For your final, you should be able to...
Recreate our timeline with the bullet point details.
Explain the significance of each major era on the timeline.
Explain the significance of the development of agriculture.
Discuss the Big 5 Thinkers (+1 ), including who they were, what was unique about their ideas, and why they are still relevant.
Explain why it is challenging to define the period between 500 BC and 1500 AD.
Discuss the new / evolving theories about the peopling of the Americas during both the Paleolithic and Classical eras.
Discuss the 3 "roads" identified by Strayer and how his approach is unique in describing them.
Discuss the expansion of Islamic civilization during the Classical era.
Discuss the flourishing of Chinese civilization during the Classical era.
Discuss why Paleolithic-style gatherer-hunter societies are still relevant today.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Research Paper prompt
Strayer believes that Paleolithic societies were more egalitarian than later societies in three aspects: wealth, power and gender. Choose one of the 7 ancient civilizations we have examined. Is it really less egalitarian than the Paleolithic / Neolithic society it replaced? 6-8 pages.
1) Please create an annotated bibliography for this assignment, including at least 6 sources.
2) Then write the paper.
1) Please create an annotated bibliography for this assignment, including at least 6 sources.
2) Then write the paper.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Annotated Bibliography & Research Paper asignment
Dear Students,
Since I have not yet had a chance to review this assignment in class with you all verbally, I will extend the deadline for the Annotated Bibliography portion of the assignment. We will talk about the Research Paper and the Bibliography in class on Monday. Please pass this information along to any other student you run into from our class.
PA
Since I have not yet had a chance to review this assignment in class with you all verbally, I will extend the deadline for the Annotated Bibliography portion of the assignment. We will talk about the Research Paper and the Bibliography in class on Monday. Please pass this information along to any other student you run into from our class.
PA
Monday, October 17, 2011
Midterm Study Guide
Timeline
Please be prepared to draw our timeline so far, including date ranges from the Paleolithic through the Classical era and major developments associated with each era. You should spend no more than 15 minutes on this part of the midterm.
Short Answer
You will be asked to write short answers on 6 of the following topics. You should spend no more than 5 minutes on each short-answer response.
What is the significance of Strayer’s use of the term “gatherer-hunter”?
Strayer believes that Paleolithic human societies may have been more egalitarian than modern human societies. What does he mean by this? What evidence does he cite in support of his belief?
What was the significance of the development of agriculture?
What did it mean to be “civilized” to the Mesopotamians who created The Epic of Gilgamesh?
What is a city-state? How were city-states of the Ancient Era different from civilizations of the Ancient Era? Give at least one example.
What do we know about the ancient Indus Valley civilization? Why don’t we know more about it?
Compare and contrast the ancient civilizations of Norte Chico and the Olmecs.
Compare and contrast the ancient civilizations of China and the Indus Valley.
Compare and contrast the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia.
Who were the Aegean Greeks? How were they different from the Classical Greeks?
What is humanism? Why do we still study it in the 21st century?
Define the Greek concept of hubris. Give at least one example.
Please be prepared to draw our timeline so far, including date ranges from the Paleolithic through the Classical era and major developments associated with each era. You should spend no more than 15 minutes on this part of the midterm.
Short Answer
You will be asked to write short answers on 6 of the following topics. You should spend no more than 5 minutes on each short-answer response.
What is the significance of Strayer’s use of the term “gatherer-hunter”?
Strayer believes that Paleolithic human societies may have been more egalitarian than modern human societies. What does he mean by this? What evidence does he cite in support of his belief?
What was the significance of the development of agriculture?
What did it mean to be “civilized” to the Mesopotamians who created The Epic of Gilgamesh?
What is a city-state? How were city-states of the Ancient Era different from civilizations of the Ancient Era? Give at least one example.
What do we know about the ancient Indus Valley civilization? Why don’t we know more about it?
Compare and contrast the ancient civilizations of Norte Chico and the Olmecs.
Compare and contrast the ancient civilizations of China and the Indus Valley.
Compare and contrast the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia.
Who were the Aegean Greeks? How were they different from the Classical Greeks?
What is humanism? Why do we still study it in the 21st century?
Define the Greek concept of hubris. Give at least one example.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Schedule rest of semester
WEEK NINE
10/24 One-on-one midterm reviews; class activity relating to research project
10/26 Classical Era – the Roman Empire
DUE: WW Chapter 5
10/28 Christianity
DUE: WW Chapter 6
WEEK TEN
10/31 Islam
DUE: WW Chapter 11
11/2 Islam
DUE: Reading TBD
11/4 Africa & the Americas
DUE: WW Chapter 7
WEEK ELEVEN
11/7 Commerce & Culture: Silk Roads, Sand Roads & Sea Roads
DUE: WW Chapter 8
11/9 Kelp Roads, Austronesian Migrations
DUE: DGP re Austronesian Migrations
11/11 The Golden Age of China
DUE: WW Chapter 9
WEEK TWELVE
11/14 Christendom
DUE: WW Introduction to Part Three & Chapter 10
11/16 Peoples who leave no written record; Nomadic civilizations: The Mongols
DUE: WW Chapter 12
11/18 Mongols, primary sources
DUE: Short primary source reading
WEEK THIRTEEN
11/21 Recap and review of the Classical Era
11/23 Study period for students with incomplete items
11/25 No class – Thanksgiving break
WEEK FOURTEEN
11/28 The European Renaissance, early Modern thought world
11/30 The Worlds of the 15th Century
DUE: WW Chapter 13
12/2 Readings from Columbus and other Conquistadores
DUE: Oral History Research Project
WEEK FIFTEEN
12/5 Final Exam
12/7 Research project presentations
12/9 Research project presentations
10/24 One-on-one midterm reviews; class activity relating to research project
10/26 Classical Era – the Roman Empire
DUE: WW Chapter 5
10/28 Christianity
DUE: WW Chapter 6
WEEK TEN
10/31 Islam
DUE: WW Chapter 11
11/2 Islam
DUE: Reading TBD
11/4 Africa & the Americas
DUE: WW Chapter 7
WEEK ELEVEN
11/7 Commerce & Culture: Silk Roads, Sand Roads & Sea Roads
DUE: WW Chapter 8
11/9 Kelp Roads, Austronesian Migrations
DUE: DGP re Austronesian Migrations
11/11 The Golden Age of China
DUE: WW Chapter 9
WEEK TWELVE
11/14 Christendom
DUE: WW Introduction to Part Three & Chapter 10
11/16 Peoples who leave no written record; Nomadic civilizations: The Mongols
DUE: WW Chapter 12
11/18 Mongols, primary sources
DUE: Short primary source reading
WEEK THIRTEEN
11/21 Recap and review of the Classical Era
11/23 Study period for students with incomplete items
11/25 No class – Thanksgiving break
WEEK FOURTEEN
11/28 The European Renaissance, early Modern thought world
11/30 The Worlds of the 15th Century
DUE: WW Chapter 13
12/2 Readings from Columbus and other Conquistadores
DUE: Oral History Research Project
WEEK FIFTEEN
12/5 Final Exam
12/7 Research project presentations
12/9 Research project presentations
The Superior Man (chün-tzu)
from The Analects of Confucius
XX.3: The Master said, "Without recognizing the ordinances of Heaven, it is impossible to be a superior man (chün tzu)."
XV.17: The Master said, "The superior man in everything considers righteousness to be essential. He performs it according to the rules of propriety (li ). He brings it forth in humility. He completes it with sincerity. This is indeed a superior man."
