Meeting with Mesopotamia

This is a class about first impressions. Since the 19th century, excavations in and around Iraq have provided us with significant finds that both enlighten us and challenge us with new insights on life in the ancient world. Using some of these finds, such as the Code of Hammurabi and the Cyrus Cylinder, this class will explore thousands of years of Iraq’s culture, power relations, religion, and science. We will also discuss how these finds have been used and abused in modern contexts, and how our own experiences color our understanding of their world.