The courses listed below are provided by Student Information Services (SIS). This listing provides a snapshot of immediately available courses within this department and may not be complete. Course registration information can be found at sis.jhu.edu/classes.
Please consult the online course catalog for cross-listed courses and full course information.
Column one has the course number and section. Other columns show the course title, days offered, instructor's name, room number, if the course is cross-referenced with another program, and a option to view additional course information in a pop-up window.
Course # (Section)
Title
Day/Times
Instructor
Room
PosTag(s)
Info
AS.130.101 (01)
Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations
TTh 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Schwartz, Glenn M
Shaffer 301
ARCH-ARCH
Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations AS.130.101 (01)
Review of important issues in ancient Near Eastern history and culture from the Neolithic era to the Persian period. Included will be an examination of the Neolithic agricultural revolution, the emergence of cities, states and writing, and formation of empires. Cultures such as Sumer and Akkad, Egypt, the Hittites, Israelites, Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians will be discussed.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: TTh 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Instructor: Schwartz, Glenn M
Room: Shaffer 301
Status: Open
Seats Available: 32/45
PosTag(s): ARCH-ARCH
AS.130.119 (01)
Medicine in Ancient Egypt
MWF 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Jasnow, Richard
BLC 5015
MSCH-HUM
Medicine in Ancient Egypt AS.130.119 (01)
A survey of medicine and medical practice in Egypt and, to a lesser extent, the ancient Near East in general. The abundant sources range from magical spells to surprisingly "scientific" treatises and handbooks. Readings are selected from translations of primary sources in the writings of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Israel. Topics will include the sources of our knowledge; the nature of medical practitioners, medical treatment, and surgery; beliefs about disease and the etiology of illness; concepts of contagion and ritual purity.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: MWF 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: Jasnow, Richard
Room: BLC 5015
Status: Open
Seats Available: 14/48
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM
AS.130.123 (01)
Myths and Monsters in Mesopotamia
MW 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Chapin, Michael Arthur
Gilman 413
NEAS-HISCUL
Myths and Monsters in Mesopotamia AS.130.123 (01)
This course is an introduction to the religion of ancient Mesopotamia (3000-500 BC) through its myths and legends. We will approach Mesopotamian religion through both the textual and
archaeological record. Although the focus will be on the myths and legends of Mesopotamia, we will also discuss rituals, magic, and household religion. By the end of this course, students should be familiar with the chief deities of the Mesopotamian pantheon, important texts pertaining to these deities, and the material culture of Mesopotamian religion.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: MW 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Instructor: Chapin, Michael Arthur
Room: Gilman 413
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/18
PosTag(s): NEAS-HISCUL
AS.130.129 (01)
Freshman Seminar: The Art of War and Peace in Ancient Mesopotamia
MW 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Taylor, Avary Rhys
Gilman 130G
ARCH-ARCH
Freshman Seminar: The Art of War and Peace in Ancient Mesopotamia AS.130.129 (01)
Ancient Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq, Syria, and Iran, is the “cradle of civilization.” It witnessed new inventions previously unknown to the ancient world: urban cities, writing systems, kingship,
and empires. This course examines the close relationship between war and peace and art in ancient Mesopotamia (ancient Sumer, Babylonia, and Assyria) from 3500 to 539 BCE. During the semester students will be introduced to the art, architecture, and archaeology of ancient Mesopotamia. This course is aimed at students without a previous background in art historical or archaeological approaches to Mesopotamia, but more advanced students are welcome.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: MW 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Instructor: Taylor, Avary Rhys
Room: Gilman 130G
Status: Open
Seats Available: 2/18
PosTag(s): ARCH-ARCH
AS.130.136 (01)
History of Hasidism
TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Katz, David
Smokler Center 214
History of Hasidism AS.130.136 (01)
Although it appears to be a relic of pre-modern Judaism, Hasidism is a phenomenon of the modern era of Jewish history. This course surveys the political and social history of the Hasidic movement over the course of the last three centuries. Students will also explore basic features of Hasidic culture and thought in their historical development. Cross-listed with Jewish Studies.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Instructor: Katz, David
Room: Smokler Center 214
Status: Open
Seats Available: 4/10
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.130.138 (01)