XV.31: The Master said, "The object of the superior man is truth, not food. . . . The superior man is anxious lest he should not get truth; he is not anxious lest poverty should come upon him."
IV.16: The Master said, "The mind of the superior man is conversant with virtue; the mind of the base man is conversant with gain."
IV.5: The Master said, "Riches and honors are what men desire. If they cannot be obtained in the proper way, they should not be held. Poverty and baseness are what men dislike. If they cannot be avoided in the proper way, they should not be avoided. . . . The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves to it. In seasons of danger, he cleaves to it."
XV.20: The Master said, "What the superior man seeks, is in himself. What the mean man seeks, is in others."
XII.4: Ssu-ma Niu asked about the superior man. The Master said, "The superior man has neither anxiety nor fear." "Being without anxiety or fear!" said Ssu-ma, "does this constitute what we call the superior man?" The Master said, "When internal examination discovers nothing wrong, what is there to be anxious about, what is there to fear?"
XIV.24: The Master said, "The progress of the superior man is upwards; the progress of the mean man is downwards."
XVI.8: Confucius said, "There are three things of which the superior man stand in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of the sages. The mean man does not know the ordinances of Heaven, and consequently does not stand in awe of them. He is disrespectful to great men. He makes sport of the words of the sages."
XIV.29: The Master said, "The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions."
XV.18: The Master said, "The superior man is distressed by his want of ability. He is not distressed by men not knowing of him."
XV.21: The Master said, "The superior man is dignified, but does not wrangle. He is sociable, but not partisan."
XVII.24: Tzu-kung asked, "Has the superior man his hatreds also?" The Master said, "He has his hatreds. He hates those who proclaim the evil of others. He hates the man who, being in a low station, slanders his superiors. He hates those who have valor merely, and are unobservant of propriety (li ). He hates those who are forward and determined, and, at the same time, of contracted understanding."
XVI.10: Confucius said, "The superior man has nine things which are subjects with him of thoughtful consideration. In regard to the use of his eyes, he is anxious to see clearly. In regard to the use of his ears, he is anxious to hear distinctly. In regard to his countenance, he is anxious that it should be benign. In regard to his speech, he is anxious that it should be sincere. In regard to his doing of business, he is anxious that it should be reverently careful. In regard to what he doubts about, he is anxious to question others. When he is angry, he thinks of the difficulties his anger may involve him in. When he sees gain to be got, he thinks of righteousness."
XIX.9: Tzu-hsia said, "The superior man undergoes three changes. Looked at from a distance, he appears stern; when approached, he is mild; when he is heard to speak, his language is firm and decided."
XV.36: The superior man is correctly firm, and not merely firm.
XX.3: The Master said, "Without recognizing the ordinances of Heaven, it is impossible to be a superior man (chün tzu)."
XV.17: The Master said, "The superior man in everything considers righteousness to be essential. He performs it according to the rules of propriety (li ). He brings it forth in humility. He completes it with sincerity. This is indeed a superior man."
XV.31: The Master said, "The object of the superior man is truth, not food. . . . The superior man is anxious lest he should not get truth; he is not anxious lest poverty should come upon him."
IV.16: The Master said, "The mind of the superior man is conversant with virtue; the mind of the base man is conversant with gain."
IV.5: The Master said, "Riches and honors are what men desire. If they cannot be obtained in the proper way, they should not be held. Poverty and baseness are what men dislike. If they cannot be avoided in the proper way, they should not be avoided. . . . The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves to it. In seasons of danger, he cleaves to it."
XV.20: The Master said, "What the superior man seeks, is in himself. What the mean man seeks, is in others."
XII.4: Ssu-ma Niu asked about the superior man. The Master said, "The superior man has neither anxiety nor fear." "Being without anxiety or fear!" said Ssu-ma, "does this constitute what we call the superior man?" The Master said, "When internal examination discovers nothing wrong, what is there to be anxious about, what is there to fear?"
XIV.24: The Master said, "The progress of the superior man is upwards; the progress of the mean man is downwards."
XVI.8: Confucius said, "There are three things of which the superior man stand in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of the sages. The mean man does not know the ordinances of Heaven, and consequently does not stand in awe of them. He is disrespectful to great men. He makes sport of the words of the sages."
XIV.29: The Master said, "The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions."
XV.18: The Master said, "The superior man is distressed by his want of ability. He is not distressed by men not knowing of him."
XV.21: The Master said, "The superior man is dignified, but does not wrangle. He is sociable, but not partisan."
XVII.24: Tzu-kung asked, "Has the superior man his hatreds also?" The Master said, "He has his hatreds. He hates those who proclaim the evil of others. He hates the man who, being in a low station, slanders his superiors. He hates those who have valor merely, and are unobservant of propriety (li ). He hates those who are forward and determined, and, at the same time, of contracted understanding."
XVI.10: Confucius said, "The superior man has nine things which are subjects with him of thoughtful consideration. In regard to the use of his eyes, he is anxious to see clearly. In regard to the use of his ears, he is anxious to hear distinctly. In regard to his countenance, he is anxious that it should be benign. In regard to his speech, he is anxious that it should be sincere. In regard to his doing of business, he is anxious that it should be reverently careful. In regard to what he doubts about, he is anxious to question others. When he is angry, he thinks of the difficulties his anger may involve him in. When he sees gain to be got, he thinks of righteousness."
XIX.9: Tzu-hsia said, "The superior man undergoes three changes. Looked at from a distance, he appears stern; when approached, he is mild; when he is heard to speak, his language is firm and decided."
XV.36: The superior man is correctly firm, and not merely firm.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The History of Herodotus
By Herodotus
The Greek forces at Thermopylae, when the Persian army drew near to the entrance of the pass, were seized with fear; and a council was held to consider about a retreat. It was the wish of the Peloponnesians generally that the army should fall back upon the Peloponnese, and there guard the Isthmus. But Leonidas, who saw with what indignation the Phocians and Locrians heard of this plan, gave his voice for remaining where they were, while they sent envoys to the several cities to ask for help, since they were too few to make a stand against an army like that of the Medes.
While this debate was going on, Xerxes sent a mounted spy to observe the Greeks, and note how many they were, and see what they were doing. He had heard, before he came out of Thessaly, that a few men were assembled at this place, and that at their head were certain Lacedaemonians, under Leonidas, a descendant of Hercules. The horseman rode up to the camp, and looked about him, but did not see the whole army; for such as were on the further side of the wall (which had been rebuilt and was now carefully guarded) it was not possible for him to behold; but he observed those on the outside, who were encamped in front of the rampart. It chanced that at this time the Lacedaemonians held the outer guard, and were seen by the spy, some of them engaged in gymnastic exercises, others combing their long hair. At this the spy greatly marvelled, but he counted their number, and when he had taken accurate note of everything, he rode back quietly; for no one pursued after him, nor paid any heed to his visit. So he returned, and told Xerxes all that he had seen.
