HIST 110: Ancient Near East Fall 2016 Syllabus

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1 : Ancient Near East Fall 2016 Syllabus Course Information Instructor Information Instructor: Ms. M. Helmy Ahmed Office: Tahoe Hall 3053 Office Hours: TR 10:30-11:00am Office Telephone: none Course Description and Class Arrangements Growth and development of Ancient Near Eastern civilization with emphasis on Mesopotamia and Egypt as the foundation of ancient Mediterranean civilization. Religion, literature, art and social institutions will all be stressed as integral elements in the development of the societies under study. GE Area: C2 World Civilizations Class Location and Meeting Times: ALP 218, TR, pm Textbook & Course Materials Required Text 1. H. W. Stiebing, Jr., Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture, J. B. Pritchard (ed.), The Ancient Near East An Anthology of Texts and Pictures, Princeton University Press, 2011 Recommended Other Readings Additional readings will be made available on SacCT. Learning Objectives In this course students will learn how to: 1) Work with primary historical sources. 2) Construct persuasive arguments based upon historical evidence. 3) Use their critical reading skills and methods of historical analysis. 4) Identify and assess the impact of Ancient Near East on other ancient and modern societies. 5) Interpret the social and cultural developments in the history of the Ancient Near East. California State University, Sacramento Page 1

2 Topic Outline/Schedule Week 01: Introduction: sources, geography and environment Additional reading on SacCT Week 02: Late Prehistory Ancient Near Eastern History & Culture, Chapter 1 Map Quiz 1 on September 8 th (see folder Map on SacCT for more info.) Week 03: Uruk revolution & Rise of city states (EDP) Ancient Near Eastern History & Culture, Chapter 2 Additional reading on SacCT Anthology of texts, pp Week 04: Akkadian Empire & Third Dynasty of Ur Ancient Near Eastern History & Culture, Chapter 3 Anthology of texts, pp , , , , Week 05: The Old Babylonian Period Ancient Near Eastern History & Culture, Chapter 4 Anthology of texts, pp , 72-3, , 352-7, Mini-project 1 due on September 27 th (see SacCT for more details) Week 06: The rise of Territorial states Week 07: Territorial states of the late 2 nd Millennium Map Quiz 2 on October 13 th (see folder Map on SacCT for more info.) Week 08: Review class & Midterm Exam Week 09: Western States of the late 2 nd Millennium Week 10: The End of The Bronze Age & its aftermath Anthology of texts, pp , Week 11: Recovery & Transformation 1 st millennium BCE Ancient Near Eastern History & Culture, Chapter 9 Anthology of texts, pp , California State University, Sacramento Page 2

3 Mini-project 2 due on November 8 th (see SacCT for more details) Week 12: Neo-Assyrian Empire Ancient Near Eastern History & Culture, Chapter 10 Anthology of texts, pp Project Due on November 17 th in class Week 13: Neo-Babylonian Empire (no class on 11/24) Ancient Near Eastern History & Culture, Chapter 10 cont. Anthology of texts, pp Week 14: Achaemenid Empire Ancient Near Eastern History & Culture, Chapter 11 Anthology of texts, pp , Week 15: Legacy of The Ancient Near East & Review Ancient Near Eastern History & Culture, Chapter 12 Map Quiz 3 on December 6 th (see folder Map on SacCT for more info.) Grading Policy Graded Course Activities Points Description 10 Participation 20 Map Quizzes (best 2 out of 3) 20 2 group projects (2x10 points) 50 Midterm exam 50 Essay/Project 50 Final exam 200 Total points possible Late Work Policy Be sure to pay close attention to deadlines there will be no make-up exams and late work will not be accepted without a serious and compelling reason. Letter Grade Assignment Final grades assigned for this course will be based on the percentage of total points California State University, Sacramento Page 3

4 earned and are assigned as follows: Letter Grade Percentage Performance A % Excellent Work A % Nearly Excellent Work B % Very Good Work B 83-86% Good Work B % Mostly Good Work C % Above Average Work C 73-76% Average Work C % Mostly Average Work D % Below Average Work D 60-66% Poor Work F 0-59% Failing Work Course Policies Participation and Absences Students are expected to attend, and participate in, the weekly classes. Before each class you will be expected to have done the assigned readings and thus be familiar with the period or topic to be discussed in class. Attendance roll will be taken regularly: three to five absences lead to reduced participation points, while six or more absences lead to F for the course. Quizzes and Mini projects Three map quizzes will be scheduled to test the student s knowledge of geographical information presented in specific chapters of the textbook. Two mini projects will be scheduled during the semester, they are designed for the student to get a hands on experience with some of the issues that ancient societies had to deal with. Guidelines for the mini projects will be uploaded on SacCT. Essay The topic of the essay is up to the student. One may, for example, choose to: write a biography of a historical figure or discuss one of the sourcebook s topics, using the ancient sources presented there. The essays may not be less than 1,500 words California State University, Sacramento Page 4

5 Exams (excluding bibliography). A detailed guide for these projects will be uploaded on SacCT. Projects are due on the Thursday 17 th of November, Week 12. They can certainly be turned in before the due date, but late projects will not be accepted. The two exams will consist of a map section and three essay questions. The map section will be based upon a list of locations in the Greek world that, along with the exams study guides, will be uploaded on SacCT. The final exam will be on Tuesday, December 13, pm. Commit to Integrity As a student in this course (and at this university) you are expected to maintain high degrees of professionalism, commitment to active learning and participation in this class and also integrity in your behavior in and out of the classroom. Cheating and plagiarism are unacceptable and may be reported to the office of student affairs. Sac State's Academic Honesty Policy & Procedures The principles of truth and honesty are recognized as fundamental to a community of scholars and teachers. California State University, Sacramento expects that both faculty and students will honor these principles, and in so doing, will protect the integrity of academic work and student grades. Read more about Sac State's Academic Honesty Policy & Procedures Definitions At Sac State, cheating is the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for academic work through the use of any dishonest, deceptive, or fraudulent means. Plagiarism is a form of cheating. At Sac State, plagiarism is the use of distinctive ideas or works belonging to another person without providing adequate acknowledgement of that person s contribution. Source: Sacramento State University Library Important Note: Any form of academic dishonesty, including cheating and plagiarism, may be reported to the office of student affairs. Course policies are subject to change. It is the student s responsibility to check SacCT for corrections or updates to the syllabus. Any changes will be posted in SacCT. California State University, Sacramento Page 5