History 203 - Ancient Near East and Egypt

This course explores the history of the Ancient Near East and Egypt from the development of agriculture and settled society (c. 9000 BCE) to the rise of the Achaemenid Persian empire (c. 500 BCE). The societies that developed along the Nile and in the so-called Fertile Crescent of Mesopotamia and the Levant gave rise to some of the world?s earliest cities, invented writing systems used for bureaucracy, business, and literature, and created religions and principles of law with far-reaching influence. Covering the major civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Syria, and Egypt, this class is for any student interested in the process of state formation, and also offers crucial background for those intending to pursue future study of the Greco-Roman Mediterranean or the later societies of Persia and the Islamic world.