ANTH 240: Ancient Civilizations

(1 Unit)
Prerequisite: ANTH 105 or permission of instructor.
Although the human species has been on the planet in its present form for at least 100,000 years, complexly organized societies with cities, governments and organized religions did not emerge until the last 5,000. This phenomenon took place independently throughout the globe, and while some ancient civilizations collapsed, others became the foundations upon which the modern world was constructed. Why is this so? Through a comparative analysis of Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Indus, Maya, Aztec and Incan societies, among others, students will learn to analyze the factors that have led to the emergence and transformation of civilizations. Chase.