NELC111 - Water in the Middle East Throughout History

Status
C
Activity
LEC
Section number integer
401
Title (text only)
Water in the Middle East Throughout History
Term
2020C
Syllabus URL
Subject area
NELC
Section number only
401
Section ID
NELC111401
Course number integer
111
Registration notes
Course is available to Freshmen and Upperclassmen.
Crse Online: Sync & Async Components
Freshman Seminar
Humanities & Social Science Sector
Meeting times
TR 10:30 AM-12:00 PM
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Emily L Hammer
Description
Water scarcity is one of most important problems facing much of the Middle East and North Africa today. These are arid regions, but human and natural systems have interacted to determine relative water scarcity and abundance at different times and places. This course examines the distribution of water resources throughout the Middle East and the archaeology and anthropology of water exploitation and management over the last 9000 years, looking at continuities and changes through time. Students will learn to make basic digital maps representing Middle Eastern hydro-geography and arguments about modern and historic water resources in the region. The class will cooperatively play an "irrigation management game" designed to familiarize personnel involved in the operation of irrigation schemes with the logistical and social issues involved in water management. We will engage with a variety of media, including academic readings, popular journalism, films, satellite imagery, and digital maps, in our quest to explore whether or not the past can inform present efforts to better manage modern water resources. The course is structured in units focused on each of the major hydro-environmental zones of the Middle East: the river valleys of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Levant, the internal basins of western Central Asia and the Levant, the deserts of Arabia and North Africa, highland zones in Yemen and Iran, and coastal marsh areas along the Persian Gulf. We will examine irrigation systems, water supply systems, and ways of life surrounding water sources known from ethnographic studies, history, and archaeological excavations. These data will allow us to engage with debates in Middle Eastern anthropology, including those concerning the relationship between water and political power, the environment in which the world's earliest cities arose, and the relevance of "lessons of the past" for present and potential future water crises and "water wars." In our final weeks, we will discuss archaeology and historical anthropology's contribution to conceptions of water "sustainability" and examine attempts to revive traditional/ancient technologies and attitudes about water.
Course number only
111
Cross listings
ANTH110401
Fulfills
Cross Cultural Analysis
Use local description
No

NELC101 - Introduction To the Ancient Near East

Status
O
Activity
REC
Section number integer
404
Title (text only)
Introduction To the Ancient Near East
Term
2020C
Subject area
NELC
Section number only
404
Section ID
NELC101404
Course number integer
101
Registration notes
Course is available to Freshmen and Upperclassmen.
Crse Online: Sync & Async Components
Registration also required for Lecture (see below)
Meeting times
F 10:00 AM-11:00 AM
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Robert James Vigar
Description
The great pyramids and mysterious mummies of Egypt, the fabled Tower of Babel, and the laws of the Babylonian king Hammurabi are some of the things that might come to mind when you think of the ancient Near East. Yet these are only a very few of the many fascinating -- and at time perplexing -- aspects of the civilizations that flourished there c. 3300-300 BCE. This is where writing first developed, where people thought that the gods wrote down what would happen in the future on the lungs and livers of sacrificed sheep, and where people knew how to determine the length of hypotenuse a thousand years before the Greek Pythagoras was born. During this course, we will learn more about these other matters and discover their place in the cultures and civilizations of that area. This is an interdisciplinary survey of the history, society and culture of the ancient Near East, in particular Egypt and Mesopotamia, utilizing extensive readings from ancient texts in translation (including the Epic of Gilgamesh, "one of the great masterpieces of world literature"), but also making use of archaeological and art historical materials. The goal of the course is to gain an appreciation of the various societies of the time, to understand some of their great achievements, to become acquainted with some of the fascinating individuals of the time (such as Hatshepsut, "the women pharaoh," and Akhenaten, "the heretic king"), and to appreciate the rich heritage that they have left us.
Course number only
101
Cross listings
ANCH025404, HIST024404
Fulfills
Cross Cultural Analysis
Use local description
No

