"History" has two meanings. Genuine history should be understood as the unfolding of human experience--everything that has happened to people. The other meaning of the word is as recorded history--the portion of the human experience that historians and others have selected to write down and consecrate. This process inevitably yields an incomplete view of the past. But an incomplete view can be a representative view, rather than an inaccurate one. How well the incomplete view of the past that written history gives us reflects the actual history lived by people depends upon the basis that has been chosen for inclusion or exclusion in written history.

This course will explore the early history of human beings by attempting to address three areas that historians have often overlooked or shortchanged. The first is the fact that the human species consists of two sexes and history cannot be properly understood if we look solely at the activities of only one of those sexes. Until quite recently, history was seen as if it were "his-story." It is only in the last quarter century that historians have begun to give serious consideration to women and the parts they have played in history. In this course we will strive always to remember that history must be herstory, as well.

But while the fundamental error of deleting half of humanity from history has been partially corrected, two other omissions, both related to the ignoring of women, continue to be the general practice. One of these is the assumption that there are no basic, innate traits or predispositions in humans--that there is no such thing as human nature. The underlying supposition, which has been with us since John Locke in the seventeenth century, is that we are born as "blank slates" upon which culture and experience write a script. This assumption allows historians to ignore the biological nature of the beings that they study.

The third area to which historians have usually given too little attention is "pre-history." A sharp division between archeology/anthropology and history has left most historians as ignorant of the early development of the people they study as they are of the biological natures of their subjects. Understandably reluctant to draw many conclusions about life in times for which we have no written records, historians have for the most part acted as if human history began about the same time that writing was invented--shortly before 3000 B.C. If human history cannot be properly understood without an acquaintance with the innate biological predispositions with which evolution left us, neither can it be accurately fathomed without some knowledge of the effects of the monumental alterations in the human social environment that occurred during the approximately five thousand years between the invention of agriculture and the invention of writing.

It is easy to appreciate the hesitation of historians in saying much about the period before writing. The methodological difficulties involved in considering such periods are enormous. But there were people living in these vast eras, and they had lives--there is a "prehistoric history." Learning about this history is very difficult, and conclusions we reach about it must be classified as highly tentative and in some cases even speculative. It involves borrowing from many other disciplines, including biology, archeology, anthropology, and the study of religion and mythology. But historians believe that "what is past is prologue," and human history in the time when there was no or little writing has had important effects on the history that followed.

It makes little sense to try to examine the upper stories of a tall building without looking at the building's foundation and lower stories. Human history has become a very tall structure. Its foundation is human nature and the lower stories upon which the upper stories rest are "pre-history." Those lower stories are composed of "her stories" as well as "his stories." The objective of this course is to explore the foundation and lower stories of the human experience. That exploration will be completely interdisciplinary, involving biology, archeology, paleo-anthropology, mythology, religion, philosophy, art, literature, drama, and politics, all of which we shall endeavor to blend into a wider understanding of the early stages of human history.

Roughly the first half of the course will be devoted to the generally neglected bases of history in the Paleolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Ages--the evolution of the human "biogram" (innate traits), the way of life of hominids and early human collector-hunters, the invention of agriculture and the profound effects this transformation of the way humans live (the Agricultural Mega-Revolution) had on such areas as sex roles, worldviews, religion, and science.

The second half of the course will examine the more traditional period of the ancient world, down through the first centuries of the Christian era. Our chief concentration will be on southwest Asia and northeast Africa (the regions often termed the "Near East" or the "Middle East"), India, China, and southern Europe, especially Greece and Rome. The theme that we will follow through these cultures is the way in which various developments in them constituted attempts to deal with the disruption of the balance between human nature and the social environment that was caused by the new ways of life created by agriculture. Religion will be a particular focus of this line of inquiry.

The ideal of a liberal arts education includes more than the expansion of knowledge, although that is certainly an important part of such an education. Core courses at Millsaps vary widely in content, but they are all designed to help students develop certain skills and abilities. This course seeks to assist students in cultivating the following liberal arts abilities:

REASONING. There will be many opportunities for students to ripen their reasoning abilities. Many ideas that will come up in the class will be unfamiliar and run counter to beliefs with which many students have grown up. Some of the positions taken by authors that we read in the course are likely to upset--perhaps even anger--some students. This will provide an opening to analyze arguments made by writers, reflect on them, and respond to them critically. Some of the readings have been selected because they are controversial and will give students a chance to see that it is possible for them to question and criticize "authorities," provided that they can develop a rational basis for criticism.