Freshman Seminar: Jerusalem: The Holy City
Th 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Mandell, Alice H
Gilman 130G
NEAS-HISCUL
Freshman Seminar: Jerusalem: The Holy City AS.130.138 (01)
This course will survey the cultural history of Jerusalem over three millennia, primarily as the symbolic focus of three faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The course content will focus on the transformation of sacred space as reflected by literary and archaeological evidence by examining the artifacts, architectural monuments, and iconography in relation to written sources. The creation of mythic Jerusalem through event and experience will be examined. Course requirements will focus on the development of advanced writing skills and critical thinking.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: Th 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Mandell, Alice H
Room: Gilman 130G
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/15
PosTag(s): NEAS-HISCUL
AS.130.149 (01)
"Egyptomania": A Consumer's Guide to Ancient Egypt
TTh 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Swaney, Margaret Mary (Meg)
Bloomberg 172
NEAS-HISCUL, ARCH-ARCH
"Egyptomania": A Consumer's Guide to Ancient Egypt AS.130.149 (01)
Chances are you’ve heard of Cleopatra and the curse of King Tut’s tomb. You may have even met a mummy or two, whether in the flesh or on the silver screen. Even today, 5,000 years after the dawn of Egyptian civilization—and half-way around the globe—the land of the pharaohs continues to fascinate the Western world. But, how is it that ancient Egypt came to be so deeply entrenched in Western culture? This course considers the history of Western interaction with ancient Egypt and examines the consequences of laying claim to a culture that is not one’s own. We will approach our study through the lens of consumption, both material and cultural, situating these phenomena within their historical and contemporary contexts. By engaging with both primary and secondary sources, we will consider the power relations embedded in Egyptian archaeology and the writing of history as well as the ethics of collecting and displaying ancient Egyptian material culture. We will also investigate the popularization of ancient Egypt known as “Egyptomania,” focusing on the commoditization of ancient Egyptian culture in Western media and merchandise. By the end of the class, students will be able to engage with the complex, yet fundamental, question of who owns culture and what is at stake when we uncritically consume an image of the past.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: TTh 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Instructor: Swaney, Margaret Mary (Meg)
Room: Bloomberg 172
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/18
PosTag(s): NEAS-HISCUL, ARCH-ARCH
AS.130.177 (01)
World Prehistory: An Anthropological Perspective
TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
Harrower, Michael James
Hodson 301
ARCH-ARCH
World Prehistory: An Anthropological Perspective AS.130.177 (01)
How and why did our nomadic hunting and gathering ancestors become farmers? What led agricultural societies to build cities, develop writing, religious institutions, wage war, and trade for exotic goods? This course surveys prehistory and ancient history from the origins of human culture to the emergence civilization. Although prehistory and ancient history yield evidence of tremendous cultural diversity this course emphasizes common elements of past human experience, culture, and culture change. These include the origins of modern humans and their adjustment to a variety of post-ice age environments, shifts from hunting and gathering to agricultural lifeways, and the initial development of the world’s earliest cities and civilizations.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
Instructor: Harrower, Michael James
Room: Hodson 301
Status: Open
Seats Available: 12/25
PosTag(s): ARCH-ARCH
AS.130.206 (01)
Distilling the Ancients: An Anthropological Approach to Alcohol in the Ancient World
TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Moroney, Morgan E
Gilman 313
NEAS-ARTARC, ARCH-ARCH, MSCH-HUM
Distilling the Ancients: An Anthropological Approach to Alcohol in the Ancient World AS.130.206 (01)
The consumption of alcohol is one of the oldest known human practices. Almost every culture has some type of mind-altering beverage that influences and shapes many facets of society. This course is a cross-cultural examination of the power and significance of alcohol in the ancient world. From the Neolithic to the Classical symposium to the Egyptian festival, the importance of communal drinking—alcohol or otherwise—is a uniting factor across the ancient world. This class will unpack the impact and significance of alcohol across a wide-range of ancient cultures, and examine what the study of alcohol might reveal about ancient societies. This includes alcohol as medicine, its religious and ritual functions, alcohol as a community unifier (and divider) and identity builder, and its practical and economic uses. Students will apply anthropological and archaeological theories to understand why, how, and to what effect humans drink.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Instructor: Moroney, Morgan E
Room: Gilman 313
Status: Open
Seats Available: 2/17
PosTag(s): NEAS-ARTARC, ARCH-ARCH, MSCH-HUM
