FYI: "Maps of War"

Who has controlled the Middle East? Pretty much everybody... Take a look at 5000 years of history over a few seconds in Maps of War.

Updated schedule!

We'll just do what was scheduled for today on Thursday! See you there!!!

FYI: Early Humans in the News...

• Remains of earliest child discovered in Ethiopia - Yahoo! News
• Salt Lake Tribune: Ancient rock art found at building site

FYI: Make your own Trajan's Column "trailer"

Just for fun... Make your own Trajan's Column "trailer"!

REQUIRED for 9/26: The Secret behind Aboriginal Story Painting! (UPDATED)

Hint: The mysterious rectangle depicted was a "didgeridoo"...

Read more at How Art Made the World: Once Upon a Time - Storytelling, Aboriginal Style and How Art Made the World: Once Upon a Time - Interview with David Attenborough

And, FYI, there are related videos "Time Enough for Art" and "Not Meant for the Wider World"

UPDATED 9/21: What do you think of that thesis considering today's news from Seed Magazine that Mirror Neurons Also Respond to Language and Sound, not to mention that apparently "Music makes you smarter if you get an early start" and music may have evolved through Darwinian sexual selection (via Metafilter).

Updated Assignment Links for 9/21!!

Those who had problems accessing the assignment links can try the following instead...

Hebrew - The Torah/Old Testament (RSV):
Genesis 6, 7, 8
Exodus 23
Deuteronomy 19
Psalm 104

If any of these links should break again, you can access them through the R.S.V.'s main page! (Look under "web version"...)

FYI: This week's 'History in the News' from 'Mirabilis.ca'

• Stone Age female statue unearthed
• Stone slab bears earliest known writing in Americas
• Egyptian writing "scanned" using high-tech methods

Plus, "Gibraltar may have been the last refuge of the Neanderthals, according to the results of a six-year archaeological dig. The findings, which show that Neanderthals lived alongside modern humans for thousands of years, bring fresh evidence to the debate on what happened to our evolutionary cousins, and whether modern humans drove them to extinction" (more at "Neanderthal's last stand").

IMPORTANT: SCHEDULE CHANGE!!

How would you all like a couple more days to work on the paper??

Turns out that I had to shift a couple of lessons around in order to get the auditorium to show you the IMAX film on Egypt... So that means that on TUESDAY, SEPT. 19th we'll be watching documentaries in the auditorium during our classtime, and instead having our discussion on the paper on THURSDAY, SEPT. 21st!! (The paper will also be due now on Thursday!)

If that's inconvenient in any way, go ahead and feel free to give me your paper on Tuesday the 19th, if you prefer! :-)

Have a great weekend!
Dr. Laughran

FYI: Indo-European Language Tree

Lynch, Indo-European Language Family Tree

FYI: Assyrians in Maine!

Collections: Ancient Art

INSTRUCTIONS: "How do I comment on a blog?"

"How do I comment on a blog?"

REQUIRED: Web Reading Assignments for Tues., Sept. 19

Primary Source Web Reading Assignments for Tues., Sept. 19

FYI: What came first? Beer or Civilization??

I'd post sample questions to consider, but how about we just start with "what do you think of this argument? Is it valid, do you think? Why or why not?"

• Which Came First ... the Bread or the Beer?
• Beer: The Midwife of Civilization
• Beer or Bread: Was Beer the First Great Cereal Food?
• "Brewing an Ancient Beer": Sumerian poetry used as an ancient beer recipe

FYI: The World's Oldest Portrait & More Art in Evolution...

What do you think about this relatively recent news?

"Archaeologists have discovered what they believe to be a 27,000-year-old drawing of a face, which would make it the oldest in history. Like many other ancient portraits, it is reminiscent of the work of some of the great modern artists, writes Jonathan Jones - and speaks volumes about the way we see ourselves..." (more!)

Plus, "Image galleries and theoretical research on three million years of art, religion and language in human evolution."

"How to Read a Primary Source"!

Here's the "How to Read a Primary Source" link! (corrected!!)

FYI: Where you live and your life expectancy!

Throughout history, a number of variables have been used to explain the longevity of life within particular cultures. Obviously life expectancy in this modern/postmodern age is impacted by moder medical technologies and the advancement of science.