Upon this, Xerxes, who had no means of surmising the truth- namely, that the Spartans were preparing to do or die manfully- but thought it laughable that they should be engaged in such employments, sent and called to his presence Demaratus the son of Ariston, who still remained with the army. When he appeared, Xerxes told him all that he had heard, and questioned him concerning the news, since he was anxious to understand the meaning of such behaviour on the part of the Spartans. Then Demaratus said-
"I spake to thee, O king! concerning these men long since, when we had but just begun our march upon Greece; thou, however, didst only laugh at my words, when I told thee of all this, which I saw would come to pass. Earnestly do I struggle at all times to speak truth to thee, sire; and now listen to it once more. These men have come to dispute the pass with us; and it is for this that they are now making ready. 'Tis their custom, when they are about to hazard their lives, to adorn their heads with care. Be assured, however, that if thou canst subdue the men who are here and the Lacedaemonians who remain in Sparta, there is no other nation in all the world which will venture to lift a hand in their defence. Thou hast now to deal with the first kingdom and town in Greece, and with the bravest men."
Then Xerxes, to whom what Demaratus said seemed altogether to surpass belief, asked further "how it was possible for so small an army to contend with his?"
"O king!" Demaratus answered, "let me be treated as a liar, if matters fall not out as I say."
But Xerxes was not persuaded any the more. Four whole days he suffered to go by, expecting that the Greeks would run away. When, however, he found on the fifth that they were not gone, thinking that their firm stand was mere impudence and recklessness, he grew wroth, and sent against them the Medes and Cissians, with orders to take them alive and bring them into his presence. Then the Medes rushed forward and charged the Greeks, but fell in vast numbers: others however took the places of the slain, and would not be beaten off, though they suffered terrible losses. In this way it became clear to all, and especially to the king, that though he had plenty of combatants, he had but very few warriors. The struggle, however, continued during the whole day.
Then the Medes, having met so rough a reception, withdrew from the fight; and their place was taken by the band of Persians under Hydarnes, whom the king called his "Immortals": they, it was thought, would soon finish the business. But when they joined battle with the Greeks, 'twas with no better success than the Median detachment- things went much as before- the two armies fighting in a narrow space, and the barbarians using shorter spears than the Greeks, and having no advantage from their numbers. The Lacedaemonians fought in a way worthy of note, and showed themselves far more skilful in fight than their adversaries, often turning their backs, and making as though they were all flying away, on which the barbarians would rush after them with much noise and shouting, when the Spartans at their approach would wheel round and face their pursuers, in this way destroying vast numbers of the enemy. Some Spartans likewise fell in these encounters, but only a very few. At last the Persians, finding that all their efforts to gain the pass availed nothing, and that, whether they attacked by divisions or in any other way, it was to no purpose, withdrew to their own quarters.
During these assaults, it is said that Xerxes, who was watching the battle, thrice leaped from the throne on which he sate, in terror for his army.
Next day the combat was renewed, but with no better success on the part of the barbarians. The Greeks were so few that the barbarians hoped to find them disabled, by reason of their wounds, from offering any further resistance; and so they once more attacked them. But the Greeks were drawn up in detachments according to their cities, and bore the brunt of the battle in turns- all except the Phocians, who had been stationed on the mountain to guard the pathway. So, when the Persians found no difference between that day and the preceding, they again retired to their quarters.
Now, as the king was in great strait, and knew not how he should deal with the emergency, Ephialtes, the son of Eurydemus, a man of Malis, came to him and was admitted to a conference. Stirred by the hope of receiving a rich reward at the king's hands, he had come to tell him of the pathway which led across the mountain to Thermopylae; by which disclosure he brought destruction on the band of Greeks who had there withstood the barbarians.
Great was the joy of Xerxes on this occasion; and as he approved highly of the enterprise which Ephialtes undertook to accomplish, he forthwith sent upon the errand Hydarnes, and the Persians under him. The troops left the camp about the time of the lighting of the lamps.
The Persians took this path, and continued their march through the whole of the night. At dawn of day they found themselves close to the summit. Now the hill was guarded, as I have already said, by a thousand Phocian men-at-arms, who were placed there to defend the pathway, and at the same time to secure their own country. They had been given the guard of the mountain path, while the other Greeks defended the pass below, because they had volunteered for the service, and had pledged themselves to Leonidas to maintain the post.
The ascent of the Persians became known to the Phocians in the following manner:- During all the time that they were making their way up, the Greeks remained unconscious of it, inasmuch as the whole mountain was covered with groves of oak; but it happened that the air was very still, and the leaves which the Persians stirred with their feet made, as it was likely they would, a loud rustling, whereupon the Phocians jumped up and flew to seize their arms. In a moment the barbarians came in sight, and, perceiving men arming themselves, were greatly amazed; for they had fallen in with an enemy when they expected no opposition. Hydarnes, alarmed at the sight, and fearing lest the Phocians might be Lacedaemonians, inquired of Ephialtes to what nation these troops belonged. Ephialtes told him the exact truth, whereupon he arrayed his Persians for battle. The Phocians, galled by the showers of arrows to which they were exposed, and imagining themselves the special object of the Persian attack, fled hastily to the crest of the mountain, and there made ready to meet death; but while their mistake continued, the Persians, with Ephialtes and Hydarnes, not thinking it worth their while to delay on account of Phocians, passed on and descended the mountain with all possible speed.
The Greeks at Thermopylae received the first warning of the destruction which the dawn would bring on them from the seer Megistias, who read their fate in the victims as he was sacrificing. After this deserters came in, and brought the news that the Persians were marching round by the hills: it was still night when these men arrived. Last of all, the scouts came running down from the heights, and brought in the same accounts, when the day was just beginning to break. Then the Greeks held a council to consider what they should do, and here opinions were divided: some were strong against quitting their post, while others contended to the contrary. So when the council had broken up, part of the troops departed and went their ways homeward to their several states; part however resolved to remain, and to stand by Leonidas to the last.
It is said that Leonidas himself sent away the troops who departed, because he tendered their safety, but thought it unseemly that either he or his Spartans should quit the post which they had been especially sent to guard. For my own part, I incline to think that Leonidas gave the order, because he perceived the allies to be out of heart and unwilling to encounter the danger to which his own mind was made up. He therefore commanded them to retreat, but said that he himself could not draw back with honour; knowing that, if he stayed, glory awaited him, and that Sparta in that case would not lose her prosperity. For when the Spartans, at the very beginning of the war, sent to consult the oracle concerning it, the answer which they received from the Pythoness was "that either Sparta must be overthrown by the barbarians, or one of her kings must perish."
At sunrise Xerxes made libations, after which he waited until the time when the forum is wont to fill, and then began his advance. Ephialtes had instructed him thus, as the descent of the mountain is much quicker, and the distance much shorter, than the way round the hills, and the ascent. So the barbarians under Xerxes began to draw nigh; and the Greeks under Leonidas, as they now went forth determined to die, advanced much further than on previous days, until they reached the more open portion of the pass. Hitherto they had held their station within the wall, and from this had gone forth to fight at the point where the pass was the narrowest. Now they joined battle beyond the defile, and carried slaughter among the barbarians, who fell in heaps. Behind them the captains of the squadrons, armed with whips, urged their men forward with continual blows. Many were thrust into the sea, and there perished; a still greater number were trampled to death by their own soldiers; no one heeded the dying. For the Greeks, reckless of their own safety and desperate, since they knew that, as the mountain had been crossed, their destruction was nigh at hand, exerted themselves with the most furious valour against the barbarians.
By this time the spears of the greater number were all shivered, and with their swords they hewed down the ranks of the Persians; and here, as they strove, Leonidas fell fighting bravely, together with many other famous Spartans, whose names I have taken care to learn on account of their great worthiness, as indeed I have those of all the three hundred. There fell too at the same time very many famous Persians. Two brothers of Xerxes here fought and fell.
