Western Civilization to 171543.105Fall 2010

• Professor Christopher Carlsmith

Today’s Agenda

• Introductions • Course Information

• Goals• Books• Syllabus & Course Description (Handouts)• Course Web site: http://faculty.uml.edu/ccarlsmith• Lecture Capture, Podcasts, and PDFs• Definitions

– Periodization, “Western”, “Civilization”

• Maps• Why Study W. Civ?

Introductions

• The course

• The professor

• The students• Please check today’s box on the attendance sheet

circulating through the classroom.

Course Goals

• To read critically, listen carefully, write persuasively, speak thoughtfully, and think clearly (all important job skills);

• To analyze a primary source;• To see connections b/w past and present;

• AIDS/Plague; Classical/Modern democracy; Art

• To learn about “Western Civilization, 3000-B.C.-1700 A.D.”

More Course Information• Books (in bookstore now and on Reserve soon)

• Tom Noble, Western Civilization {textbook}, 6th ed.• Merry Wiesner, Discovering the Western Past {sourcebook} 6th ed.• Judith Bennett, A Medieval Life: Cecilia Penifader of Brigstock

• Assignments• 3 Map quizzes & 2 short written summaries• 2 Midterms (take-home OR in-class) & Final Exam• Participation, esp. on discussions of primary sources

• Syllabus & Course Description (handout and on course Website)

• “Code of Hammurabi” (in Wiesner)

• Map Terms & Map Quiz (on course website)

• MFA Trip on a weekday eve. in October (optional)• Course Web site: http://faculty.uml.edu/ccarlsmith• Lecture Capture and PDFs for our course• Arrival/Departure; Restrooms; Cell Phones

Contact

Prof. Carlsmith

Coburn Hall 108

Tel: (978) 934-4277

E-mail: [email protected]

Office Hours: MWF 12-1, M 2-3,

& happily by appt.

Course Web site: http://faculty.uml.edu/ccarlsmith/teaching/43.105

Periodization of European History

• Every society develops its own chronology and dating system (e.g., Chinese New Year, Jewish History, Muslim calendar**).

• In Western History, we use:• BC* (“Before Christ”) or BCE (“Before the Common Era”)• AD (“Anno Domini” = In Year of our Lord) or CE (“Common

Era”)

• *Invented ca. 525. AD by Dionysius Exiguus, to calculate dates of Easter Sunday, and birth of Christ; but he misdated Jesus’ birth by 4-6 years.

• **Our 2007 = Chinese Year of Boar or 4704-05; Jewish = 5767-68; Islamic = A.H. 1427-28 (Anno Hegira, = 622AD)

Periodization of European History

• Ancient (3000 BC – 600 BC)

• Classical (600 BC – 450 AD)

• Medieval (500 AD – 1400 AD)

• Early Modern (1400 AD -1800 AD)

• Modern (1800 AD – 1950 AD)

• Post-Modern (1950 – 20??)

What is “civilization”?• From “civis” = “citizen” or

member of a larger group.

• The cultural achievements of a specific group of people (e.g., “Mayan civilization”)

• “civilized” = refined, polite, opposite of barbaric.

• Complex Societies– Intensive agriculture– Urbanization– Division of labor– Social hierarchies– Government / State– Larger populations– Laws, Armies, “culture”

Band/Tribal Groups– Hunter/Gatherer– Nomadic villages– No specialization– Egalitarian– Family/clan leadership– Small populations

Bronze Age Empires of the Old World, 3500-1200: Origins of Civilization

(This lacks reference to Mesoamerican societies)

What does “Western” mean?

Alternate world views….

More alternate world views…

What differentiates “the West” today?

Which of the following is different between ‘East’ and ‘West’?

• Political forms

• Economic emphasis

• Religious vs. Secular authority

• Social Structures

• Intellectual achievements

• Artistic/Creative accomplishments

• Natural Resources

Today’s Agenda

• Introductions • Course Information

• Goals• Books• Syllabus & Course Description (Handouts)• Course Web site: http://faculty.uml.edu/ccarlsmith• Lecture Capture, Podcasts, and PDFs• Definitions

– Periodization, “Western”, “Civilization”

• Maps• Why Study W. Civ?

Today’s Agenda

• Introductions

• Course Information• Goals & Definitions

– Periodization, “Western”, “Civilization”

• Books• Syllabus & Course Description• Course Web site: http://faculty.uml.edu/ccarlsmith

• Maps

• Why Study Western Civ.?

Maps

• Geography is crucial to understanding history of the past.

• We’ll begin with maps of the Ancient World. – Look up terms tonight, on course website.– Review on Wed.; Map Quiz on Friday, 9/6.

Western Civ.: Past & PresentArchitecture

Western Civ.: Past & PresentSports and Culture

Western Civ.: Past & PresentReligion

For Friday

• Look up map terms

• Check course website, and review syllabus/course description/lecture notes

• Read assigned pages per syllabus