From a social problems perspective, one's life expectancy is influenced not only in terms of where one lives, but also the availability of health care which can be different for people depending on what social group they belong to. For instance we know that one's economic position has a great effect on their health.

Happy Reading from Dr. Brooker!!!

FYI: "Survival of the harmonious"

Sample questions to consider: "Glance back at the Adams book to see what they say about prehistoric music... then, if you're interested, take a look at the following article. What do you think about it??"

• Survival of the harmonious - The Boston Globe
• Online discussion re: "Survival of the harmonious: Why did we develop music?"

BTW, instead of posting your reactions here, why not post 'em to the online discussion above, and just include the link for your post here? That way, I'll count it two posts for this week instead of just one! :-)

FYI: The Worst Analogies Ever Written in a High School Essay!

Actually, I'm pretty certain that there have been worse ones out there, but these are pretty bad... or so bad they're good! :-) Enjoy!!

The Worst Analogies Ever Written in a High School Essay!

FYI: Drought, Water, Society & Civilization in the News (UPDATED!)

Sample questions to consider:

1. How does the availability (or lack thereof) affect the development of societies?
2. Are we immune to such effects in our "developed" societies of the early twenty-first century?
3. Can ancient societies teach us anything specific about water use and conservation, do you think?

(Again... if you want to comment here, your analytical comments don't have to be on all these readings, and aren't limited to addressing these questions only!)

• Ancient biblical waterworks found in Israel - Yahoo! News
• "A Good Idea!": One Billion People Still Drink Unsafe Water - UN
• "A Good Idea!": Safe Water for the Entire World... It's Not a "Pipe" Dream!
• Ice Age gives clues to global warming: study - Yahoo! News
• Seed Magazine: "A Hostile Climate: Did global warming cause a resource war in Darfur?"
• Rich and poor countries alike face water crisis - Yahoo! News
• Food, biofuels could worsen water shortages: report - Yahoo! News
• Fixing leaks better than building dams: expert. 22/08/2006. ABC News Online
• "Glass Half Full: Map of the Coming Water Wars"
• Global water crisis looms larger - Linkfilter
• Reconstruction - Studies in Contemporary Culture: "Water: Resources & Discourses"

UPDATED, 9/12:

• Plumbing in History
• Was Agriculture a Mistake?

FYI: Great Question!

Hey, ya'll! I just got a great question via email from Amber, which I thought I'd share with you all here (and I hope she doesn't mind!) In the future, if you all would like, you could post such questions here (and they'd count toward your 1 or more blog posts per week, even!)

"In the reading for homework it mentioned stonehenge, but very little was explained. My question is about exactly who they believe had built the cromlech. They hypothisize on how the stones got there, but not who built it. They don't really mention it nor explain it. I do know that the celtic peoples had spread throughout continental Europe and into England and Ireland before Rome became thoroughly established, but how much earlier? Could they be the ones who added onto the structure? Or were they later in time? I was just curious, but any information would be helpful.

Thanks.
Amber Brooks"

Again, great question! In part, I think they're vague about which racial group built Stonehenge because they're not really sure. Apparently, there were various waves of immigration from Northern Continental Europe into Britain during the Iron Age, and - as far as I can tell - they're still trying to sort them all out!
:-)

There are, of course, a number of theories about Stonehenge. One of my favorites is a part from that series I'll be showing in class tomorrow... See what you think about it! Enjoy!!

• "How Art Made the World" - Gold and the "King" of Stonehenge
• BBC - History - "The Amesbury Archer: The King of Stonehenge?"
• "The Amesbury Archer"

FYI: Human Evolution in the News... (UPDATED)

Sample questions to consider:

1. Why does the theory of evolution trouble many people even in the early twenty-first century?
2. Why doesn't the Catholic Church oppose the theory of evolution, do you think?

(Note: if you want to comment here, your analytical comments don't have to be on all these readings, and aren't limited to addressing these questions only!)

