"World prehistory" is all the momentous and mundane events that involved the first bipedal, human-like creatures at least 3.5 million years ago, up through when people began writing things down in ways that we can read, which happened between 5000 years ago to just a few centuries ago, depending on the region. A rather large topic, this amounts to about 1,600 years of world events per minute of class time. Moving at a constant rate from the dawn of bipedalism, we would get to the great pyramids of Egypt about three minutes before the end of the last class.

This course, then, is a highly selective overview of world prehistory. We will look at a series of interesting problems and cases that will give you a taste of the richness of human creativity as cultures evolved from foraging lifestyles using the crudest of stone tools, through the increased control of nature by early farmers, to the rise of states and empires: in short, the deep and tangled roots of today's societies. On the way, we will touch on the European Neanderthals, the neolithic shrines of Çatal Hüyük, Stonehenge, the pyramids of Giza, the monumental Mississippian mound centers, and the Nazca lines, among many other impressive achievements of the past. Since the class is not too large, we can adjust the syllabus to accommodate any particular interests people may have. By the end of the class, you should have a broad sense not only of how people lived and what people did in the past, but also how it all fits together into an enormous, complex pattern linked together by conceptual tools such as biological and cultural evolution, the interplay of culture and the natural environment, the causes and effects of rising populations, and the origins and growth of economic and social hierarchies. Although the course focuses on what we think happened in the past, you will also learn about how archaeologists gather and analyze the evidence from which we tease out our prehistory.

Most classes will involve some lecture time, in which I will be able to address only a fraction of the material in the reading. I will try to put the material in context, highlight important points, and fill in interesting details or debates, as often as possible with slides. In addition, most classes will also include one or two very brief presentations by class members. Each of you will have two occasions to research a specific, narrow aspect of one period, site, or problem, and present your findings in class, along with a one or two page written "executive summary" with a list of at least three references. For these presentations, which should be around five minutes long, you will seek out information beyond the textbook, using library and/or internet sources. You may choose your subjects by signing up on a list of options that I will circulate in class; if you have other specific topics that you want to pursue, I will be happy to arrange that with you.

In addition to class participation, the course grade is based on a midterm, a final, and a research paper on a subject of your choice. The research paper can grow out of one of your in-class presentations, if you wish.

The syllabus indicates what you should read before each lecture. The readings are from four sources:

1. People of the Earth, by Brian Fagan (9^th edition): Our main source of information about prehistory. At the SSU bookstore.
2. Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries, by Kenneth Feder (3^rd edition): An entertaining introduction to what archaeology is not, and how to think like an archaeologist. At the SSU bookstore.
1. Reserve readings: There will be a few required readings that will be on reserve at the library. The specific items will be announced in class and on the class web page.
2. Web sites: I will also assign a few required, and numerous optional, web sites for you to view and read. Again, the specific sites will be announced in class and on the web page, and links will be available on the class web page for easy access.

The reading assignments range from about 15 to 80 pages per class meeting. The Feder readings are mostly fun and light, while the Fagan readings are denser. Although I dislike memorization as much as you do, in a course like this you will have to learn a lot of facts. To help you retain them, try to figure out the main arguments and why certain facts are important to them. Try to separate the important facts from those included for completeness. Consider outlining as you read, or writing a few paragraphs that summarize the reading.

Lectures will not cover all of the material in the readings, and will cover some material that is not included in the readings. I may distribute handouts at some lectures.

Class news, updates to the syllabus, assignments, web links, lecture notes, and some other course materials will be posted on the Anthropology 325 web page:

MOVED TO: http://www.bruceowen.com/worldprehist/325s2000.htm FORMERLY: http://members.aol.com/wprehist/325s2000.htm

Subject and Reading Schedule, Fall 2000

• Please read the material before each class, so that you can follow and participate in class discussion.
• As noted below, there will be a number of additional readings on reserve in the library, and several web pages that will be required viewing. The specifics of these assignments will be announced in class and posted on the class web page.
• This schedule is open for negotiation and changes, if class members want to focus on sites, periods, or archaeological problems that I have not included.

Final exam: Tuesday, May 23, 5:00 - 6:50.