History 110A (Section 1) World Civilizations I

M/W 9:50 am – 11:30 am / King Hall, Room C-4070 Fall 2014

Colossal Chinese Buddha (460 CE); an Egyptian portrait (50 CE); figures from a Han Dynasty tomb (150 CE)

Instructor: Professor Kris Pangburn Email: kris.pangburn2@calstatela.edu Office Hours: Mondays (9:00-9:40 am) and Wednesdays (1:20-2:00 pm), King Hall B4022 This course surveys the world’s ancient civilizations from roughly 4500 BCE until the collapse of the western Roman Empire around 500 CE. The course will proceed chronologically, beginning with a brief overview of human prehistory, followed by a rapid tour through the civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, Mesoamerica, Persia, Greece and Rome. Special attention will be paid to the themes of politics, religion, and philosophy. Classes will be a combination of lecture and discussion. Students will be expected to participate regularly in class discussions, to write two short papers and to sit for mid-term and final essay examinations. Required Books

The following three books, which are required for this course, are available for purchase at the university bookstore. If you buy your books on-line, be careful to order the editions listed below. McKay, et al., Understanding World Societies, Volume I: To 1600 (St. Martin’s, 2012) 9781457618734 (NOTE: One copy of the textbook is on reserve at the library) Novak, The World’s Wisdom (HarperOne) 9780060663421 Loewe, Bing: From Farmer’s Son to Magistrate in Han China (Hackett) 9781603846226 Grading

Attendance/Participation (incl. short essays and quizzes) 15% Paper #1 (4 pages) 15% Paper #2 (4 pages) 20% Mid-term exam 20% FINAL EXAM 30%

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Attendance and Classroom Conduct

It is crucial that you do not miss any classes, because lecture material will appear on exams. If you are absent, you are responsible for getting notes from a classmate, and for asking me about any handouts that I may have distributed. Students who are repeatedly absent will be dropped.

PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE IN CLASS. Be on time each afternoon, and do not leave the room except during our scheduled breaks (unless it’s an emergency). Note that reading assignments are due on the day they are assigned (see the lecture and reading schedule below). You should come to class prepared to discuss the day’s assignment. Academic Honesty

California State University, Los Angeles does not tolerate plagiarism. Plagiarism means (1) passing off as your own the ideas or words of another person, (2) resubmitting work that you did for another class; (3) failing to give credit for ideas or arguments that are not your own. For more on the academic honesty policy, see http://www.calstatela.edu/usu/csdp/StudentRights15.html.

During an exam, it is forbidden to talk to another student, consult notes without the instructor’s permission, use your phone, or look at another student’s paper. In addition, be sure to arrive on time, since you will not be permitted to take the test if other students have completed it and left the room before you arrive. Make-up exams and early exams will not be given, so you should inform the instructor as soon as possible if you have a scheduling conflict. Students with Disabilities

If you have a disability and require accommodations for this course, please speak with me privately as soon as possible. If you have not already done so, you will need to register with the Office for Students with Disabilities (http://www.calstatela.edu/univ/osd/). The Office is located in Room 115 of the Student Affairs Building. To make an appointment, call 323-343-3140.

Lecture and Reading Schedule All texts on the syllabus that are marked with an asterisk (*) can be found at the “Moodle” website. To access this site, go to the college homepage and click the link for myCSULA, which is at the top right of the screen. Enter your User Name and Password. Once you have logged in, click on the Moodle 2014-2015 link and select this course (History 110A). I t i s s trongly recommended that you PRINT these documents , organize them in a binder , and bring them with you to our c lass meet ings !

Mon, 9/29: Human Beginnings Wed, 10/1: The Neolithic Revolution

McKay, Ch. 1

Mon, 10/6: The First Civilization: Mesopotamia – SHORT ESSAY DUE McKay, begin Ch. 2, pp. 28-39 * Excerpt from the Code of Hammurabi (1790 BCE)

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Wed, 10/8: A King Called Gilgamesh

* The Epic of Gilgamesh (2000s BCE)

Mon, 10/13: Egyptian Permanence and Stability McKay, continue Ch. 2, pp. 39-46 * Excerpt from The Egyptian Book of the Dead (1500s BCE) Wed, 10/15: Early Hebrews and the Monotheist Idea McKay, finish Ch. 2

Mon, 10/20: Later Hebrews, Assyrians, Persians

Novak, pp. 175-191 (excerpts from the Hebrew Bible, 500s BCE)

Wed, 10/22: Early India and the Roots of Hinduism McKay, begin Ch. 3, pp. 56-65 Novak, pp. 1-19 (excerpts from the Rig-Veda (1500s BCE) and Upanishads (700s BCE))

Mon, 10/27: Buddha’s Life and Teachings – PAPER #1 DUE McKay, continue Ch. 3, pp. 65-70 Novak, pp. 49-69 (excerpts from Buddhist texts, 500s BCE)

Wed, 10/29: India’s Mauryan and Gupta Empires

McKay, finish Ch. 3 and read pp. 305-306 (Gupta Empire) * Selections from the Edicts of Ashoka (200s BCE)

Mon, 11/3: MID-TERM EXAM Wed, 11/5: Across the Ocean: The Maya Collapse

McKay, begin Ch. 11, pp. 264-276 * Diamond, excerpt from Collapse (2011) Mon, 11/10: Early China, Confucianism, and Daoism McKay, Ch. 4 Novak, pp. 119-130 and 145-161 (excerpts from Confucian and Daoist texts, 500s BCE)

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Wed, 11/12: Chinese Unification and Expansion

McKay, Ch. 7, pp. 156-172 * Wood, excerpts from China’s First Emperor and His Terracotta Warriors (2008)

Mon, 11/17: NO CLASS

Wed, 11/19: Everyday Life in Han China Loewe, Bing: From Farmer’s Son to Magistrate in Han China (2011)

Mon, 11/24: Evolution of the Greek Pol is – SHORT ESSAY DUE McKay, begin Ch. 5, pp. 102-109

* Xenophon, excerpt from On the Spartan Constitution (400 BCE)

Wed, 11/26: Greece’s Classical Age McKay, finish Ch. 5 * Thucydides, “Pericles’s Funeral Oration” and “Melian Dialogue” (431 BCE) Mon, 12/1: Rise of the Roman Superpower – PAPER #2 DUE

McKay, begin Ch. 6, pp. 128-143 * Plutarch, excerpt from Life of Cato the Elder (127 CE)

Wed, 12/3: Christianity and the Late Roman Empire

McKay, finish Ch. 6 Novak, 239-53 (excerpts from the New Testament, 35-100 CE)

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* FINAL EXAM = Wed., Dec. 10 (8:00 – 10:30 am) *

Don’t forge t to mark your ca lendars !