• "Instant Expert: Human Evolution" - 24 August 2006 - New Scientist
• Pope and former students ponder evolution, not "ID" - Yahoo! News
• Most Americans Agree with Evolution: Angus Reid Consultants
• ScienceDaily: Newly Discovered Gene May Hold Clues To Evolution Of Human Brain Capacity
• Mental Leap: What apes can teach us about the human mind - Science News Online, Sept. 2, 2006
• Dolphin Intelligence : MetaFilter
• Artefacts support theory man came from Africa - Mirabilis.ca
• Ancient humans "followed rains" - Mirabilis.ca
• Some Ancient Caves Designed for Comfort- Discovery Channel News

How about a little evolutionary fun? Try "Name That Skull"! :-)

UPDATED 9/8: Here's another interesting link... Monkey see, monkey do!

UPDATED 9/9: And another... ScienceDaily: Modern Humans, Not Neandertals, May Be Evolution's 'Odd Man Out'!

UPDATED 9/12:

• Arizona State University's Institute for Human Origins reviews four million years of human evolution in this interactive documentary.
• BBC - Science & Nature - Human beginnings

Welcome to Dr. Laughran's Honors Western Civ!

This course will cover not only the major political developments in the West from the first evidence of civilizations through the Middle Ages, but will examine social and cultural aspects as well (in other words, how people lived everyday life in the past and how they perceived their world). Throughout we will also examine a lot of historical "material culture," that is, art and artifacts which help us understand better the past societies we are studying!

Emphasis will be placed on developing basic historical research skills, critical thinking essential for the interpretation of historical facts, and good communications skills in order to communicate an historical analysis in writing and in discussion (all skills appreciated by employers!)...

What do you get out of studying history?

Not just the ability to understand and explain the nature of past societies (and the forces which affected them and which can still affect us to this very day), but also the ability to:

· know the difference between "knowledge" and "data," and an understanding of how to extract knowledge from data (a very important skill in today's " Information Economy"!!!)

· manage vast amounts of different kinds of information from a wide-range of sources.

· use historical knowledge and skills to develop one's own insights and interpretations. (History helps us not only to recognize long-term trends but also to make greater sense out of the world we live in.)

· address and resolve problems. (This involves linking the knowledge you learn to the knowledge you already have in order to arrive at a new, greater understanding of the whole!)

· think creatively within and beyond one's studies. (History helps us to develop a critical imagination which allows us to connect not just with the past, but also allows us to be more open to new ideas and the differences of others…)

· work and learn with others. (This is "knowledge in action" instead of just possessing knowledge… It involves asking informed questions and communicating your understanding and ideas in discussion with others or in writing.)

· manage your own learning within and beyond your academic studies. (It's all about encouraging your own personal sense of curiosity and recognizing that life is really nothing more than one long learning process that we can embrace and
enjoy!)

(from The Practice of University History Teaching, eds. Alan Booth and Paul Hyland [Manchester, 2000]).

On that note, I myself do this job because I believe history is both challenging and a lot of fun, and this is the philosophy I try to communicate in class! Likewise, whether you are interested in understanding how our society came to be the way it is, or you want to learn about the world and the past beyond New England today, or you are just taking this class because you have to, you should find that if you try to have fun by honestly fulfilling your own curiosity about history, a handy and pleasant side effect is that often the grade you earn is much higher because curiosity and interest are the best recipe for motivating you to do good work!

At the same time, as an Honors course, this class will be more challenging than standard Western Civ. But it is my firm belief that it should also be even more rewarding as a result, and I will thus attempt to add unique learning opportunities whenever possible!

So... let's have fun and get started!!

Welcome, and see you in class!!

REQUIRED: Assignment for Tues., Sept. 12

1. Read the online learning module on the Agricultural Revolution, units 3-7 only (plus the module overview) for Tues., Sept. 12th!
   
   (Be sure to click "next page" at the bottom of the page to make sure that you've read the entire unit. Going back to the home page lets you choose the next unit to read...)
2. Read How to Read a Primary Source.

REQUIRED: Assignment for Thurs., Sept. 7

Read:

• "Predatory Reading"
• "How to Read a Secondary Source"
• "Some Keys to Good Reading"
  
  (FYI - optionally, if you're interested, you can go on to read "Surf like a Bushman," which compares modern information mining on the internet to good ol' hunting and gathering...)