World History & Geography: Beginnings to 1500 AD, Intensified

This course, designed for advanced students, is a rigorous study of ancient world history from the dawn of humanity to about 1500 AD. An emphasis on integrating the humanities-literature, art, drama, and philosophy-will provide students a broad perspective of human development in the western and non- western worlds. From the earliest human settlements to the most advanced civilizations of the ancient world, students will learn the origins and growth of “community,” the focus of the course. As a result, this course will provide students with an excellent foundation for the understanding of the nature of our modern global community in terms of security, institutions, values and beliefs, culture, and the interaction with other communities. Specifically, students will study the Stone Age, early river valley civilizations, Ancient Greece and Rome, the Byzantine Empire, the rise of Christianity and Islam, the early Middle Ages, and the development of civilization in East Asia, India, Africa, and Mesoamerica.