Description
Using the archaeological record, Rise of Complex Civilization surveys
human cultural evolution leading up to the
rise of complex society after the Pleistocene. The basis of the
course is a culture history for early farming cultures
in the Near East and Europe. In addition to a culture history,
processual issues such as the nature of post-
Pleistocene human adaptations, the origins of food production, the
spread of agriculture, the rise of stratified
societies, and the development of complex political organizations will
be considered in detail.
Instructor
Dr. Maureen A. Hays
Office - 104 88 Wentworth
Phone - 953-6597
email - haysm@cofc.edu
web site - http://www.cofc.edu/~haysm/
Office Hours - Mon, Wed, and Fri 11-12, Mon and Fri 2:15-3:15,
and by appointment
Course Texts
RW = Wenke, Robert J. 1999 Patterns in Prehistory: Humankind’s
First Three Million Years. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
L = Linked readings from webpage - Print at library for ease of access.
Grading
Determined by the total of scores from 2 Exams, a Midterm (30%) and
a Cumulative Final (35%), Class Participation (3%) Article Outlines
(6%),
2 Presentations (4%), and a final Group Project (22%)
Midterm
- Wednesday, February
26
30%
Final
- April 30
4-7
35%
Class
Participation
3%
Article
Outlines
6%
Presentations
2%
x2
4%
Group
Project
22%
Topic
1%
Bibliography
2%
Annotated Bibliography 5%
Outline
4%
Presentation
10%
Midterm and Final Exam
The midterm and final are designed to evaluate your critical thinking
skills. They will be in essay format, and will test your ability
to synthesize the material from the journal articles, discussion, and
lecture.
The final is cumulative.
Class Participation
Students will be called on daily to actively participate in class
discussions
and group activities.
Journal Article Annotations Due in Class Day
of
Discussion
Throughout the semester pertinent articles from professional journals
will be discussed. Students will be expected to provide an
annotation
of the article to be handed in at the beginning of class. These
should
be typed. I suggest you print 2 copies so that you may turn one
in
and use the other for reference during the discussion. Please
follow
the guidelines for the annotations. These outlines will not be
accepted
late.
Presentations TBA
Each student (along with several other students) will be responsible
twice in the semester for presenting a specific theoretical approach to
the origins of agriculture and the origins of complex
civilization.
If you are not in class for your presentation you will forfeit 2% of
your
grade. Assignments will be made during the class prior to the
presentation.
No make-ups will be given.
Oral Project TBA (Weeks 14 and 15)
Students will be responsible for presenting, with 7 other students,
their topic during a 75 minute class. If you miss your oral
presentation,
you will forfeit 10% of your grade. No make-ups will be given.
Oral Project Schedule
Topic
Due: Monday February 3
Organize your presentation into sections. I want you to each
have a very specific topic to present. Each of the following
assignments
will deal with your section of the presentation.
Bibliography
Due: Monday February 17
Prepare a working bibliography of at least 5 primary references.
These references will be specific to your part in the presentation.
Annotated Bibliography Due:
Monday
March 17
Prepare a 1 page annotation for each of the 5 references. Please follow
the same guidelines for annotations.
Outline
Due: Monday March 31
Prepare a detailed outline for your presentation. It must have
at least 3 levels
I.
A.
1.
Presentation
Due: TBA
You will present orally, along with your classmates, the results of
your findings. I suggest that you divide the labor into topic
areas.
Each presentation should fill a 75 minute class period allowing 5
minutes
for student questions and discussion.
Room 107 is equipped with the latest in media technology. You
should familiarize yourself with the technology (power point, slide
projector,
overhead, blackboard) and utilize this technology to enrich your
presentation.
Make-Up Policy
If you miss an exam you must see me within one week after the exam
to schedule a make-up.
There are no make-ups for oral projects.
Grading Scale
A
100-92
C+ 81-77 F 66-0
B+
91-87
C 76-72
B
86-82
D 71-67
This Syllabus is subject to change.
Week 1 January 8-10
W: Introduction
Week 2 January 13-15
M: Beginning to Settle-in: The End of the Paleolithic
Climate and Terminology from the End of the Pleistocene through the
Holocene
RW: pp. 206-218
W: Journal Article Discussion #1:
Ecological
Approaches to Interpreting Art
L: Mithen,
S. To Hunt or to Paint: Animals and Art in the Upper Paleolithic.
Man 23:671-695.
