This course surveys the history of the ancient Near East, specifically in Western Asia, from the Neolithic Period through the Persian Empire, ca. 10,000-331 BC. It focuses on the rise of civilization in the Tigris-Euphrates river valley and the subsequent history and society of the kingdoms of Mesopotamia, the Mediterranean coast, Asia Minor and the Iranian plateau, including: Sumer, Akkad, Babylonia, Assyria, the Hittites, Syria, Phoenicia Canaan, and Persia. As such, it brings together the academic disciplines of Assyriology, Sumerology, Hittitology, Syro-Palestinian Studies and Achaemenid Studies. The class will explore the formation and interrelations of these different cultures, as revealed specifically in both their texts and archaeology, combining written documentation with material culture.

This course can also be applied to credits in the Classics major and Archaeology.