AS.130.216 (01)
History of the Jews in Pre-Modern Times, from the Middle Ages to 1789
TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Katz, David
Smokler Center Library
INST-GLOBAL, INST-NWHIST
History of the Jews in Pre-Modern Times, from the Middle Ages to 1789 AS.130.216 (01)
A broad survey of the significant political and cultural dynamics of Jewish history in the Medieval, Early-Modern, and Modern Eras.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Instructor: Katz, David
Room: Smokler Center Library
Status: Open
Seats Available: 4/19
PosTag(s): INST-GLOBAL, INST-NWHIST
AS.130.222 (01)
From Papyrus to Pixels: The Materiality of Writing from Past to Present
MWF 10:00AM - 10:50AM
Shippelhoute, Karlene Dee Ann
Gilman 119
ARCH-ARCH
From Papyrus to Pixels: The Materiality of Writing from Past to Present AS.130.222 (01)
For over 5,200 years humans have used writing as a record for political, administrative, social, religious, and scholarly pursuits. Over millennia diverse scripts have been written, inscribed, carved, impressed, and painted on a variety of objects such as papyrus, stone, ivory, clay, leather, wax, rope, paper, metal, bone, wood, and other mediums. Today, the practice of writing has primarily shifted to the digital world. Computers are often the preferred way for people to “write.” In this course students will be invited to critically examine relationships between scribes, craftsmen, writing, and materials. The goal of the course is for students to recognize how writing has shaped religious and political movements, and aided bureaucratic endeavors from the invention of writing around 3200 B.C. to the present day. In the first part of the semester we will explore the emergence of writing in Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, and Mesoamerica. In the second half of the course students will explore how the act of writing transitioned from hand written manuscripts, to printed books, and now digitized texts. We will explore the way that computers and social media have changed the way that people interact with writing. The seminar will include lecture, discussion, museum fieldtrips, and experimental archaeology labs to investigate and engage with the materiality of clay cuneiform tablets, Egyptian papyrus, Roman wax writing boards, and more!
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: MWF 10:00AM - 10:50AM
Instructor: Shippelhoute, Karlene Dee Ann
Room: Gilman 119
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/12
PosTag(s): ARCH-ARCH
AS.130.244 (01)
The Archaeology of Animals: An Introduction to Zooarchaeology
MW 4:30PM - 5:45PM
Poolman, Laurel Ames
Maryland 114
BEHB-BIOBEH, BEHB-SOCSCI, ARCH-ARCH
The Archaeology of Animals: An Introduction to Zooarchaeology AS.130.244 (01)
This course is intended to introduce students to the discipline of zooarchaeology, the study of animal remains from archaeological sites. Humans have long depended on their animal counterparts not only for nutritional value, but for their economic, symbolic, and social value, making the study of animals in the human past deeply revealing of the entangled worlds that humans and animals lived in together. In service of this investigation, zooarchaeology, or the study of animal remains from archaeological sites, has developed interdisciplinary techniques in order to address archaeological questions. Zooarchaeology has the ability to provide insight into ancient human behavior around the world including economic strategies, dietary practices, religious observances, ecological interactions, and more. The course will introduce students to the basics of archaeological investigation and the identification of faunal osteological remains on archaeological sites, as well as some of the basic tools and techniques used to derive meaningful conclusions from primary data. Students will be introduced to the principles of comparative anatomy and the major elements of mammalian, avian, and fish skeletons. Students will also be taught to recognize significant markers for taphonomy, sex, butchery, age, and pathology and how this information is used to generate archaeological knowledge. Supplementary readings that help illustrate the application of these techniques to archaeological interpretation will be provided and discussed in class.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: MW 4:30PM - 5:45PM
Instructor: Poolman, Laurel Ames
Room: Maryland 114
Status: Open
Seats Available: 4/19
PosTag(s): BEHB-BIOBEH, BEHB-SOCSCI, ARCH-ARCH
AS.130.301 (01)
History of Ancient Syria-Palestine
T 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Lauinger, Jacob
Gilman 130G
History of Ancient Syria-Palestine AS.130.301 (01)
A survey of the history of Ancient Syria and Canaan, including Ancient Israel.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: T 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Lauinger, Jacob
Room: Gilman 130G
Status: Open
Seats Available: 5/10
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.130.376 (01)
Ancient Magic and Ritual
Th 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Delnero, Paul
Ames 234
ARCH-RELATE, MSCH-HUM
Ancient Magic and Ritual AS.130.376 (01)