COMMUNICATION. As the later section on Course Requirements details, the course is structured in a way that is designed to help students improve their ability to communicate, both in writing and in speaking. Full class discussions, frequent small group discussions, daily journal writing, several short papers and one long paper, and a group paper combine not only to give opportunities to students with a variety of learning styles, but also to enhance the communication skills of each student.

HISTORICAL CONSCIOUSNESS is central to the course. Students will see that while humans share a basic biological nature and people in "pre-historic" times were essentially the same as we are, when and where people live have great impacts on how they live and what they think and believe. In this course we will be dealing with people whose ways of life, beliefs and values are as far removed from those that are prevalent in the modern world as it is possible to find. This will give students an opportunity to reflect on their own values and beliefs and ask themselves why they believe and value the things that they do.

GLOBAL AND MULTI-CULTURAL AWARENESS. Because the course deals with such different societies, including those that existed before writing and even before agriculture, as well as with early societies in South and East Asia, students will vividly experience some of the variety of cultural possibilities that humans have developed in different times and places. The central focus of the course is on sex and gender, how they differ, and how they have shaped human experience and religious beliefs throughout history. Another major focus of the course is on the enormous ways in which the development of agriculture altered the environment, physical as well as social.

AESTHETIC JUDGEMENT will be enhanced by examining artistic works from "pre-historic" and ancient cultures and questioning the criteria we use to react to creative works.

A variety of teaching methods will be used in the course, to accommodate different learning styles: full class discussions, small group discussions, lectures, primary and secondary readings, films, journals, free-writing, brief papers, and a longer paper that will be revised throughout the semester.

It is the instructors' intention that there will be no tests in this course. (Tests may be added if it becomes apparent that a significant fraction of the class is not keeping up with the reading and other assignments. We very much hope that this will not be necessary.) Instead, students will be evaluated on the basis of four other major criteria: an extensive journal, a series of short papers, a longer paper that will be worked on throughout the semester, and participation in class discussions. A small part of the grade will be based on a series of map quizzes that will be given throughout the course.

Journals

The journal is the basis of the rest of the course. It will lead into the long paper, provide ideas for the short papers, and have a two-way relationship with the discussions, both preparing students for class discussions and providing a vehicle for further reactions to points that have been discussed in class.

A journal is a diary of your thought processes. After a session of reading, after a class discussion, or after a film, you should sit down and simply start writing about your most dominant or curious impressions, just as in a diary you might review or comment upon the day's events. By its nature, a journal may ramble, because you may have no idea what you are going to say when you begin writing. The act of getting words and ideas on the page will help you discover what your most important concerns are in the course.

In your journals, you are asked to interact with the readings and with points that come up in class. Ask questions about what you read, hear and see, and ponder (in writing) possible answers. Journal entries should demonstrate both that you have read the assignment and that you are thinking about what you read. Refer to a substantial number of specific points, using quotations where helpful; question these points and comment on them. In addition to comments on the readings, journals should also contain comments on points that come up in class lectures and discussions and reactions to films, works of art, and other sorts of texts that are used in the class.

Although the instructors will, in fact, be grading your journals, what you write is primarily for your own use, both during the course and in the future. You will want to keep your journals from this course, since they will constitute a record of your thoughts during what we hope will prove to be a very interesting period of your lives. You need not worry about shifting topics, contradicting yourself, losing sense or being unconvincing. Correctness of language and problems of spelling should not even cross your mind (unless, of course, you want them to be a concern). Just put down your first reactions and explore them until you have worked them out fully.

The journal will work for you only if you make it a habit. If you wait for the spirit to move you before you pull out the journal, many of you will not use it very much. The best way to establish real discipline is quite simply to set aside 15 minutes or so after each reading session, class, or other activity. You may not always get done in that time, but at least you will know that it is a part of your routine.

Doing your journal in the proper spirit will make you a better reader and thinker; it will also prepare you to participate more fully in class discussion and enable you to raise issues that really concern you.

The Journal Assignment

* Obtain a notebook that you use only as a journal for this course. This should be separate from the place where you take notes in class.

* Date each entry and keep up with the assignments right from the start.

* Begin your journal immediately, with entries on this week's readings, films, and discussions.

* Write an entry for most of the reading assignments, including several each for the whole books we are reading and entries for several class discussions. You should write several (a minimum of three) journal entries each week.

Journals will be collected for comments and grading several times during the semester. The purpose of the journal is to give the student an opportunity for frequent interaction with the ideas of the course. This means that it is essential that entries be made on a regular basis, at the time the reading is done.

Since your journal is to be used, among other purposes, to help stimulate class discussion, students are required to bring their journals with them to each class. In order to ensure that they are being kept up to date, the days on which they will be collected for review by the instructors will not be announced ahead of time.