And now there arose a fierce struggle between the Persians and the Lacedaemonians over the body of Leonidas, in which the Greeks four times drove back the enemy, and at last by their great bravery succeeded in bearing off the body. This combat was scarcely ended when the Persians with Ephialtes approached; and the Greeks, informed that they drew nigh, made a change in the manner of their fighting. Drawing back into the narrowest part of the pass, and retreating even behind the cross wall, they posted themselves upon a hillock, where they stood all drawn up together in one close body. The hillock whereof I speak is at the entrance of the straits, where the stone lion stands which was set up in honour of Leonidas. Here they defended themselves to the last, such as still had swords using them, and the others resisting with their hands and teeth; till the barbarians, who in part had pulled down the wall and attacked them in front, in part had gone round and now encircled them upon every side, overwhelmed and buried the remnant which was left beneath showers of missile weapons.
By Herodotus
The Greek forces at Thermopylae, when the Persian army drew near to the entrance of the pass, were seized with fear; and a council was held to consider about a retreat. It was the wish of the Peloponnesians generally that the army should fall back upon the Peloponnese, and there guard the Isthmus. But Leonidas, who saw with what indignation the Phocians and Locrians heard of this plan, gave his voice for remaining where they were, while they sent envoys to the several cities to ask for help, since they were too few to make a stand against an army like that of the Medes.
While this debate was going on, Xerxes sent a mounted spy to observe the Greeks, and note how many they were, and see what they were doing. He had heard, before he came out of Thessaly, that a few men were assembled at this place, and that at their head were certain Lacedaemonians, under Leonidas, a descendant of Hercules. The horseman rode up to the camp, and looked about him, but did not see the whole army; for such as were on the further side of the wall (which had been rebuilt and was now carefully guarded) it was not possible for him to behold; but he observed those on the outside, who were encamped in front of the rampart. It chanced that at this time the Lacedaemonians held the outer guard, and were seen by the spy, some of them engaged in gymnastic exercises, others combing their long hair. At this the spy greatly marvelled, but he counted their number, and when he had taken accurate note of everything, he rode back quietly; for no one pursued after him, nor paid any heed to his visit. So he returned, and told Xerxes all that he had seen.
Upon this, Xerxes, who had no means of surmising the truth- namely, that the Spartans were preparing to do or die manfully- but thought it laughable that they should be engaged in such employments, sent and called to his presence Demaratus the son of Ariston, who still remained with the army. When he appeared, Xerxes told him all that he had heard, and questioned him concerning the news, since he was anxious to understand the meaning of such behaviour on the part of the Spartans. Then Demaratus said-
"I spake to thee, O king! concerning these men long since, when we had but just begun our march upon Greece; thou, however, didst only laugh at my words, when I told thee of all this, which I saw would come to pass. Earnestly do I struggle at all times to speak truth to thee, sire; and now listen to it once more. These men have come to dispute the pass with us; and it is for this that they are now making ready. 'Tis their custom, when they are about to hazard their lives, to adorn their heads with care. Be assured, however, that if thou canst subdue the men who are here and the Lacedaemonians who remain in Sparta, there is no other nation in all the world which will venture to lift a hand in their defence. Thou hast now to deal with the first kingdom and town in Greece, and with the bravest men."
Then Xerxes, to whom what Demaratus said seemed altogether to surpass belief, asked further "how it was possible for so small an army to contend with his?"
"O king!" Demaratus answered, "let me be treated as a liar, if matters fall not out as I say."
But Xerxes was not persuaded any the more. Four whole days he suffered to go by, expecting that the Greeks would run away. When, however, he found on the fifth that they were not gone, thinking that their firm stand was mere impudence and recklessness, he grew wroth, and sent against them the Medes and Cissians, with orders to take them alive and bring them into his presence. Then the Medes rushed forward and charged the Greeks, but fell in vast numbers: others however took the places of the slain, and would not be beaten off, though they suffered terrible losses. In this way it became clear to all, and especially to the king, that though he had plenty of combatants, he had but very few warriors. The struggle, however, continued during the whole day.
Then the Medes, having met so rough a reception, withdrew from the fight; and their place was taken by the band of Persians under Hydarnes, whom the king called his "Immortals": they, it was thought, would soon finish the business. But when they joined battle with the Greeks, 'twas with no better success than the Median detachment- things went much as before- the two armies fighting in a narrow space, and the barbarians using shorter spears than the Greeks, and having no advantage from their numbers. The Lacedaemonians fought in a way worthy of note, and showed themselves far more skilful in fight than their adversaries, often turning their backs, and making as though they were all flying away, on which the barbarians would rush after them with much noise and shouting, when the Spartans at their approach would wheel round and face their pursuers, in this way destroying vast numbers of the enemy. Some Spartans likewise fell in these encounters, but only a very few. At last the Persians, finding that all their efforts to gain the pass availed nothing, and that, whether they attacked by divisions or in any other way, it was to no purpose, withdrew to their own quarters.
During these assaults, it is said that Xerxes, who was watching the battle, thrice leaped from the throne on which he sate, in terror for his army.
Next day the combat was renewed, but with no better success on the part of the barbarians. The Greeks were so few that the barbarians hoped to find them disabled, by reason of their wounds, from offering any further resistance; and so they once more attacked them. But the Greeks were drawn up in detachments according to their cities, and bore the brunt of the battle in turns- all except the Phocians, who had been stationed on the mountain to guard the pathway. So, when the Persians found no difference between that day and the preceding, they again retired to their quarters.
Now, as the king was in great strait, and knew not how he should deal with the emergency, Ephialtes, the son of Eurydemus, a man of Malis, came to him and was admitted to a conference. Stirred by the hope of receiving a rich reward at the king's hands, he had come to tell him of the pathway which led across the mountain to Thermopylae; by which disclosure he brought destruction on the band of Greeks who had there withstood the barbarians.
Great was the joy of Xerxes on this occasion; and as he approved highly of the enterprise which Ephialtes undertook to accomplish, he forthwith sent upon the errand Hydarnes, and the Persians under him. The troops left the camp about the time of the lighting of the lamps.
The Persians took this path, and continued their march through the whole of the night. At dawn of day they found themselves close to the summit. Now the hill was guarded, as I have already said, by a thousand Phocian men-at-arms, who were placed there to defend the pathway, and at the same time to secure their own country. They had been given the guard of the mountain path, while the other Greeks defended the pass below, because they had volunteered for the service, and had pledged themselves to Leonidas to maintain the post.
The ascent of the Persians became known to the Phocians in the following manner:- During all the time that they were making their way up, the Greeks remained unconscious of it, inasmuch as the whole mountain was covered with groves of oak; but it happened that the air was very still, and the leaves which the Persians stirred with their feet made, as it was likely they would, a loud rustling, whereupon the Phocians jumped up and flew to seize their arms. In a moment the barbarians came in sight, and, perceiving men arming themselves, were greatly amazed; for they had fallen in with an enemy when they expected no opposition. Hydarnes, alarmed at the sight, and fearing lest the Phocians might be Lacedaemonians, inquired of Ephialtes to what nation these troops belonged. Ephialtes told him the exact truth, whereupon he arrayed his Persians for battle. The Phocians, galled by the showers of arrows to which they were exposed, and imagining themselves the special object of the Persian attack, fled hastily to the crest of the mountain, and there made ready to meet death; but while their mistake continued, the Persians, with Ephialtes and Hydarnes, not thinking it worth their while to delay on account of Phocians, passed on and descended the mountain with all possible speed.
