Civilization of the Ancient Near East

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1 Instructor Civilization of the Ancient Near East HI /HI Department of History North Carolina State University Spring Semester 2018 Tuesday Thursday, 1:30 2:45pm 150 Withers Hall Dr. Tate Paulette Office location: 460 Withers Hall Office hours: Monday 2:00 5:00pm (or by appointment) Phone: Course Description This lecture- and discussion-based course provides a detailed introduction to the civilizations of the ancient Near East (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Anatolia, Iran, and the Levant) from the Paleolithic period through the conquests of Alexander the Great. Particular emphasis is placed on written sources, but the course also includes frequent discussion of archaeological remains and artistic works. You will leave the course with a solid grounding in the history, archaeology, and art of the ancient Near East. In the process, you will learn to engage critically with a wide variety of historical sources, and you will emerge with a deeper appreciation for the particular challenges and potentials of these different types of evidence and different modes of engaging with the past. Credit hours: 3 Prerequisites: 3 hours of History GEP category: Humanities Learning Outcomes This course fulfills a General Education Program (GEP) category requirement in the Humanities. Each course in the Humanities category of the General Education Program will provide instruction and guidance that help students to: 1. Engage the human experience through the interpretation of human culture and 2. Become aware of the act of interpretation itself as a critical form of knowing in the humanities; and 3. Make academic arguments about the human experience using reasons and evidence for supporting those reasons that are appropriate to the humanities. 4. Make academic arguments about the human experience using reasons and evidence for supporting those reasons that are appropriate to the humanities. Expectations You are expected to attend all course meetings, to complete all of the assigned readings prior to each course meeting, to complete all written assignments by the designated due date/time, and to contribute actively to in-class discussions and activities. You are also expected to be respectful toward your fellow students and the instructor and to abide by the Code of Student Conduct. Civilization of the Ancient Near East (HI 400/500) 1

2 Readings There are three textbooks for the course (and one optional textbook). Additional readings will be posted on the course website. All readings should be completed before class on the day indicated (see schedule below). A History of the Ancient Near East ca BC (Marc Van De Mieroop) Third edition. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. (available for purchase at NC State bookstore: used, $21.00) A History of Ancient Egypt (Marc Van De Mieroop) Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. (available for purchase at NC State bookstore: used, $19.50) The Epic of Gilgamesh (Andrew George, translator) London: Penguin Books. (available for purchase at NC State bookstore: used, $10.50) Optional textbook: 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed (Eric H. Cline) Princeton: Princeton University Press. Requirements Class participation You are expected to be present and prepared for all class meetings. Attendance will be taken during each class meeting. If you come to class late, you will be marked absent unless you notify the instructor of your presence immediately following class. If you leave class early, without a valid excuse, you will only receive half credit for attendance. You will not be penalized for your first two unexcused absences. After two unexcused absences, each subsequent unexcused absence will decrease your class participation grade by 10 percentage points (i.e., 3 unexcused absences = 90%; 4 unexcused absences = 80%). All excused absences must be cleared with the instructor prior to class or, in the case of unanticipated absences, within one week of the absence. It is your responsibility to contact the instructor with the required documentation and to arrange for any necessary make-up work. Make-up quizzes and exams will only be allowed in the case of excused absences. Please see the NC State policy on attendance at the following website. Map quiz (1/18) The map quiz will test your ability to identify ancient cities, archaeological sites, and other geographical features. Prior to the quiz, you will be provided with a study map labeled with all relevant map features. For the quiz itself, you will be provided with a blank map, and you will be asked to identify a selection of map features chosen from those provided on the study map. Reading quizzes (TBD) Over the course of the semester, there will be a series of periodic, unannounced, in-class reading quizzes that test your knowledge of the readings assigned for the class meeting in question. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped. Midterm exam (2/27) The midterm exam will be completed in class and will test your knowledge of the material discussed in class and in the assigned course readings. The exam will include short answer and essay questions. Civilization of the Ancient Near East (HI 400/500) 2

3 Research paper proposal and annotated bibliography (due 3/20) You will submit a brief research paper proposal ( words, approximately 1 page, double-spaced) that summarizes the topic that your research paper will address. Undergraduates will submit an annotated bibliography that includes at least 6 sources. Graduate students will submit an annotated bibliography that includes at least 12 sources. Research paper outline and paper section draft (due 4/10) You will submit a detailed outline of your research paper (undergraduates, at least 450 words; graduate students, at least 600 words) and a draft of one section of the paper (undergraduates, at least 600 words; graduate students, at least 1200 words). Research paper (due 4/24) Undergraduates will submit a research paper of 3,000 3,600 words (approximately pages, double-spaced). Graduate students will submit a research paper of 6,000 7,200 words (approximately pages, double-spaced). Undergraduates will be asked to choose from a list of topics provided by the instructor. Graduate students will be asked to identify an appropriate topic on their own. Formatting guidelines will be provided. You will be graded on style/grammar/formatting, on the clarity of your argumentation, on your use of primary and secondary sources, on your engagement with the themes explored in the course, and on the overall strength of your argument. Final exam (5/3, 1:00 4:00pm, 150 Withers Hall) Grading The final exam will be completed in class and will test your knowledge of the material discussed in class and in the assigned course readings. The exam will include short answer and essay questions. The exam will focus on material from the second half of the class (i.e., after the midterm exam), but you will also be asked to reflect back over the course as a whole. Assessment Class participation 10% Map quiz 5% Reading quizzes 10% Midterm exam 20% Research paper proposal and annotated bibliography 5% Research paper outline and paper section draft 5% Research paper 25% Final exam 20% Grading Scale A % A % A % B % B % B % C % C % C % D % D % D % F % Late Assignments Assignments submitted after the due date will result in an automatic reduction of 10 percentage points (i.e. one whole letter grade) per day late. Civilization of the Ancient Near East (HI 400/500) 3

