Warriors, Merchants, Monks, and Courtesans: Ancient Narratives of Globalization in Google Earth

3 units

This introductory seminar-style course examines the history of globalization through the narrative accounts of those who lived along some of the great trade routes of the Old World. Through a combination of in-class discussion and hands-on tutorials and projects in Google Earth, we will examine how day-to-day local interactions and the experiences of individuals contributed to broader cultural exchanges and the shaping of ancient cosmopolitan centers. We will use a bottom-up approach to understand the process of globalization, and why it is not only a phenomenon of the modern world. This course will cover a large geographic and temporal span, but it is not about memorizing lists of dates and places or putting dots on a map - it is about learning how to interpret multiple strands of knowledge and put them together into a cohesive narrative of history. The course will cover four broad anthropological themes related to Old World history and globalization in conjunction with weekly lessons in Google Earth; there are no prerequisites for either. The knowledge and skills gained in the course will lead to a final independent research project consisting of a short paper and an interactive digital map that can be shared online through the Google Earth community.