Courses

This course is an overview of societies of the ancient world that have “disappeared” through conquest, profound cultural change, environmental catastrophe, or self-induced collapse. Though many of these societies might have descendants who survive today, the traces of these fascinating cultures can often be reconstructed only from archaeological records. Over five weeks, we’ll trace ancient Egypt’s “disappearance” through cultural change, the civil unrest of Teotihuacán in central Mexico, the cultural invasion of Harappa in India, the religious turmoil of Angkor in Cambodia, the environmental collapse of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), the conquest of the Aztec Empire, and the dramatic “world war” that shattered the Classic Maya. We will also examine early Mesopotamian societies, the Nazca Lines of Peru, the monolith builders of northern Europe, and the complex Stone Age community of Çatalhöyük in Turkey. Each case study reveals fascinating insights about a society’s endurance or failure and how anthropologists trace its lasting footprints.