The Greeks at Thermopylae received the first warning of the destruction which the dawn would bring on them from the seer Megistias, who read their fate in the victims as he was sacrificing. After this deserters came in, and brought the news that the Persians were marching round by the hills: it was still night when these men arrived. Last of all, the scouts came running down from the heights, and brought in the same accounts, when the day was just beginning to break. Then the Greeks held a council to consider what they should do, and here opinions were divided: some were strong against quitting their post, while others contended to the contrary. So when the council had broken up, part of the troops departed and went their ways homeward to their several states; part however resolved to remain, and to stand by Leonidas to the last.
It is said that Leonidas himself sent away the troops who departed, because he tendered their safety, but thought it unseemly that either he or his Spartans should quit the post which they had been especially sent to guard. For my own part, I incline to think that Leonidas gave the order, because he perceived the allies to be out of heart and unwilling to encounter the danger to which his own mind was made up. He therefore commanded them to retreat, but said that he himself could not draw back with honour; knowing that, if he stayed, glory awaited him, and that Sparta in that case would not lose her prosperity. For when the Spartans, at the very beginning of the war, sent to consult the oracle concerning it, the answer which they received from the Pythoness was "that either Sparta must be overthrown by the barbarians, or one of her kings must perish."
At sunrise Xerxes made libations, after which he waited until the time when the forum is wont to fill, and then began his advance. Ephialtes had instructed him thus, as the descent of the mountain is much quicker, and the distance much shorter, than the way round the hills, and the ascent. So the barbarians under Xerxes began to draw nigh; and the Greeks under Leonidas, as they now went forth determined to die, advanced much further than on previous days, until they reached the more open portion of the pass. Hitherto they had held their station within the wall, and from this had gone forth to fight at the point where the pass was the narrowest. Now they joined battle beyond the defile, and carried slaughter among the barbarians, who fell in heaps. Behind them the captains of the squadrons, armed with whips, urged their men forward with continual blows. Many were thrust into the sea, and there perished; a still greater number were trampled to death by their own soldiers; no one heeded the dying. For the Greeks, reckless of their own safety and desperate, since they knew that, as the mountain had been crossed, their destruction was nigh at hand, exerted themselves with the most furious valour against the barbarians.
By this time the spears of the greater number were all shivered, and with their swords they hewed down the ranks of the Persians; and here, as they strove, Leonidas fell fighting bravely, together with many other famous Spartans, whose names I have taken care to learn on account of their great worthiness, as indeed I have those of all the three hundred. There fell too at the same time very many famous Persians. Two brothers of Xerxes here fought and fell.
And now there arose a fierce struggle between the Persians and the Lacedaemonians over the body of Leonidas, in which the Greeks four times drove back the enemy, and at last by their great bravery succeeded in bearing off the body. This combat was scarcely ended when the Persians with Ephialtes approached; and the Greeks, informed that they drew nigh, made a change in the manner of their fighting. Drawing back into the narrowest part of the pass, and retreating even behind the cross wall, they posted themselves upon a hillock, where they stood all drawn up together in one close body. The hillock whereof I speak is at the entrance of the straits, where the stone lion stands which was set up in honour of Leonidas. Here they defended themselves to the last, such as still had swords using them, and the others resisting with their hands and teeth; till the barbarians, who in part had pulled down the wall and attacked them in front, in part had gone round and now encircled them upon every side, overwhelmed and buried the remnant which was left beneath showers of missile weapons.
Schedule - Weeks 6 to 8
WEEK SIX
10/3 Comparing Ancient Civilizations
DUE Prepare to present & lead brief class discussion comparing 2 ancient civilizations
10/5 The Classical Era, Aegean Greeks & Classical Greeks
DUE: WW Introduction to Part Two, Chapter 4
10/7 Classical Greeks & Persians
DUE: READ Herodotus excerpt from The Persian Wars; HIGHLIGHT as you read anything that illustrates the notions of “humanism” or “hubris”
WEEK SEVEN
10/10 Writing Workshop for RA #2
DUE: TBD
10/12 Classical Era – Confucian China
DUE: RA#2: Herodotus’ description of the Battle of Thermopylae illustrates two key Greek concepts – humanism and hubris.
10/14 Classical Era – the Roman Empire
DUE: WW Chapter 5
WEEK EIGHT
10/17 Late Roman Empire – Byzantine Empire – emergence of Christendom
DUE: WW Chapter 6
10/19 Midterm Exam
10/21 No class – Midterm Break
10/3 Comparing Ancient Civilizations
DUE Prepare to present & lead brief class discussion comparing 2 ancient civilizations
10/5 The Classical Era, Aegean Greeks & Classical Greeks
DUE: WW Introduction to Part Two, Chapter 4
10/7 Classical Greeks & Persians
DUE: READ Herodotus excerpt from The Persian Wars; HIGHLIGHT as you read anything that illustrates the notions of “humanism” or “hubris”
WEEK SEVEN
10/10 Writing Workshop for RA #2
DUE: TBD
10/12 Classical Era – Confucian China
DUE: RA#2: Herodotus’ description of the Battle of Thermopylae illustrates two key Greek concepts – humanism and hubris.
10/14 Classical Era – the Roman Empire
DUE: WW Chapter 5
WEEK EIGHT
10/17 Late Roman Empire – Byzantine Empire – emergence of Christendom
DUE: WW Chapter 6
10/19 Midterm Exam
10/21 No class – Midterm Break
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Hair DNA reveals 2 migration waves out of Africa
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2011/09/23/MNBJ1L7NSO.DTL
Hello Patty, hope you're doing well and getting some flying in. Saw this
article and thought you might enjoy it. Take care, Morris
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SFGate.
The original article can be found on SFGate.com here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2011/09/23/MNBJ1L7NSO.DTL
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, September 23, 2011 (SF Chronicle)
Hair DNA reveals 2 migration waves out of Africa
David Perlman, Chronicle Science Editor
Long, long ago, a bold race of early modern humans left Africa and
migrated across vast stretches of southern Asia to Australia - a mass
migration of humankind that was followed thousands of years later by a
second wave of African migrants who would settle all of Europe and the
northern reaches of the Eurasian continent.
This new tale of humanity's movements out of Africa and around the world
comes from an international team of geneticists who report they have
traced the record of that first migration by sequencing the DNA from a
single lock of hair of an unknown Australian Aborigine that had lain for
nearly a century in a British museum.
The scientists maintain that instead of one human wave out of Africa, as
has been traditionally believed, there must have been two. The first
migration across southern Asia established the first Australians, the
continent's Aboriginal population; the second migration, much later, saw
modern humans, and, for a while, the Neanderthals, spread all across
Europe and ultimately Asia.
That earlier migration took place more than 70,000 years ago, according to
the geneticists, placing it at least 24,000 years before the second wave
of humans that would later populate Europe, Asia and, eventually, America.
Travel mode mystery
Although the numbers are imprecise, the findings seem to confirm what
archaeologists have long maintained: that the ancestors of today's
aboriginal Australians arrived there some 50,000 years ago - although how
they got there despite many ocean barriers remains a mystery.
A report on this elaborate feat of genetic detective work was published
online Thursday in the journal Science Express by a group of nearly 60
scientists led by geneticists Eske Willerslev and Morten Rasmussen of the
University of Copenhagen.
The original work determining the sequence of DNA in the aboriginal hair
was accomplished by Danish and Chinese scientists at their joint genomics
center in Shenzhen, China, and was compared with DNA sequences from 79
individuals from Asia, Europe and Africa. The results were then sent to a
group at UC Berkeley's Center for Theoretical Evolutionary Genomics.
