The Ancient Middle East and the Origins of Western CivilizationMaster ClassIn-Person

Commonly called “the cradle of civilization” or “the heartland of cities and empires,” the ancient Middle East is a region rich in history and major archeological findings. In this master class, we will survey the most important events in the ancient history of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the lands in between, including the  emergence of sedentism and agriculture; the evolution of urban, literate societies in the late fourth millennium; the development of city and nation states; and the subsequent expansion of world empires, well-known from historical books of the Bible. We will particularly examine key structural similarities and differences between Egypt and Mesopotamia in terms of religion, identity/ethnicity, government, art and scholarship. Together, we will better understand the progression of social, political, and economic concepts that laid the foundations of western civilization and shaped our contemporary society.

HUMANITIES, SOCIAL STUDIES, ANCIENT HISTORY, MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES