Anthro 2064: Archaeology of Mesopotamia

A survey of current issues in the archaeology and history of ancient Mesopotamia (today within the states of Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran).  The course focus will be on urban origins, the nature of urban societies in the Bronze Age, and the expansion and impact of empires in the Iron Age.  Issues will include kinship and “the State,” the economic infrastructure of cities, the nature of political control, and the different theoretical approaches that archaeologists and historians have used to investigate them.Intended for graduate students in archaeology, NELC, and history, or advanced undergraduate archaeology concentrators.