There Rasmus Nielsen and two others in his lab, Yong Wang and Kirk
Lohmueller, analyzed and confirmed the DNA sequences, focusing on the DNA
obtained from the Aborigine's lock of hair.
Sequencing stretches of DNA in the human genome has long been possible,
and scientists can now read the chronological record of human evolution,
ethnic relationships and even the history of human epidemics by probing
human genes.
"Studying DNA can let you go back for hundreds and hundreds of
generations, and, after many complex computer simulations, we have strong
statistical evidence that makes us pretty confident that the story of the
first major human dispersal is correct," Nielsen said. Brewing controversy
The finding is bound to stir up controversy among many anthropologists and
archaeologists who have argued that there was only one wave of human
migration out of Africa and that it took place over a long period that
began some 60,000 years ago.
"The results they provide are pretty substantial, but I wish they had more
evidence," said Richard G. Klein, an eminent anthropologist at Stanford
who has long studied the movements of early modern humans and who is not
part of the Danish-led team.
Scientists generally agree that the aboriginal people of Australia arrived
there about 45,000 years ago. In a letter to reporters, Klein said, "I
think it's reasonable to suppose that the founding population reached
Australia before Eastern and Western Eurasians diverged, and this could
imply at least two Out-of-Africa expansions."
But a major problem, he said, is how the first Australians reached the
continent across a string of Southeast Asian islands and at least 30 miles
of open ocean.
There is no archaeological evidence there for boats of any kind, Klein
said. Additionally, he added, those first Australians arrived there with
only the most crude primitive stone tools similar to those found in
Southeast Asia from many millennia earlier.
The lock of aboriginal Australian hair that was the key to the study had
been collected nearly 100 years ago by an unknown British anthropologist
in the southwest Australian mining town of Kalgoorlie.
It remained lying in a succession of Cambridge University museums until
Willerslev and his colleagues used it with the permission of the
Goldfields Land and Sea Council, the representatives of Kalgoorlie's
modern aboriginal population. E-mail David Perlman at
dperlman@sfchronicle.com. ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2011 SF Chronicle
Hello Patty, hope you're doing well and getting some flying in. Saw this
article and thought you might enjoy it. Take care, Morris
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SFGate.
The original article can be found on SFGate.com here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2011/09/23/MNBJ1L7NSO.DTL
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, September 23, 2011 (SF Chronicle)
Hair DNA reveals 2 migration waves out of Africa
David Perlman, Chronicle Science Editor
Long, long ago, a bold race of early modern humans left Africa and
migrated across vast stretches of southern Asia to Australia - a mass
migration of humankind that was followed thousands of years later by a
second wave of African migrants who would settle all of Europe and the
northern reaches of the Eurasian continent.
This new tale of humanity's movements out of Africa and around the world
comes from an international team of geneticists who report they have
traced the record of that first migration by sequencing the DNA from a
single lock of hair of an unknown Australian Aborigine that had lain for
nearly a century in a British museum.
The scientists maintain that instead of one human wave out of Africa, as
has been traditionally believed, there must have been two. The first
migration across southern Asia established the first Australians, the
continent's Aboriginal population; the second migration, much later, saw
modern humans, and, for a while, the Neanderthals, spread all across
Europe and ultimately Asia.
That earlier migration took place more than 70,000 years ago, according to
the geneticists, placing it at least 24,000 years before the second wave
of humans that would later populate Europe, Asia and, eventually, America.
Travel mode mystery
Although the numbers are imprecise, the findings seem to confirm what
archaeologists have long maintained: that the ancestors of today's
aboriginal Australians arrived there some 50,000 years ago - although how
they got there despite many ocean barriers remains a mystery.
A report on this elaborate feat of genetic detective work was published
online Thursday in the journal Science Express by a group of nearly 60
scientists led by geneticists Eske Willerslev and Morten Rasmussen of the
University of Copenhagen.
The original work determining the sequence of DNA in the aboriginal hair
was accomplished by Danish and Chinese scientists at their joint genomics
center in Shenzhen, China, and was compared with DNA sequences from 79
individuals from Asia, Europe and Africa. The results were then sent to a
group at UC Berkeley's Center for Theoretical Evolutionary Genomics.
There Rasmus Nielsen and two others in his lab, Yong Wang and Kirk
Lohmueller, analyzed and confirmed the DNA sequences, focusing on the DNA
obtained from the Aborigine's lock of hair.
Sequencing stretches of DNA in the human genome has long been possible,
and scientists can now read the chronological record of human evolution,
ethnic relationships and even the history of human epidemics by probing
human genes.
"Studying DNA can let you go back for hundreds and hundreds of
generations, and, after many complex computer simulations, we have strong
statistical evidence that makes us pretty confident that the story of the
first major human dispersal is correct," Nielsen said. Brewing controversy
The finding is bound to stir up controversy among many anthropologists and
archaeologists who have argued that there was only one wave of human
migration out of Africa and that it took place over a long period that
began some 60,000 years ago.
"The results they provide are pretty substantial, but I wish they had more
evidence," said Richard G. Klein, an eminent anthropologist at Stanford
who has long studied the movements of early modern humans and who is not
part of the Danish-led team.
Scientists generally agree that the aboriginal people of Australia arrived
there about 45,000 years ago. In a letter to reporters, Klein said, "I
think it's reasonable to suppose that the founding population reached
Australia before Eastern and Western Eurasians diverged, and this could
imply at least two Out-of-Africa expansions."
But a major problem, he said, is how the first Australians reached the
continent across a string of Southeast Asian islands and at least 30 miles
of open ocean.
There is no archaeological evidence there for boats of any kind, Klein
said. Additionally, he added, those first Australians arrived there with
only the most crude primitive stone tools similar to those found in
Southeast Asia from many millennia earlier.
The lock of aboriginal Australian hair that was the key to the study had
been collected nearly 100 years ago by an unknown British anthropologist
in the southwest Australian mining town of Kalgoorlie.
It remained lying in a succession of Cambridge University museums until
Willerslev and his colleagues used it with the permission of the
Goldfields Land and Sea Council, the representatives of Kalgoorlie's
modern aboriginal population. E-mail David Perlman at
dperlman@sfchronicle.com. ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2011 SF Chronicle
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Schedule - Weeks 4 & 5
WEEK FOUR
9/19 The “civilizing” of human beings: Gilgamesh
9/21 The power of words; Creation stories of early civilizations
DUE: DGP Chapter 2 Writing & Power
9/23 Creation stories continued
DUE: Compare two or more of the creation stories we have read. Reflect on the impact these versions of human beginnings might have on our relationship to the earth and its other occupants.
WEEK FIVE
9/26 Ancient civilizations
DUE: WW Chapter 3
9/28 Ancient Era – art and aesthetics
DUE: DGP Chapter 3 Representing the Human Form
9/30 World History Library Session
DUE: TBD
9/19 The “civilizing” of human beings: Gilgamesh
9/21 The power of words; Creation stories of early civilizations
DUE: DGP Chapter 2 Writing & Power
9/23 Creation stories continued
DUE: Compare two or more of the creation stories we have read. Reflect on the impact these versions of human beginnings might have on our relationship to the earth and its other occupants.
