Time Schedule:
Joel T Walker
HIST 388
Seattle Campus
Introduction to the discipline of history for new or prospective majors. Emphasizes the basic skills of reading, analysis, and communication (both verbal and written) that are central to the historian' s craft. Each seminar discusses a different subject or problem.
Class description
"Bull of Heaven and Earth: Animal-Human Relations from Lascaux to the Chicago Stockyard" uses the history of cattle as a focal point to explore human-animal relations in the ancient world and North America. Topics include: hunting in the Paleolithic era; the domestication of cattle and the origins of animal sacrifice; cattle imagery in Mesopotamian and Egyptian art and myth; sacred cattle in Indian and Zoroastrian traditions; Greco-Roman traditions of animal sacrifice and agriculture; and, from the modern world, ranching, bull-fighting, cattle rustling, and the modern beef and dairy industries.
Student learning goals
Students will develop a new appreciation for the diverse patterns and interpretations of animal-human relations in world history.
Students will sharpen their skills of analysis through close study of primary texts translated from a variety of ancient languages.
Students will also learn how to use art and archaeology as tools for understanding the conceptual place of animals (and cattle in particular) in various ancient societies between prehistory and early Christianity.
Class discussion and mini-presentations will give students the opportunity to practice their skills in oral argumentation.
Students will gain practice in critiquing works of modern scholarship, evaluating them for their style, insight, and use of evidence.
Last but not least, students will be given ample opportunity to sharpen their skills as writers of cogent prose, building arguments from the evidence of the primary sources and modern scholarship in our course pack.
General method of instruction
This is a seminar. Careful preparation and regular participation in our bi-weekly meetings are essential. Students will need to collaborate with other members of the course for some assignments.
Recommended preparation
At least one prior course in ancient or medieval history, preferably HIST 111 (“The Ancient World“). No knowledge of foreign languages is expected, but students who read appropriate ancient or modern languages will be strongly encouraged to use them in their research.
Class assignments and grading
An integrated program of reading, writing, research and discussion.
3 response papers (1-2 pages each): 30% Map quiz: 10% Class participation: 15% Class presentation 15% Final paper (7-10 pages) : 30%
