Assignments
Read the assignments for the first topic. Pay attention to the information emphasized on the listserv.
Assignment 1 - The Beginnings of Civilization
For this assignment, you will need a copy of The Epic of Gilgamesh; any translation will do. If you wish to purchase a copy, it's available in most commercial bookstores. It's not necessary, however, to buy a copy since it's widely available in college and public libraries.
The Gilgamesh epic is a poem composed around 2500 B.C. It is the earliest known epic. The theme of the poem is human beings' search for immortality. Read The Epic of Gilgamesh and write a paper on Gilgamesh's adventures by exploring questions raised in the epic, such as: What is the relationship between human beings and their deities? How is Gilgamesh linked with the world of nature and animals? What is the meaning of friendship, family, and public duty? How did Gilgamesh live in the face of mortality? What tests did Gilgamesh face throughout his life? How does this epic inform the reader about ancient history?
Possible resources to assist you:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook.html
http://www.eawc.evansville.edu/essays/brown.html
Remember: Use online resources to support your ideas and always cite them.
Assignment 2- Comparison of the Greeks and Romans
You have several options: I. Write a paper focusing
on the Greek "orientalizing" period.
What were the influences affecting the
early development of Greek art in this
period? Where did the influences come
from and who were the people causing
this impact? II. Write a paper on the
diversity within the Roman Empire, the
sources of that diversity, and how it
was expressed. For example, along Hadrian's
Wall, dividing northern England and Scotland,
archaeologists have found large temples
to Mithras. Why are there temples to
a Persian deity in northern England?
III. Choose a literary or dramatic work
from Greek or Roman writers and analyze
the ideas found in it. IV. Write a paper
on the development of philosophy among
the Greeks. V. Research function/importance
of their work.
Possible resources to assist you:
http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/GREECE/GREECE.HTM
http://www.kent.pvt.k12.ct.us/Departments/General_Studies/Medtour/Proes.html
Remember: Use online resources to support your ideas and always cite them.
Assignment 3 - Aspects of Jewish, Roman Christian,
and Byzantine
Cultures
There are three choices for this assignment:
I. Research and discuss how Synagogue
architecture and religious practices
developed, and influenced early Christianity.
II. Choose an early Christian art work,
outside the Byzantine area, describe
it in detail and discuss how it represents
early Christian beliefs. III. Choose
an example of Byzantine art or architecture,
describe it in detail and discuss its
history and relationship to the religion
and culture.
Possible resource to assist you:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/byzantium
Remember: Use online resources to support your ideas and always cite them.
Assignment 4 - India, China, and Japan
Choose one of the following topics for your paper.
I. Research and discuss Gupta period
Buddhist art in India, detailing how
it was influenced by Hellenistic art
and how Buddhism spread westward. II.
Write a paper on the achievements of
the very brief Qin dynasty and the spread
of Chinese influence. III. Write a paper
comparing the interrelationship between
Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism in
China; or between Shintoism and Buddhism
in Japan. Show how Buddhism evolved from
its Indian origin.
Possible resource to assist you:
http://fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook.html
Remember: Use online resources to support your ideas and always cite them.
Assignment 5 - Islam and the European Middle
Ages
Options for this assignment are: I. Describe
the achievements of Islamic doctors and
scientists in relation to those of Europe
during the same period. II. Explain the
processes and development of manuscript
making, calligraphy, and illumination.
This includes both Islamic and European
forms. III. Analyze a literary work from
the Middle Ages. This could include the
work of Dante, Bocaccio, Chaucer, or
Christine de Pisan. IV. Discuss the Crusades
from the Islamic point of view.
Possible resource to assist you:
http://www.georgetown.edu.labyrinth.html
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html
http://www.greatbuildings.com
Remember: Use online resources to support your ideas and always cite them.
Assignment 6 -
The Americas
You have three options to
choose from: I. Describe the achievements of
the civilization of Tenochtitlan OR of the
Maya (choose only one -- if you discuss the
pyramids, show how they differ from pyramids
in other parts of the world). II. Track the
early development and later dispersion/re-establishment
of the Chaco Canyon civilization. III. Describe
the Adena culture and the European reaction
to it. |