4 Use of Online Sources Your writing assignments may include references to online sources, subject to the following restrictions. You may not cite Wikipedia.org as a source. You may cite online books and academic journal articles, but these must be referenced as books and journal articles, not as websites. You may also cite web content hosted by academic institutions (web addresses usually end in.edu,.org, or.gov), but each citation must be accompanied by a footnote explaining why the source in question qualifies as a reputable academic source. Use of Laptop Computers and Tablets You may use a laptop computer or tablet to take notes in class, but this privilege may be revoked at any time (for the class as a whole) if it is being abused. Academic Integrity Regardless of discipline, honest and rigorous scholarship is at the foundation of a Research I institution. Students are bound by the academic integrity policy as stated in NCSU Code of Student Conduct: Students are required to uphold the university pledge of honor and exercise honesty in completing every assignment. Instructors may require students to write the Honor Pledge on every exam and assignment and to sign or type their name after the pledge ( I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this test or assignment. ). Violations of academic integrity will result in referral to the Office of Student Conduct with a recommendation of a failing grade for the assignment, and they will be reported to the department head. Writing and Speaking Tutorial Services If writing is difficult for you, please visit the Writing and Speaking Tutorial Services to review drafts of assignments before they are due. The Service offers free one-on-one consultation with experienced tutors who can help with all levels and stages of writing. There are six locations around campus that offer drop-in services. For more information go to: Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take advantage of available accommodations, students must register with Disability Services Office in Suite 2221, Student Health Center, Campus Box 7509, For more information on NC State's policy on working with students with disabilities, please see the Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Regulation (REG ) Electronically-hosted Course Components Students may be required to disclose personally identifiable information to other students in the course, via electronic tools like or web postings, where relevant to the course. Examples include online discussions of class topics, and posting of student coursework. All students are expected to respect the privacy of each other by not sharing or using such information outside the course. Civilization of the Ancient Near East (HI 400/500) 4

5 NC State University Policies, Regulations and Rules Students are responsible for reviewing the PRRs which pertain to their course rights and responsibilities. These include: (Equal Opportunity and Non-discrimination Policy Statement) (Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity) (Code of Student Conduct) (Grades and Grade Point Average) (Credit-Only Courses) (Audits) (Incompletes) Civilization of the Ancient Near East (HI 400/500) 5

6 Schedule (Note: Schedule is subject to change with appropriate notification to students.) Abbreviations: HANE = A History of the Ancient Near East ca BC (Van De Mieroop) HAE = A History of Ancient Egypt (Van De Mieroop) Gilgamesh = The Epic of Gilgamesh (Andrew George) Week Topic Date Readings Assignments 1 Introduction 1/9 No readings Environment, geography, chronology, sources 1/11 HANE: 1 10 HAE: 1 21 Prehistory and state formation 2 Paleolithic, Neolithic, and Chalcolithic 1/16 1/18 Stiebing and Helft 2018 Dietrich et al HANE: HAE: Map quiz 3 Mesopotamia: Uruk period 1/23 Egypt: Late Predynastic and Early Dynastic 1/25 HANE: Gilgamesh: xxxi xxxii, 1 29 HAE: Gilgamesh: Early Bronze Age 4 Mesopotamia: Early Dynastic, Akkadian, and Ur III 1/30 2/1 HANE: Gilgamesh: HANE: Gilgamesh: Discussion: Gilgamesh 5 Egypt: Early Dynastic, Old Kingdom, and First Intermediate Period 2/6 HAE: /8 HAE: Middle Bronze Age 6 7 Mesopotamia and Anatolia: Early 2 nd millennium BC Egypt: Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period 2/13 HANE: /15 HANE: /20 HAE: /22 HAE: MIDTERM EXAM 2/27 No readings Midterm exam Civilization of the Ancient Near East (HI 400/500) 6

7 Late Bronze Age 8 The Great Powers 3/1 HANE: NO CLASS: Spring Break 3/6 No readings NO CLASS: Spring Break 3/8 No readings 10 Hatti, Mitanni, Ugarit, Alashiya 3/13 HANE: Assyria, Kassite Babylonia, Elam 3/15 HANE: New Kingdom Egypt 3/20 HAE: Research paper proposal and annotated bibliography due 12 Late Bronze Age Collapse 3/22 HAE: /27 HANE: /29 Cline 2014: Discussion: Late Bronze Age Collapse 13 NO CLASS: Research paper prep 4/3 No readings NO CLASS: Research paper prep 4/5 No readings Iron Age 14 Philistines, Israelites, Neo- Hittites, Phoenicians 4/10 HANE: Research paper outline and paper section draft due Mesopotamia: Neo-Assyrian empire 4/12 HANE: Mesopotamia: Neo-Babylonian empire Egypt: Third Intermediate Period and Late Period 4/17 HANE: /19 HAE: Persian empire and conquests of Alexander the Great 4/24 HANE: /26 HANE: Research paper due 17 FINAL EXAM 150 Withers Hall, 1:00 4:00pm 5/3 Final exam Civilization of the Ancient Near East (HI 400/500) 7

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