Anthropology 140 WORLD CIVILIZATIONS, THE RISE OF CIVILIZATIONS

This course surveys “the activities and achievements of humans through the rise and
diffusion of civilizations in Eurasia, Africa and the Americas to about the dawn of the
Christian era”(CSUSB Catalog of Programs, p.94). As an archaeologist (and member of
the Anthropology Department) I will teach this class from the perspective of primarily
archaeological evidence. This course will consist of a survey of world prehistory with an
emphasis on explaining how and why civilizations arose in various parts of the world.

Student learning objectives: 1) Acquire an understanding of world prehistory from its

beginnings until the rise and fall of the earliest civilizations in various parts of the world.
2) Understand and evaluate some of the theories that have been developed to explain
some of the major processes of prehistory, particularly the origins of farming and the rise
of civilization. 3) Understand the factors that comprise “civilization” as understood by
archaeologists. 4) Obtain some introductory knowledge of the history, theories and
methods of archaeology.
Please note that you cannot obtain credit for both Anthropology 140 and History 140.

INSTRUCTOR; Christine Dias, adjunct, Anthropology Department.

OFFICE HOURS: M/W 12-1pm .
OFFICE: FO207 E-mail – dirtdigger14@aol.com
When you e-mail me please include your full student name as it appears on your
registration and include your class Anth140, otherwise I will not open your e-mail.

REQUIRED READING;
Price, T.Douglas and Feinman, Gary.M. “SELECTED MATERIAL FROM IMAGES
OF THE PAST, fifth ed. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A SPECIAL CUSTOMIZED
VERSION OF THE TEXT.
The companion web site for the textbook is : www.mhhe.com/priceip5Please note that
this publisher’s web site is an optional supplementary resource that you can use. I highly
recommend you visit this web site and take some of the practice exams that are available.

Examinations;
There will be three exams (two midterm and a final) drawn from your textbook, the
lectures, readings and videos. Each exam will cover only the material assigned for that
exam; there will be no comprehensive exam, although certain key concepts and theories
will run through the entire course.
You will be allowed to use ONE 3x5 INDEX (card stock only) of hand written notes for
each exam. No sharing of cards.
You are advised that regular class attendance is vital to success in this course.
Schedule of exams:
Exam 1- the 4th week of class,date to be announced (TBA)
Exam 2- the 7th week of class, TBA
Final March 25, 12-150pm ** Please note time change
Make-up exams: There will be no make-up exams except for DOCUMENTED medical
reasons or official university business.

Grading; Each midterm is worth 300 points and the final is worth 400 points for a total of
1000 possible points.

Extra credit; I will offer the following extra credit opportunity: Read “Collapse” by
Jared Diamond. There is a copy in the library and I will put 2 copies on reserve. It is
also available in the Campus Bookstore as well as at Barnes and Nobel. Write a 2 page
paper summarizing the contents of the book and addressing Diamonds 5 main points on
how societies choose to be successful or fail. After your summary, please critique his
book/ideas. How do you feel about what he says? This is worth 50 points and must be
received 2 weeks prior to the final. Papers must be typed and submitted in class, no
emailed papers accepted. No late papers will be accepted. No exceptions.

Message to all current and prospective Anthropology Majors: If you are a current or
prospective anthropology major you must retain graded copies of written work produced
in this class (and all your other anthropology course) for later inclusion in a portfolio of
your work that you will be required to submit to the instructor of Anthropology 500
(Great Ideas in Anthropology, a required course for all Anthropology majors) when you
take that course.

Grading system”
921-1000=A
900-920=A-
889-899=B+
820-879=B
800-819=B-
780-799=C+
700-779=C
600-699=D
0-599=F

Withdrawal from the class; I will not initiate an administrative drop of a student for lack
of attendance. If you wish to drop this class, you must initiate the procedure.

Readings: You must read the assigned pages by the date listed on the calendar. Please
print out the class outline on blackboard and bring to class. The outlines are designed to
assist you in note taking, not to be a replacement for the lecture. The outlines will also
help expedite note taking in class as we will be moving very quickly.

Cheating and Plagiarism; I will not tolerate any cheating or plagiarism in any form. If
you are caught cheating or plagiarizing, an F will be given for the course and will report
the offense to Student Records and recommend academic expulsion. You may refer to
the CSUSB catalogue for current policies and procedures regarding cheating.
No open laptops or texting allowed in the classroom during lecture. Please turn off all
cell phones.
You are responsible for knowing what takes place in class, getting notes for lectures
missed from fellow students, and the content of this syllabus.

If you are disabled or need any special assistance, you must register with the Disabled
Students Services on Campus.

Any extra credit offered is optional, no substitution allowed.