WEEK FIVE
9/26 Ancient civilizations
DUE: WW Chapter 3
9/28 Ancient Era – art and aesthetics
DUE: DGP Chapter 3 Representing the Human Form
9/30 World History Library Session
DUE: TBD
Friday, September 9, 2011
SCHEDULE - WEEK 3
WEEK THREE
9/12 How to write an analytical paper; Evaluation rubric
9/14 The Neolithic revolution and the development of agriculture
DUE: WW Chapter 2
9/16 The Neolithic revolution and the development of agriculture
DUE: Analytical Paper #1 on DGP Chapter 1
9/12 How to write an analytical paper; Evaluation rubric
9/14 The Neolithic revolution and the development of agriculture
DUE: WW Chapter 2
9/16 The Neolithic revolution and the development of agriculture
DUE: Analytical Paper #1 on DGP Chapter 1
FIRST PAPER ASSIGNMENT
Student’s Name
World History, Andrews
RA #1
September 16, 2011
Analytical Paper #1
Chapter 1 of Discovering the Global Past presents primary sources relating to the importance of water in early societies. Two of these sources, number 10 “Suetonius’s Description of the Water Projects Undertaken by Emperor Claudius (r. 41-54 C.E.)” and number 11 “Activities of Shao Xinchen, Han Dynasty, before 33 B.C.E.”, specifically contrast different styles of political leadership revolving around water issues. Which man displays better leadership, Emperor Claudius or Shao Xinchen? Use quotes from the reading to support your argument.
Your paper should be three double-spaced pages in length, including Header and Works Cited. Arial font, 11 point, is preferred. Times New Roman 12 point may also be used. Margins no greater than 1 inch, please. Examples of the proper format for your Header and Works Cited sections appear on this handout.
Works Cited
Aurelius, Marcus. “Meditations.” In Heritage of Western Civilizations. Ed. John L. Beatty and Oliver A. Johnson. Vol 1. 8th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 1995. 212-220.
Confucius. “The Analects.” In The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Maynard Mack. New York. W.W. Norton & Company. 1997. 548-549.
Strayer, Robert. Ways of the World: A Brief Global History. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2009.
World History, Andrews
RA #1
September 16, 2011
Analytical Paper #1
Chapter 1 of Discovering the Global Past presents primary sources relating to the importance of water in early societies. Two of these sources, number 10 “Suetonius’s Description of the Water Projects Undertaken by Emperor Claudius (r. 41-54 C.E.)” and number 11 “Activities of Shao Xinchen, Han Dynasty, before 33 B.C.E.”, specifically contrast different styles of political leadership revolving around water issues. Which man displays better leadership, Emperor Claudius or Shao Xinchen? Use quotes from the reading to support your argument.
Your paper should be three double-spaced pages in length, including Header and Works Cited. Arial font, 11 point, is preferred. Times New Roman 12 point may also be used. Margins no greater than 1 inch, please. Examples of the proper format for your Header and Works Cited sections appear on this handout.
Works Cited
Aurelius, Marcus. “Meditations.” In Heritage of Western Civilizations. Ed. John L. Beatty and Oliver A. Johnson. Vol 1. 8th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 1995. 212-220.
Confucius. “The Analects.” In The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Maynard Mack. New York. W.W. Norton & Company. 1997. 548-549.
Strayer, Robert. Ways of the World: A Brief Global History. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2009.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Neanderthal genome inherited by humans, study says
Hi Ms Andrews Interesting stuff!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SFGate.
The original article can be found on SFGate.com here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2011/08/26/MN971KQCVQ.DTL
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, August 26, 2011 (SF Chronicle)
Neanderthal genome inherited by humans, study says
David Perlman, Chronicle Science Editor
SAN FRANCISCO -- It's a tale of romance from the Ice Age - and its
consequences today.
Long ago, in a part of the world now known as Europe, early modern humans
lived alongside the Neanderthal people - and they interbred.
A fast-growing population of humans eventually drove the Neanderthals to
extinction 30,000 years ago, but the benefits of those early dalliances
between the two groups live on.
The Neanderthals, it seems, passed on to humans many of the genes that now
mark our greatly improved immune systems, according to an international
team of researchers led by a Stanford group.
The researchers, deciphering the genome of fossil Neanderthals and modern
humans, report they have found in both a major group of matching immune
system genes - genes the scientists say we inherited from our stocky Ice
Age predecessors.
The same scientists also studied the genes of a different ancient people,
the Denisovans, who were contemporary with the Neanderthals and whose
meager fossils were found in a Siberian cave called Denisova. The
Denisovans, the Stanford scientists said, were likely a "sister group to
the Neanderthals" who apparently bequeathed genes of their immune systems
to modern Melanesians - the people of New Guinea, Fiji and scores of other
islands in the western South Pacific.
In a report published in the journal ScienceExpress on Thursday, Peter
Parham, a Stanford microbiologist and immunologist, describes how he and
22 colleagues from five nations traced the genetic history of the varied
people who originated in Africa and later moved into Europe and the Middle
East. Genomes decipherd
The German anthropologist Svänte Paabo and his colleagues first deciphered
the Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes and showed where and when they
interbred with modern humans.
The fossil record indicates that those ancient pre-human people apparently
left Africa some 400,000 years ago and roamed across Europe and Asia until
modern humans moved into their Eurasian turf from Africa around 85,000
years ago, and quickly replaced them, Parham said.
Homo sapiens overran the Neanderthals from Northern Europe to Spain, and
by 30,000 years ago the Neanderthals were gone. Similarly, humans also
overran the Denisovans in Siberia and they disappeared at about the same
time.
But some of their genes lived on in humans, Parham's team reported. They
were found in modern people in Europe, Asia and Melanesia, but not found
in African people, the researchers said. Bacterial protection
The parts of the modern immune system that come from the Neanderthals and
Denisovans are known as the HLA histocompatibility complex, a group of
protein-creating genes located on chromosome six that help protect humans
against assaults by some bacterial infections and viruses, and the
rejection of tissue transplants.
"All this tells us a lot about human history," Parham said. "We didn't
just replace the Neanderthals and Denisovans, we have retained some of
them in us. There was a lot of diversity in dealing with the pathogens
they faced, and we have that diversity too."
The report is likely to generate some controversy among geneticists.
Montgomery Slatkin, a UC Berkeley geneticist who was on Paabo's team,
commented cautiously.
He called the conclusions "plausible," largely because the HLA genes from
Neanderthals were found in Europeans but not in Africans. As to finding
Denisovan genes in modern Europeans, Slatkin said: "I am less convinced of
this, although their conclusion is not completely implausible."
He was more certain about the finding that the Denisovan immune system
genes exist in modern Melanesians.
"This evidence is the most convincing," Slatkin said. E-mail David Perlman
at dperlman@sfchronicle.com. ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2011 SF Chronicle
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SFGate.
The original article can be found on SFGate.com here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2011/08/26/MN971KQCVQ.DTL
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, August 26, 2011 (SF Chronicle)
Neanderthal genome inherited by humans, study says
David Perlman, Chronicle Science Editor
SAN FRANCISCO -- It's a tale of romance from the Ice Age - and its
consequences today.
Long ago, in a part of the world now known as Europe, early modern humans
lived alongside the Neanderthal people - and they interbred.
A fast-growing population of humans eventually drove the Neanderthals to
extinction 30,000 years ago, but the benefits of those early dalliances
between the two groups live on.
The Neanderthals, it seems, passed on to humans many of the genes that now
mark our greatly improved immune systems, according to an international
team of researchers led by a Stanford group.
