hunting-gathering to farming societies
  6. Later Neolithic Societies
    • theories for the origins of chiefdoms
  7. Primary States
    • Theories for the rise of states with a focus on early states in Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Egypt, China, Indus Valley, Southeast Asia, Mediterranean
  8. The evolution of Secondary States and Empires (e.g. Assyria, Minoan, Mycenaean, Imperial Rome, Kush, Meroe, Aksum, Angkor, Qin)
Learning Outcomes

The main objective of the course is to provide the student with the opportunity to gain knowledge and an understanding of the prehistory of the Old World.  At the conclusion of the course, the student will demonstrate an understanding of the basic archaeological theories for explaining general cultural evolution using Old World examples.  Students will be able to articulate the difference between hunter-gathers, farmers, and states based on the archaeological evidence currently known from Africa, Europe and Asia.  Students will provide evidence of their ability to conduct library and internet research on course-relevant topics in written work and oral presentation.

Means of Assessment

Evaluation will follow ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ policy. The instructor will provide a written course outline with specific evaluation criteria at the beginning of the semester. 

An example of a possible evaluation schedule might be:

Exam 1   30%
Exam 2   30%
Exam 3   10%
Research Essay/Presentation       30%
Total 100%

   

Textbook Materials

Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students:

Texts will be updated periodically. A typical example is:

Fagan, Brian

2010    People of the Earth An Introduction to World Prehistory.  Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

Prerequisites

ANTH 1100 OR ANTH 1101 OR ANTH 1111 OR ANTH 1112, or permission of instructor