Week 3 January 20-22
M: No Class MLK Day
W: How We Recognize Domestication in the Archaeological Record
RW: pp. 268-275
Week 4 January 27-29
M: Theoretical Context: Origins Of Agriculture
Climate Change
1. Oasis Hypothesis - Childe
2. Natural Habitat Hypothesis - Braidwood
Population Pressure
3. Edge-Zone Hypothesis - Binford
RW: 268-280
W: Theoretical Context: Origins Of Agriculture
Population Pressure
4. Cohen
5. Harris
RW: 281-282
Journal Article Discussion #2: Theories on
the Origins of Agriculture
L: Blumler,
M.A. and R. Byrne. 1991. The Ecological Genetics of Domestication
and the Origins of
Agriculture.
Current Anthropology 32: 23-54.
Week 5 February 3-5 Topic
Due Monday February 3
M:Theoretical Context: Origins Of Agriculture
Social Models
6. Sahlins
7. Hayden
8. Bender
RW: 281-283
W: Theoretical Context: Origins Of Agriculture
Social Models
9. Rindos and
Journal Article Discussion #3: Evolutionary
Processes
L: Flannery,
K. 1973. The Origins of Agriculture. Annual Review of
Anthropology
2: 271-310.
Week 6 February 10-12
M: Transitions: The Mesolithic and Epipaleolithic. The beginnings of
domestication.
RW: 283-292
W: Journal Article Discussion #4: Natufians
RW: 292-294
L:Belfer-Cohen,
A. 1991. The Natufian in the Levant. Annual Review of
Anthropology
20: 167-210.
RW: 294-302
Choose "proceed with printing". Adobe
should open the PDF file. Print out of Adobe.
Week 7 February 17-19 Bibliography
Due Monday February 17
M: Journal Article Discussion #5: Why Did
Pottery Appear?
L:Kingery,
W. David, Pamela B. Vandiver, and Martha Prickett. 1988. The Beginnings
of Pyrotechnology,
Part
II: Production and Use of Lime and Gypsum Plaster in the Pre-Pottery
Neolithic
near East. Journal of
Field
Archaeology 15: 219-244.
Choose "proceed with printing". Adobe
should open the PDF file. Print out of Adobe.
W: The Consequences of Sedentism
Linked Reading: Schultz,
Emily E., and Robert H. Lavenda. The Consequences of
Domestication
and Sedentism. (This
interesting piece
on the effects of agriculture is from the college textbook
Anthropology:
A Perspective on the
Human Condition
Second Edition. pp 196-200)
Week 8 February 24-26
M: Your Projects: Library and Technological Resources
W: MIDTERM EXAM
SPRING BREAK MARCH 3-7
Week 9 March 10-12
M: The Neolithic
RW: 302-305 SW Asia 386-396 Africa 438-445
Indus 484-491 China 514-520
W: Journal Article Discussion # 6: Spread
of
Neolithic into Europe
RW: 536-548
L: Van
Andel, Tjeerd H., and Curtis N. Runnels 1995. The Earliest
Farmers
in Europe. Antiquity 69: 481-
500.
Week 10 March
17-19
Annotated Bibliography Due Monday March 17
M: The End of the Neolithic and The Megalithic Phenomena
RW: 536-548
W: Initial Complexity SW Asia
RW: 397-412
Week 11 March 24-26
M: Pre-dynastic Egypt
RW: 445-447
W: Formative Period Indus Valley
RW: 490-494
Week 12 March 31-April
2
Outline Due Monday March 31
M: The Archaeology of Complex Societies
RW: 346-352
W: Theoretical Context: Rise of Civilization
Early Typologies
RW: 331-346
Models: The Search for Cause
1. Technology
RW: 353-355
2. Irrigation
RW: 355-356
Week 13 April 7-9
M: Theoretical Context: Rise of Civilization
Models: The Search for Cause
3. Warfare, Population Growth and Environmental
Circumscription
RW: 356-360
4. Marxist and Materialist
RW: 360-364
5. Contemporary Marxist Perspective
RW: 365-366
6. Cultural Evolution
RW: 366-369
7. Post-Processual Approaches
RW: 369-370
8. Holistic and Synthetic Approaches
RW: 370-374
W: Complex Societies Southwest Asia
RW: Chapter 8
Week 14 April 14-16
M: Oral Report 1 Complex Societies Egypt: Archaic
(3100-2700) and Old Kingdom (2686-2181)
RW: Chapter 9
W: Oral Report 2 Complex Societies Indus
Valley:
Harrappan
RW: Chapter 10
Week 15 April 21-23
M: Oral Report 3 Complex Societies China
RW: Chapter 11
W: Oral Report 4 Complex Societies South
Eastern
US
RW: Chapter 15