ANTH 129 - Ancient Civilizations

Upper Division

Prerequisites
Successful completion of ANTH 005 is recommended, but NOT required.

Ninety-nine percent of human cultural development took place before the advent of written records, and therefore archaeology is the primary source of knowledge of these cultures. This course focuses on the practices of prehistoric people, such as how they made stone tools, decorated cave walls, organized their villages, domesticated plants, and built monuments like Stonehenge. Special attention is given to topics such as gender, kinship, religion, and art. Students also learn how cross-cultural comparisons of ancient civilizations have led to insights regarding the emergence of cultural complexity, city life, social classes, and other modern social phenomena.

Course credits: 1