Announcement!
Please note that a more detailed assignment sheet is available on the syllabus.

Writing Prompts for Week 3
In Chapter 1, Stearns points out debates regarding the "deterioration of women's status" and over "agriculture as progress." To what extent are these appropriate questions? What are the assumptions made by the titles of these debates? To what extent do these debates reflect our efforts to understand the past? To what extent do they reflect our efforts to understand or evaluate the world around us now? Are these "objective" questions, or are they culturally determined?

Writing Prompts for Weeks 1 and 2
Stavrianos comments (p. 19) that human social organization has been as important a factor in human development as technology. What do you think? Was this true in the past? Is it true now?

Comment on Stavrianos's choice of categories for his "Lifelines." Would you make the same choices? What else might be considered? What are the strengths or weaknesses of his structure.

Readings for September 16
In the Epic of Gilgamesh we find lots of information about Mesopotamian society. What kinds of information does it provide about such things as daily life, social structures, or political institutions? We also learn quite a bit about Mesopotamian religion. How would you describe it based on Gilgamesh?
The Code of Hammurabi is also treasure of information about Mesopotamian society- social classes, economics, marriage, occupations, justice, and so on. What is the source of authority for Hammurabi's laws? What do you make of the "throwing in the river?" On what basis could you argue that this code marks a significant advance in law and the ordering of society?
What kinds of concerns are reflected in the excerpts from the Codes of the Nesilim and the Assyrians? What similarities or differences do you see to the Code of Hammurabi?

What is the relationship of God to the Hebrews in the excerpts from Exodus? To other people? What kinds of concerns are reflected in the excerpts you read? What similarities to or differences from the other legal codes do you see? How would you compare the Hebrews to their rough contemporaries in the Middle East?

How would you compare the mentality (mood, outlook) of the Egyptian documents with that of the Mesopotamian ones?
How would you describe the society described in Ptah-Hotep's advice? From where does wisdom come?

Introduction
Welcome to History 50! This weblog will serve as a kind of notice board for the class. I will post writing prompts, discussion questions, and other class materials on this weblog. I will also use it to notify you of changes. Please monitor it periodically. You can comment or ask questions about the postings on this log, but comments will not be published on the site.