Civilization Past & Present

I. THE ANCIENT WORLD. 1. Stone Age Societies and the Earliest Civilizations of the Near East. The Development of Humankind. Preliterate Cultures. Paleolithic Cultures. Mesolithic, or Transitional, Cultures. The Neolithic Revolution and Advent of Agriculture. Preliterate Society and Religion. Social Organization. Mesopotamia: The First Civilization. The Emergence of Civilization in Sumer, c. 3200-2800 B.C.E. The Old Sumerian Period, c. 2800-2300 B.C.E. The Akkadian Period, c. 2300-2150 B.C.E. The Neo-Sumerian Period, c. 2150-2000 B.C.E. The Old Babylonian Period, c. 2000-1600 B.C.E. Mathematics and Science. Literature and Religion. The End of an Era. Egypt: Gift of the Nile. Predynastic Egypt. The Middle Kingdom, c. 2050-1800 B.C.E. The New Kingdom or Empire, 1570-1090 B.C.E. Third Intermediate Period, 1090-332 B.C.E. Nubia and the Kingdom of Kush. Egyptian Society and Economy. Egyptian Religion. Mathematics and Science. Architecture and Art. Writing and Literary Texts. The Hittites, c. 2000-1200 B.C.E. The Hittite Empire. Hittite Civilization. The Era of Small States, 1200-700 B.C.E. The Phoenicians. The Hebrews. Hebrew Religion. The Aramaeans. Later Empires of Western Asia, c. 700-500 B.C.E. The Assyrian Empire. Assyrian Culture. Downfall of the Assyrian Empire. The Lydians and the Medes. The Chaldean (Neo-Babylonian) Empire. The Persian Empire. Persian Government. Persian Religion and Art. Documents. The Conception of Space in Primeval Art. The Majesty of Darius the Great: A Persian Royal Inscription. Discovery Through Maps. Oldest Known Map. 2. India and China to 300 B.C.E. Early India. The Indus Civilization, c. 2500-1500 B.C.E. The Aryan Immigration and the Vedic Age, 1500-600 B.C.E. The Later Vedic Age, c. 1000-600 B.C.E. Village, Caste, and Family. Indian Religious Traditions, 600-300 B.C.E. The Hindu Synthesis. The Epics. The Jains, Friends of All Beings. The Middle Way of Gautama Buddha. Buddhism After the Buddha. The Mauryan Empire and Its Aftermath, 320-300 B.C.E. Ashoka, India's Greatest King. Fall of the Mauryan Empire. Bactrian Greeks and Kushans. The Creation of China. The Bronze Age: China to the Fifth Century . The "Feudal" Age 1027-221 B.C.E. The Philosophic Schools. Confucianism: Rationalized Hierarchy. Taoism: Intuitive Mysticism. Mencius's Contribution to Confucianism. Legalism. The First Chinese Empire. China United. The Han Dynasty: The Empire Consolidated. Han Scholarship, Art, and Technology. Popular Taoism and Buddhism. The Meeting of East and West: Networks of Exchange. China and Foreign Trade. India's Trading Empire. Documents. The Ramayana: The Trial of Sita. Mencius on Human Nature. Discovery Through Maps. An Ancient Chinese Map. 3. The Greek Achievement: Minoan, Mycenaean, Hellenic, and Hellenistic Civilizations. Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations, 2000-1200 B.C.E. The Minoans. The Mycenaens. The Rise of Hellenic Civilization, 1150-500 B.C.E. The Influence of Geography. The Homeric Age. From Oligarchy to Tyranny. Athens to 500 B.C.E. Sparta to 500 B.C.E. Unity and Strife in the Hellenic World, 500-336 B.C.E. The Persian Wars. Culmination of Athenian Democracy. Athenian Imperialism. The Peloponnesian War. Aftermath of the War. The Macedonian Unification of Greece. The Greek Genius. The Greek Character. Greek Religious Development. Early Greek Philosophy. Socrates, a Martyr to Truth. Plato and His Theory of Ideas. Aristotle, the Encyclopedic Philosopher. Medicine. The Writing of History. Hellenic Poetry and DramBrummett, Palmira is the author of 'Civilization Past & Present', published 2000 under ISBN 9780321053022 and ISBN 0321053028.