The Ancient Near East: Mesopotamia and Egypt
HIST 3110 (14623)/ARTH (15207)
TR 10:30-11:45; EBB 218

Mark Damen (mark.damen@usu.edu)
Main 307
Office hours: MWF 10:30-11:30

[To see a brief overview of what will be covered each day in class, click here.]

Purpose. The purpose of this class is to review the course of human development in two of the so-called “cradles of civilizations,” Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. We will look with varying degrees of depth into the political, military, social and artistic evolution of these closely situated and associated cultures in an effort to see what patterns and interconnections the evidence affords. Also, insofar as much of this forms the backdrop of those Ancient Israelite texts which have come to be called The Old Testament, we will also address their relevance to our understanding of the inter-cultural milieu that was the matrix for that work and comprised the “trade basin” of the Ancient Near East. All in all, we will be investigating the very furthest horizon of history from which we today have our best picture of one cultural font from which nothing less than Western civilization itself arose. The view that emerges from this highly fragmented picture of a huge expanse of history depends largely on how one reads the evidence, and so we will also address by necessity fundamental questions about historiography and what may be construed from the motley variety of sources we are left with. In other words, this class is about not only what happened but also how we today reconstruct what happened.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because so much documentation and textual information has been lost or is lacking, the study of Ancient Near Eastern civilization necessitates close examination of the iconographic information which forms the basis of much of our knowledge and appreciation of this corner of antiquity. Without some understanding of what art and archaeology have brought to us concerning the lives and times of the peoples of the Ancient Near East, one cannot claim to have any real grasp of their world. Thus, much time and attention in class and assigned readings will be spent discussing and analyzing the material remains of Mesopotamian and Egyptian culture as opposed to the sort of documentary data with which the majority of historical researchers are most familiar. In other words, traditional students of history may find the approach to studying the past here a conceptual challenge. You have been forewarned!

Grades. The following are the maximum number of points awarded for the projects that will constitute your final grade. Totals refer to the highest point value that will be awarded to an assignment. For most assignments credit will be determined in proportion to the quality of the work. Assignments are listed in general accordance with their due dates (from earliest to latest). An asterisk (*) indicates that an assignment is required. For failure to complete a required assignment, see below (“Required vs. Optional Assignments”).

The nature of each assignment is discussed in “Class Projects and Grading” (see below). Here are important points to note about grading:

• Missed (optional) work will count as zero.
• No make ups will be given.
• To receive consideration for full credit, written work must be turned in as hard copy or on line via Canvas on or before its due date. No work will be accepted via email.
• Late work will be reduced by 25% in total credit for every day (24-hour period) after the deadline including weekend days and holidays.
• All written work must be typed and look professional in order to receive credit.
• Cheating of any sort and to any degree will be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible. This includes plagiarism. If you are unfamiliar with the University’s definition of plagiarism, please see Article VI of the Student Code, along with the comments appended to the end of the section on Style (after #20) in A Guide to Writing in History and Classics.
• Incompletes will not be given except in strict accordance with University policy.
• All course work must be turned in by the time scheduled for the Final Exam (see Syllabus).

Grading Scale. Final grades will be assigned according to the following scale. Numbers below refer to the total amount of points accumulated from the sum of all graded assignments.

Study Habits. Because this is a class that requires a good deal of reading and memorization, it is imperative that you keep up with assignments. Cramming leads directly to failure. See me immediately if you are having troubles staying up with the class. I am ready and willing to help you, but I can do nothing if you do not come to me first. Use your tuition and tax dollars wisely and see me if you think I can help.

Required Recitations. Twice early in the term (for date, see Syllabus) I will meet with you in class to cover an important matter that pertains to your performance in this course but not its content directly, namely, the style of writing used by professional historians. In my experience even the best-trained and most insightful students benefit from a clear and forthright presentation by their history instructor of the expectations for written work in a particular class, which is what I will do at these recitations. ***Thus, I REQUIRE ALL STUDENTS TO ATTEND THESE RECITATIONS!*** I will take attendance those days. If you do not attend both recitations, I will NOT accept from you any written assignments for credit. If you believe that you do not need to be present at these recitations because of your mastery of historical style or for any reason you seek to be excused, please come and see me before the dates on which they are scheduled. There will be no discussion about attendance or excuses accepted after the dates of the recitations.

Revision. Students whose written work requires correction for factual or stylistic errors may at times be offered the opportunity to revise and resubmit their work for additional credit. Revision opportunities will be limited to only certain exercises at the instructor’s discretion. No revisions will be allowed two weeks before the last day of class. Click here for directions about how to revise written work.

Required vs. Optional Assignments. Some assignments are required (indicated with an asterisk in Grades, see above); others are not. Students must turn in the required assignments by the scheduled deadline or the maximum points designated for a missed assignment will be deducted from the student’s grade total. This includes every Quiz and Essay as well as the Summary and Capstone Papers. Other assignments are optional. Students are at liberty to do them or not. These include Reactions, ABWS, Research Paper and Project(s). .

Returning Graded Materials. In order to ensure fair and equal treatment for all students, I will not as a rule return any materials to anyone until all assignments of the same kind have been graded. Unfortunately, that means there may be a delay in my returning certain materials to you, in particular, Annotated Bibliographies, Projects, Research Papers and other assignments entailing complex grading procedures. If you need to have materials graded and returned to you by a certain date (to assess, for instance, whether or not you need to do other assignments in the class), please turn them at least TWO weeks before the date on which you want to know your grade. That may involve handing in certain materials significantly ahead of the designated deadline. In other words, if your grade on a particular assignment is of that much concern to you, then you must give me the time to assess it properly. Please understand I will work to get assignments graded and back to you as efficiently as possible, but I must also work within the constraints of class size and course schedule, with an eye to equality and quality for all.

Students with ADA-documented physical, sensory, emotional or medical impairments may be eligible for reasonable accommodations. Veterans may also be eligible for services. All accommodations are coordinated through the Disability Resource Center (DRC) in Room 101 of the University Inn, (435)797-2444 voice, (435)797-0740 TTY, or toll free at 1-800-259-2966. Please contact the DRC as early in the semester as possible. Alternate format materials (Braille, large print or digital) are available with advance notice. .

All of this is subject to change. Students are responsible for incorporating into the materials on this course web site (including the syllabus, course description, project descriptions and course outline) all alterations in scheduling, deadlines and assignments announced in class.