NELC101 - Introduction To the Ancient Near East

Status
O
Activity
REC
Section number integer
403
Title (text only)
Introduction To the Ancient Near East
Term
2020C
Subject area
NELC
Section number only
403
Section ID
NELC101403
Course number integer
101
Registration notes
Course is available to Freshmen and Upperclassmen.
Crse Online: Sync & Async Components
Registration also required for Lecture (see below)
Meeting times
F 09:00 AM-10:00 AM
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Marc Marin Webb
Description
The great pyramids and mysterious mummies of Egypt, the fabled Tower of Babel, and the laws of the Babylonian king Hammurabi are some of the things that might come to mind when you think of the ancient Near East. Yet these are only a very few of the many fascinating -- and at time perplexing -- aspects of the civilizations that flourished there c. 3300-300 BCE. This is where writing first developed, where people thought that the gods wrote down what would happen in the future on the lungs and livers of sacrificed sheep, and where people knew how to determine the length of hypotenuse a thousand years before the Greek Pythagoras was born. During this course, we will learn more about these other matters and discover their place in the cultures and civilizations of that area. This is an interdisciplinary survey of the history, society and culture of the ancient Near East, in particular Egypt and Mesopotamia, utilizing extensive readings from ancient texts in translation (including the Epic of Gilgamesh, "one of the great masterpieces of world literature"), but also making use of archaeological and art historical materials. The goal of the course is to gain an appreciation of the various societies of the time, to understand some of their great achievements, to become acquainted with some of the fascinating individuals of the time (such as Hatshepsut, "the women pharaoh," and Akhenaten, "the heretic king"), and to appreciate the rich heritage that they have left us.
Course number only
101
Cross listings
ANCH025403, HIST024403
Fulfills
Cross Cultural Analysis
Use local description
No

NELC101 - Introduction To the Ancient Near East

Status
O
Activity
REC
Section number integer
402
Title (text only)
Introduction To the Ancient Near East
Term
2020C
Subject area
NELC
Section number only
402
Section ID
NELC101402
Course number integer
101
Registration notes
Course is available to Freshmen and Upperclassmen.
Crse Online: Sync & Async Components
Registration also required for Lecture (see below)
Meeting times
F 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Robert James Vigar
Description
The great pyramids and mysterious mummies of Egypt, the fabled Tower of Babel, and the laws of the Babylonian king Hammurabi are some of the things that might come to mind when you think of the ancient Near East. Yet these are only a very few of the many fascinating -- and at time perplexing -- aspects of the civilizations that flourished there c. 3300-300 BCE. This is where writing first developed, where people thought that the gods wrote down what would happen in the future on the lungs and livers of sacrificed sheep, and where people knew how to determine the length of hypotenuse a thousand years before the Greek Pythagoras was born. During this course, we will learn more about these other matters and discover their place in the cultures and civilizations of that area. This is an interdisciplinary survey of the history, society and culture of the ancient Near East, in particular Egypt and Mesopotamia, utilizing extensive readings from ancient texts in translation (including the Epic of Gilgamesh, "one of the great masterpieces of world literature"), but also making use of archaeological and art historical materials. The goal of the course is to gain an appreciation of the various societies of the time, to understand some of their great achievements, to become acquainted with some of the fascinating individuals of the time (such as Hatshepsut, "the women pharaoh," and Akhenaten, "the heretic king"), and to appreciate the rich heritage that they have left us.
Course number only
101
Cross listings
ANCH025402, HIST024402
Fulfills
Cross Cultural Analysis
Use local description
No

NELC101 - Intro To Anc Near East

Status
O
Activity
LEC
Section number integer
401
Title (text only)
Intro To Anc Near East
Term
2020C
Syllabus URL
Subject area
NELC
Section number only
401
Section ID
NELC101401
Course number integer
101
Registration notes
Course is available to Freshmen and Upperclassmen.
Crse Online: Sync & Async Components
Registration also required for Recitation (see below)
Meeting times
TR 03:00 PM-04:00 PM
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Emily L Hammer
Description
The great pyramids and mysterious mummies of Egypt, the fabled Tower of Babel, and the laws of the Babylonian king Hammurabi are some of the things that might come to mind when you think of the ancient Near East. Yet these are only a very few of the many fascinating -- and at time perplexing -- aspects of the civilizations that flourished there c. 3300-300 BCE. This is where writing first developed, where people thought that the gods wrote down what would happen in the future on the lungs and livers of sacrificed sheep, and where people knew how to determine the length of hypotenuse a thousand years before the Greek Pythagoras was born. During this course, we will learn more about these other matters and discover their place in the cultures and civilizations of that area. This is an interdisciplinary survey of the history, society and culture of the ancient Near East, in particular Egypt and Mesopotamia, utilizing extensive readings from ancient texts in translation (including the Epic of Gilgamesh, "one of the great masterpieces of world literature"), but also making use of archaeological and art historical materials. The goal of the course is to gain an appreciation of the various societies of the time, to understand some of their great achievements, to become acquainted with some of the fascinating individuals of the time (such as Hatshepsut, "the women pharaoh," and Akhenaten, "the heretic king"), and to appreciate the rich heritage that they have left us.
Course number only
101
Cross listings
ANCH025401, HIST024401
Fulfills
History & Tradition Sector
Cross Cultural Analysis
Use local description
No