Your journal will count for 30% of your grade in the course (more than any other single part of the course), so give it the attention it deserves.

Short Papers

Short (2-3 typed pages) papers will be assigned at various times during the semester. These will ask for student reaction to points raised in class and to readings and other sorts of texts.

Long Paper

The paper is not a research project. It is intended rather as an opportunity to draw together ideas from different readings and discussions to create a personal assessment of the ideas discussed in the course. Students may choose any approach to the topic, but should consult frequently with the instructors. Journal entries will provide much of the raw material for the paper, but it is expected that the paper will be done with great care and much revision. The final version should be approximately 10 to 12 typed pages.

First drafts of papers will be due on Tuesday, October 26. Second drafts will be due on Thursday, November 11. Final papers will be submitted on Thursday, December 2.

Discussions

Attendance at all class meetings is expected. It is also expected that reading assignments will be completed before the class meeting for which they are assigned. A diversity of viewpoints is welcomed in class discussions. You should bring up in class any questions you have from the readings.

In addition to full class discussions, we will frequently break up into small groups to discuss particular questions and ideas that have come up in readings or class. Mr. McElvaine and Ms. Giorgio will circulate among the groups to listen to the discussions and participate in them on a limited basis, but they will consist primarily of students in the group talking with each other. Students will be assigned to a small group early in the course. Membership in these groups will be changed at least once during the course.

Map Quizzes

In order to begin to remedy for members of this class the serious deficiency in geographic knowledge that is so widespread in the United States, a series of map quizzes will be given throughout the semester. Students will be given maps of different continents prior to the quiz on that continent, so that they can study and improve their basic geographic knowledge.

The Millsaps Honor Code (see below) is in full effect in this course. Because the course makes use of collaborative learning for some assignments, it is necessary that students understand from the outset what is acceptable in terms of working together. Students will work together in small groups and discuss matters that arise in the course, including readings, films, and points that come up in class. It is completely acceptable for students to use ideas that come out of these discussions when they write in their journals and when they write their papers. The actual writing of all papers (except the group paper to be done after the meetings on October 4) and journals, however, is to be an individual activity. Students should not provide assistance to each other in writing journals or individual papers. It is more than acceptable, though, to use assistance from the Writing Center in writing papers. Students are strongly urged to write drafts of their papers early enough that they can take them to the Writing Center for help before they write the final version to be handed in.

Millsaps College is an academic community dedicated to the pursuit of scholarly inquiry and intellectual growth. The foundation of this community is a spirit of personal honesty and mutual trust. Through their Honor Code, the students of Millsaps College affirm their adherence to these basic ethical principles.

An Honor Code is not simply a set of rules and procedures governing students' academic conduct. It is an opportunity to put personal responsibility and integrity into action. When students agree to abide by an Honor Code, they liberate themselves to pursue their academic goals in an atmosphere of mutual confidence and respect.

The success of the Code depends on the support of each member of the community. Students and faculty alike commit themselves in their work to the principles of academic honesty. When they become aware of infractions, both students and faculty are obligated to report them to the Honor Council, which is responsible for enforcement.

The pledge signed by all students upon entering the College is as follows:

As a Millsaps College student, I hereby affirm that I understand the Honor Code and am aware of its implications and of my responsibility to the Code. In the interests of expanding the atmosphere of respect and trust in the College, I promise to uphold the Honor Code and I will not tolerate dishonest behavior in myself or in others.

Each examination, quiz, or other assignment that is to be graded will carry the written pledge: "I hereby certify that I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this assignment. (Signature)" The abbreviation "Pledged" followed by the student's signature has the same meaning and may be acceptable on assignments other than final examinations.

It is the responsibility of students and faculty to report offenses to the Honor Code Council in the form of a written report. This account must be signed, the accusation explained in as much detail as possible, and submitted to the Dean of the College.

The Honor Council, 2004-2005

Megan Holcomb, Chair
Jamie Holcomb, Vice Chair
Dr. Kristy Stensaas, Faculty Secretary
Dr. Bill Brister
Chris Spear, Sergeant at Arms
Dr. James Bowley
Maggie Baumgartner
Dana Van Deman
Milan Winnard

Four graduate student positions and one non-voting freshman position will be filled at the beginning of the fall term.

William H. McNeill, A History of the Human Community.
Volume I - Prehistory to 1500.

Kevin Reilly, ed., Worlds of History: A Comparative Reader, Vol I, To 1550. (Second Edition)

Euripides, The Bacchae, translated by Michael Cacoyannis.

Course Reader for IDS 1200-08.

Plus additional readings to be handed out in class.