History of Western Civilisation - Wednesday 5th Period: Discussion 1: Introduction and Sumeria

[prof-methos.livejournal.com]

All right, then. I bet you all thought that I wasn't going to make you do the stand-up-and-introduce-yourselves bit. Sorry.

Since this section of the class is all about discussion and sharing ideas, I think we first should share our names. I'm not going to ask why you're taking this class, since I imagine most of you are taking it because History 101 is something of a basic requirement. Instead, tell me what period of history has some meaning for you. A different time than your own, please, if you are historically displaced or from somewhere other than Earth. If you know nothing about another period in history... make something up. Please.

Then we're going to spend the hour talking.

Optional reading I totally gave you all yesterday:
Sumerian Language Page -- http://www.sumerian.org/
Wikipedia Entry on Sumer -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumeria
The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature -- http://www-etcsl.orient.ox.ac.uk/

[[OCD Threads up. Comment away!]]

Comments

Re: DISCUSSION 2

[ihatedenmark.livejournal.com]

Large stone monuments, such as the pyramids and the ziggurats, and the acropolis, and other such things. Later civilizations did not seem to build such towering piles of stone in such great numbers.

Re: DISCUSSION 2

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

Ivanova nods tiredly, as if to indicate that she agrees with Hamlet. Her head may be sinking towards her arms. Maybe.