NELC052 - Med & Early Mod Jewry

Status
O
Activity
LEC
Section number integer
401
Title (text only)
Med & Early Mod Jewry
Term
2020C
Syllabus URL
Subject area
NELC
Section number only
401
Section ID
NELC052401
Course number integer
52
Registration notes
Crse Online: Sync & Async Components
Meeting times
TR 01:30 PM-03:00 PM
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Anne O Albert
Description
Follow the journey of one global diaspora over a millennium of cultural, intellectual, social, and religious change. From the rise of Islam in the seventh century to the separation of church and state in the seventeenth, Jewish people were intimate parts of, and at the same time utterly othered by, the many societies in which they lived. This basic duality is at the heart of this course, exploring how Jewish religion and culture evolved in relationship with Muslim and Christian majorities. Students will develop an understanding of the rich dynamism of premodern Judaism and Jewish life, with an emphasis on global diversity and internal differentiation as well as change over time. We will look for threads of continuity and moments of transformation, decode illustrative texts, images, and documents (in English), and ask how the Judaism that faced modernity had been shaped by a staggering array of different cultural circumstances after antiquity. The course includes attention to anti-Jewish phenomena like expulsion and blood libel, but also at coexistence and creative cultural synthesis, avoiding any simplistic narrative and asking about their legacy in the present day. It will look at the Jewish past from the inside, including less familiar dimensions including philosophy, magic, messianism, and family life.
Course number only
052
Cross listings
RELS121401, HIST140401, JWST157401
Fulfills
History & Tradition Sector
Use local description
No

NELC045 - Ancient Iraq

Status
O
Activity
SEM
Section number integer
301
Title (text only)
Ancient Iraq
Term
2020C
Syllabus URL
Subject area
NELC
Section number only
301
Section ID
NELC045301
Course number integer
45
Registration notes
Crse Online: Sync & Async Components
Freshman Seminar
Meeting times
R 01:30 PM-04:30 PM
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Philip Jones
Description
The land and peoples of Iraq have a long and rich history stemming from the birth of writing in its earliest cities. Beginning with the landscapes and environments, we discover the most important elements of Iraq's ancient civilizations. The course includes several visits to the Penn Museum to view the galleries and engage with tablets and other artifacts first hand.
Course number only
045
Use local description
No

NELC036 - Mideast Thru Many Lenses

Status
C
Activity
SEM
Section number integer
401
Title (text only)
Mideast Thru Many Lenses
Term
2020C
Syllabus URL
Subject area
NELC
Section number only
401
Section ID
NELC036401
Course number integer
36
Registration notes
Course is available to Freshmen and Upperclassmen.
Crse Online: Sync & Async Components
Freshman Seminar
Meeting times
T 01:30 PM-04:30 PM
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Heather Sharkey
Description
This freshman seminar introduces the contemporary Middle East by drawing upon cutting-edge studies written from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. These include history, political science, and anthropology, as well as studies of mass media, sexuality, religion, urban life, and the environment. We will spend the first few weeks of the semester surveying major trends in modern Middle Eastern history. We will spend subsequent weeks intensively discussing assigned readings along with documentary films that we will watch in class. The semester will leave students with both a foundation in Middle Eastern studies and a sense of current directions in the field.
Course number only
036
Cross listings
CIMS036401
Fulfills
Cross Cultural Analysis
Use local description
No

NELC031 - History of the Middle East Since 1800

Status
X
Activity
REC
Section number integer
407
Title (text only)
History of the Middle East Since 1800
Term
2020C
Subject area
NELC
Section number only
407
Section ID
NELC031407
Course number integer
31
Registration notes
Crse Online: Sync & Async Components
Registration also required for Lecture (see below)
Meeting times
CANCELED
Level
undergraduate
Description
A survey of the modern Middle East with special emphasis on the experiences of ordinary men and women as articulated in biographies, novels, and regional case studies. Issues covered include the collapse of empires and the rise of a new state system following WWI, and the roots and consequences of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Iranian revolution and the U.S.-Iraq War. Themes include: the colonial encounter with Europe and the emergence of nationalist movements, the relationship between state and society, economic development and international relations, and religion and cultural identity.
Course number only
031
Cross listings
HIST081407
Use local description
No

NELC031 - History of the Middle East Since 1800

Status
O
Activity
REC
Section number integer
406
Title (text only)
History of the Middle East Since 1800
Term
2020C
Subject area
NELC
Section number only
406
Section ID
NELC031406
Course number integer
31
Registration notes
Crse Online: Sync & Async Components
Registration also required for Lecture (see below)
Meeting times
R 04:30 PM-05:30 PM
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Razan Abdurrahman Idris
Description
A survey of the modern Middle East with special emphasis on the experiences of ordinary men and women as articulated in biographies, novels, and regional case studies. Issues covered include the collapse of empires and the rise of a new state system following WWI, and the roots and consequences of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Iranian revolution and the U.S.-Iraq War. Themes include: the colonial encounter with Europe and the emergence of nationalist movements, the relationship between state and society, economic development and international relations, and religion and cultural identity.
Course number only
031
Cross listings
HIST081406
Use local description
No