This course will introduce students to the vast body of rituals that were practiced and performed in antiquity, with a particular emphasis on rituals from ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Hebrew Bible. In addition to examining rituals from a comparative perspective, anthropological and sociological studies of ritual will be read and discussed to shed light on the social, cultural, and political significance of ritual in the ancient world and beyond.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: Th 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Delnero, Paul
Room: Ames 234
Status: Open
Seats Available: 6/15
PosTag(s): ARCH-RELATE, MSCH-HUM
AS.130.377 (01)
Creating an Egyptian Temple
MW 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Bryan, Betsy Morrell
Gilman 130G
ARCH-ARCH
Creating an Egyptian Temple AS.130.377 (01)
This class will challenge every participant to plan a temple environment for a particular deity. The readings, lectures, and discussions will cover the mythology around specific gods and how it influenced temple architecture, location, ritual, and festivals. It will survey the history of temple building in Egypt, the role of architecture and art -- particularly wall reliefs -- in communicating the functions of particular parts of temples. The aim is to help students understand what requirements an Egyptian temple needed to fulfill. Then each student will plan a temple for a chosen deity and explain to peers how it meets the ancient requirements.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: MW 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Instructor: Bryan, Betsy Morrell
Room: Gilman 130G
Status: Open
Seats Available: 3/8
PosTag(s): ARCH-ARCH
AS.130.378 (01)
Geoarchaeology: Applications of Earth Science to Archaeology
TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Harrower, Michael James
Gilman 130G
ARCH-ARCH
Geoarchaeology: Applications of Earth Science to Archaeology AS.130.378 (01)
Geoarchaeology is a multidisciplinary subfield that applies the tools and techniques of earth science to understand ancient humans and their interactions with environments. This course examines basic topics and concepts, including archaeological site formation, paleo-environmental reconstruction, raw materials and resources, soil science, deposition and erosion of wind and water-borne sediments in different environments such as along rivers, lakes and coastlines, radiocarbon and other chronometric dating methods, and ground-based remote sensing, including ground penetrating radar.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Instructor: Harrower, Michael James
Room: Gilman 130G
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/10
PosTag(s): ARCH-ARCH
AS.130.400 (01)
Introduction to Middle Egyptian
MW 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Praet, Maarten
Gilman 130G
AFRS-DIASPO
Introduction to Middle Egyptian AS.130.400 (01)
Introduction to the grammar and writing system of the classical language of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom (ca. 2055-1650 B.C.). In the second semester, literary texts and royal inscriptions will be read. Course meets with AS.133.600.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Instructor: Praet, Maarten
Room: Gilman 130G
Status: Open
Seats Available: 3/5
PosTag(s): AFRS-DIASPO
AS.130.440 (01)
Elementary Biblical Hebrew
TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Cooper, Stephanie Lynn
MSE Library D1
Elementary Biblical Hebrew AS.130.440 (01)
Introduction to the grammar, vocabulary, and writing system of biblical Hebrew.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Instructor: Cooper, Stephanie Lynn
Room: MSE Library D1
Status: Open
Seats Available: 8/10
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.130.442 (01)
Readings - Hebrew Prose
W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Cooper, Stephanie Lynn
MSE Library D1
Readings - Hebrew Prose AS.130.442 (01)
Reading of biblical Hebrew prose, especially from the Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. Cross-listed with Jewish Studies.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Cooper, Stephanie Lynn
Room: MSE Library D1
Status: Open
Seats Available: 9/10
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.134.410 (01)
Kings and Chronicles
F 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Mandell, Alice H
MSE Library D1
Kings and Chronicles AS.134.410 (01)
This course surveys scholarship on the histories of Israel and Judah as presented in Kings and Chronicles. The course also addresses changes in the Hebrew language in the first millennium BCE.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: F 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Mandell, Alice H
Room: MSE Library D1
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/3
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.270.205 (01)
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Geospatial Analysis
M 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Chen, Xin
Krieger 108
ENVS-MINOR, ARCH-RELATE
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Geospatial Analysis AS.270.205 (01)
The course provides a broad introduction to the principles and practice of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and related tools of Geospatial Analysis. Topics will include history of GIS, GIS data structures, data acquisition and merging, database management, spatial analysis, and GIS applications. In addition, students will get hands-on experience working with GIS software.
