HIST 1HThe History of World Civilizations to 1500 Honors

Catalog

This course examines the origins, major themes, and principal developments of world civilizations from prehistory to the 16th century. Emphasis is given to the emergence of complex societies and the rise and development of civilization in the ancient Near East, classical Mediterranean world, Asia, the later Mediterranean world, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. Central themes include urbanization and imperial impulses; individual-communal dynamic; emergence of major religious/philosophical traditions; elaboration of value systems and worldviews; science and the diffusion of technologies; human and natural environments interactions; historically varied formulations of identity. This course will have a limited class size, and more extensive writing assignments. Credit may be earned in either HIST 1 or 1H, but not both.