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.130.149 (01)
"Egyptomania": A Consumer's Guide to Ancient Egypt
MW 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Swaney, Margaret Mary
NEAS-HISCUL
"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: MW 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Instructor: Swaney, Margaret Mary
Room:
Status: Open
Seats Available: 2/18
PosTag(s): NEAS-HISCUL
AS.130.244 (01)
The Archaeology of Animals: An Introduction to Zooarchaeology
TTh 4:30PM - 5:45PM
Poolman, Laurel Ames
NEAS-ARTARC, 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: TTh 4:30PM - 5:45PM
Instructor: Poolman, Laurel Ames
Room:
Status: Open
Seats Available: 2/18
PosTag(s): NEAS-ARTARC, ARCH-ARCH
AS.130.400 (01)
Introduction to Middle Egyptian
MW 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Zhang, Lingxin
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: Zhang, Lingxin
Room:
Status: Approval Required
Seats Available: 4/5
PosTag(s): AFRS-DIASPO
AS.010.205 (01)
Art of Mesoamerica
MW 4:30PM - 5:45PM
Rossi, Franco
HART-ANC
Art of Mesoamerica AS.010.205 (01)
This course provides a basis for the study of ancient Americas art and architecture and a broad exposure to the issues relevant to its study. Select visual arts within the primary regions of Mexico and Central America will be emphasized. In conjunction with the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) and the JHU Archaeological Museum (JHAM), students will participate in on-site study of the collections. Students who have taken AS.010.105 are not eligible to register. This course duplicates AS.010.105.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: MW 4:30PM - 5:45PM
Instructor: Rossi, Franco
Room:
Status: Open
Seats Available: 2/20
PosTag(s): HART-ANC
AS.130.123 (01)
Myths and Monsters in Mesopotamia
MW 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Chapin, Michael Arthur
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 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Instructor: Chapin, Michael Arthur
Room:
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/18
PosTag(s): NEAS-HISCUL
AS.130.216 (01)
History of the Jews in Modern Times, from the Middle Ages to 1917
TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Katz, David
INST-GLOBAL, INST-NWHIST
History of the Jews in Modern Times, from the Middle Ages to 1917 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:
Status: Open
Seats Available: 2/19
PosTag(s): INST-GLOBAL, INST-NWHIST
AS.130.129 (01)
Freshman Seminar: The Art of War and Peace in Ancient Mesopotamia
TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Taylor, Avary Kathryn
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: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Instructor: Taylor, Avary Kathryn
Room:
Status: Open
Seats Available: 3/15
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.130.206 (01)
Distilling the Ancients: An Anthropological Approach to Alcohol in the Ancient World
TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
Moroney, Morgan E
NEAS-ARTARC
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 9:00AM - 10:15AM
Instructor: Moroney, Morgan E
Room:
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/18
PosTag(s): NEAS-ARTARC
AS.010.389 (01)
The Stone and the Thread
TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Deleonardis, Lisa
HART-ANC
The Stone and the Thread AS.010.389 (01)
Advanced inquiry into imperial Inka architecture and fiber arts.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Instructor: Deleonardis, Lisa
Room:
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 2/25
PosTag(s): HART-ANC
AS.130.440 (01)
Elementary Biblical Hebrew
MW 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Weimar, Jason Everett
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: MW 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Instructor: Weimar, Jason Everett
Room:
Status: Open
Seats Available: 8/10
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.136.101 (01)
Introduction To Archaeology
TTh 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Schwartz, Glenn M
Introduction To Archaeology AS.136.101 (01)
An introduction to archaeology and to archaeological method and theory, exploring how archaeologists excavate, analyze, and interpret ancient remains in order to reconstruct how ancient societies functioned. Specific examples from a variety of archaeological projects in different parts of the world will be used to illustrate techniques and principles discussed.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: TTh 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Instructor: Schwartz, Glenn M
Room:
Status: Open
Seats Available: 53/80
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.130.139 (01)
Stargazing and Reading the Future: Science and Magic in Ancient Egypt
TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Zhang, Lingxin
NEAS-HISCUL
Stargazing and Reading the Future: Science and Magic in Ancient Egypt AS.130.139 (01)
Is astrology science? Is ancient medicine magic? What is the logic of divination? I invite you to explore the answers with me by traveling back in time to ancient Egypt, a place where knowledge from the ancient Mediterranean world once converged. We will start by bridging the difference between science and magic and establishing the importance of contextualization in cross-culture studies.
The topics range from the birth of astronomy, the language and logic of dream books to gynecological texts’ connections with love magic.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Instructor: Zhang, Lingxin
Room:
Status: Open
Seats Available: 15/18
PosTag(s): NEAS-HISCUL
AS.134.101 (01)
GOD 101: The Early History of God - Origin, Character, Practice
TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Lewis, Theodore
NEAS-HISCUL
GOD 101: The Early History of God - Origin, Character, Practice AS.134.101 (01)
In a world of big ideas, there is none larger than that of God. Divinity is an ever-present topic for both religious devotees and hard core secularists—for anyone who embraces the humanities or
ponders what makes us human. Humans are, for better and worse, homo-religiosus (humans who practice religion) as much as homo-sapiens. But what do we know of God historically? How do we go about reconstructing divinity from ancient texts and archaeology? How do we best walk back in time to understand ancient Middle Eastern cultures that gave birth to notions of the divine that have come down to today’s Judaism, Christianity and Islam? This course looks synthetically at the vast topic of God—exploring questions of historical origin, how God was characterized in literature (mythic warrior, king, parent, judge, holy, compassionate) and how God was represented in iconography, both materially and abstractly. Secondly, how did belief intersect with practice? Using the indow of divinity, this course will peer into the varieties of religion experience, exploring the royal use of religion for power, prestige and control balanced against the intimacy of family and household religion. It will probe priestly prerogatives and cultic status, prophetic challenges to injustice, and the pondering of theodicy by poetic sages.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Instructor: Lewis, Theodore
Room:
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/19
PosTag(s): NEAS-HISCUL
AS.145.101 (01)
Death and Dying in Art, Literature, and Philosophy: Introduction to Medical Humanities
TTh 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Arthur, James P, Delnero, Paul, Hersch, Michael
Death and Dying in Art, Literature, and Philosophy: Introduction to Medical Humanities AS.145.101 (01)
This team-taught course offers an interdisciplinary introduction to the university's new concentration in "Medicine, Science, and Humanities." The themes of death, dying, and the treatment of the dead are explored in their changing historical, anthropological, philosophical, literary, art historical and medical dimensions. Open to freshmen, sophomores, and upperclass Medicine, Science, and Humanities majors.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Days/Times: TTh 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Instructor: Arthur, James P, Delnero, Paul, Hersch, Michael
Room:
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/80
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.130.442 (01)
Readings - Hebrew Prose
MW 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Weimar, Jason Everett
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: MW 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Instructor: Weimar, Jason Everett
Room:
Status: Open
Seats Available: 9/10
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.270.205 (01)
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Geospatial Analysis
M 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Chen, Xin
ENVS-MINOR
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.
