This course is an introduction to themes and trends in the political,
economic, cultural, and social, history of pre-modern societies in
global perspective. It covers the development of civilizations in
Eurasia, Africa and the Americas from the Neolithic Revolution to the
"Columbian Exchange" with emphasis on the emergence and diffusion of
religious and political institutions, the role of the environmental
context, as well as the impact of encounters between human societies.
Students are introduced to the historiography of empire and global
history/globalization, and attention is devoted to the reading and
analysis of different categories of primary sources.
- Teacher: Marcus Pyka