The researchers, deciphering the genome of fossil Neanderthals and modern
humans, report they have found in both a major group of matching immune
system genes - genes the scientists say we inherited from our stocky Ice
Age predecessors.
The same scientists also studied the genes of a different ancient people,
the Denisovans, who were contemporary with the Neanderthals and whose
meager fossils were found in a Siberian cave called Denisova. The
Denisovans, the Stanford scientists said, were likely a "sister group to
the Neanderthals" who apparently bequeathed genes of their immune systems
to modern Melanesians - the people of New Guinea, Fiji and scores of other
islands in the western South Pacific.
In a report published in the journal ScienceExpress on Thursday, Peter
Parham, a Stanford microbiologist and immunologist, describes how he and
22 colleagues from five nations traced the genetic history of the varied
people who originated in Africa and later moved into Europe and the Middle
East. Genomes decipherd
The German anthropologist Svänte Paabo and his colleagues first deciphered
the Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes and showed where and when they
interbred with modern humans.
The fossil record indicates that those ancient pre-human people apparently
left Africa some 400,000 years ago and roamed across Europe and Asia until
modern humans moved into their Eurasian turf from Africa around 85,000
years ago, and quickly replaced them, Parham said.
Homo sapiens overran the Neanderthals from Northern Europe to Spain, and
by 30,000 years ago the Neanderthals were gone. Similarly, humans also
overran the Denisovans in Siberia and they disappeared at about the same
time.
But some of their genes lived on in humans, Parham's team reported. They
were found in modern people in Europe, Asia and Melanesia, but not found
in African people, the researchers said. Bacterial protection
The parts of the modern immune system that come from the Neanderthals and
Denisovans are known as the HLA histocompatibility complex, a group of
protein-creating genes located on chromosome six that help protect humans
against assaults by some bacterial infections and viruses, and the
rejection of tissue transplants.
"All this tells us a lot about human history," Parham said. "We didn't
just replace the Neanderthals and Denisovans, we have retained some of
them in us. There was a lot of diversity in dealing with the pathogens
they faced, and we have that diversity too."
The report is likely to generate some controversy among geneticists.
Montgomery Slatkin, a UC Berkeley geneticist who was on Paabo's team,
commented cautiously.
He called the conclusions "plausible," largely because the HLA genes from
Neanderthals were found in Europeans but not in Africans. As to finding
Denisovan genes in modern Europeans, Slatkin said: "I am less convinced of
this, although their conclusion is not completely implausible."
He was more certain about the finding that the Denisovan immune system
genes exist in modern Melanesians.
"This evidence is the most convincing," Slatkin said. E-mail David Perlman
at dperlman@sfchronicle.com. ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2011 SF Chronicle
Schedule - Week 1 and 2
WEEK ONE
8/31 Introductions; Syllabus; Definitions
9/2 Early Homo; Evolution and spread of Homo sapiens
WEEK TWO
9/5 No class – Labor Day holiday
9/7 Paleolithic migrations; Population of the planet
DUE: WW Prologue, Introduction to Part One, Chapter 1
9/9 Water, technology & human civilizations
DUE: DGP Chapter 1 The Need for Water in Ancient Societies
Syllabus
HY 007—World History (3 units) Patricia Andrews, MA
Fall 2011 – MWF 8:00 am pandrews@ndnu.edu
http://WorldHistoryFall2011.blogspot.com
Course Summary
This course will survey the history of world civilizations from early man to approximately 1500 using primary source readings and emphasizing cultural and developmental themes.
Texts
Strayer, Robert, Ways of the World
Additional readings as assigned in class
Learning Outcomes
Students will…
1. Demonstrate knowledge of the political, economic, social, religious, intellectual, and artistic experiences of peoples around the world over time; recognize the influence of global forces and identify their connections to local and national developments;
2. Understand how decisions made in the past continue to shape society and political discourse;
3. Demonstrate familiarity with the historical literature and conflicting interpretations of the past;
4. Weigh and interpret evidence and present a sustained argument supported by historical evidence;
5. Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate historical knowledge and reasoning orally and in writing;
6. Use the tools of social science research – statistical and qualitative – in formulating a research topic, collecting and analyzing evidence, and presenting results.
Requirements
Consistent attendance and reading are essential to college success. In-class quizzes and assignments will assess students’ preparation on a regular basis and will take the place of midterm and final exams.
1) Students will produce a minimum of 32 pages of written work. All formal papers must be submitted in MLA format. A class blog/Reading Journal will be kept on a weekly basis as readings are completed. This will be kept online using blogger.com.
2) Note-taking is an essential academic skill. Students are expected to keep appropriate and effective records of what happens during each class session.
3) Oral communication opportunities develop confidence and skill in public speaking. These will include informal communication in class discussions, impromptu speaking and storytelling opportunities, formal presentations and additional opportunities as assigned in class.
4) Attendance and participation are required.
5) History courses require considerable time spent reading and writing. Please plan your study time accordingly and let me know if you are concerned about falling behind in either of these areas.
Evaluation
A total of 1200 points is possible, broken down into the categories below. Students are encouraged to keep track of their progress on a regular basis throughout the semester.
Exams 2 @ 100 points = 200
Analytical Papers 2 @ 100 points = 200
Class Blog/Reading Journal 1 @ 200
Research Project 1 @ 200 points = 200
Attendance 40 days @ 5 points = 200
Participation 40 days @ 5 points = 200
Fall 2011 – MWF 8:00 am pandrews@ndnu.edu
http://WorldHistoryFall2011.blogspot.com
Course Summary
This course will survey the history of world civilizations from early man to approximately 1500 using primary source readings and emphasizing cultural and developmental themes.
Texts
Strayer, Robert, Ways of the World
Additional readings as assigned in class
Learning Outcomes
Students will…
1. Demonstrate knowledge of the political, economic, social, religious, intellectual, and artistic experiences of peoples around the world over time; recognize the influence of global forces and identify their connections to local and national developments;
2. Understand how decisions made in the past continue to shape society and political discourse;
3. Demonstrate familiarity with the historical literature and conflicting interpretations of the past;
4. Weigh and interpret evidence and present a sustained argument supported by historical evidence;
5. Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate historical knowledge and reasoning orally and in writing;
6. Use the tools of social science research – statistical and qualitative – in formulating a research topic, collecting and analyzing evidence, and presenting results.
Requirements
Consistent attendance and reading are essential to college success. In-class quizzes and assignments will assess students’ preparation on a regular basis and will take the place of midterm and final exams.
1) Students will produce a minimum of 32 pages of written work. All formal papers must be submitted in MLA format. A class blog/Reading Journal will be kept on a weekly basis as readings are completed. This will be kept online using blogger.com.
2) Note-taking is an essential academic skill. Students are expected to keep appropriate and effective records of what happens during each class session.
3) Oral communication opportunities develop confidence and skill in public speaking. These will include informal communication in class discussions, impromptu speaking and storytelling opportunities, formal presentations and additional opportunities as assigned in class.
4) Attendance and participation are required.
5) History courses require considerable time spent reading and writing. Please plan your study time accordingly and let me know if you are concerned about falling behind in either of these areas.
Evaluation
A total of 1200 points is possible, broken down into the categories below. Students are encouraged to keep track of their progress on a regular basis throughout the semester.
Exams 2 @ 100 points = 200
Analytical Papers 2 @ 100 points = 200
Class Blog/Reading Journal 1 @ 200
Research Project 1 @ 200 points = 200
Attendance 40 days @ 5 points = 200
Participation 40 days @ 5 points = 200
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