History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective

The different kind of approach one will take in exploring the ancient world; hearing a story that illustrates the risks of letting one's own cultural biases and limited perspective overly influence the interpretation of archeological discoveries.

This civilization reveals a theme that appears again and again; grasping the role of geography and resources in shaping Mesopotamia's method of subsistence, religion, structures, empire and means of leaving its written record.

The lack of geographical barriers makes it difficult for the most powerful cities to retain their power; how a succession of empires rise and fall, leaving behind legacies ranging from the use of intimidation in warfare to seafaring and astrology.

An introduction to Egypt reveals a civilization shaped by geography; how the Nile's annual flooding, though creating a fertile strip amounting to three percent of Egypt, permits civilization to thrive in an otherwise uninhabitable desert.

How Egyptian views of death and tombs change with the kingdom's occupation by, and eventual expulsion of, the Hyksos; examining how the differences between the Egyptian and Mesopotamian environments may influence their visions of the afterlife.

The exploration of a once-lost civilization introduces a key theme; the problems faced by historians and archeologists in interpreting an ancient civilization through physical evidence alone, with no written documents to bring that evidence to life.