Creating An Annotated Bibliography

You are in the process of creating your first annotated bibliography.  You should read pages 27-29 on Annotated Bibliographies in your Writing in History (Rampolla) book. These pages may also be found here. 

Use Citation Machine for Turabian/Chicago Manual of Style to build the correct format for books, articles, and artifacts. http://earlyworld15-16.blogspot.com/p/citation-guide.html

Make sure to annotate your bibliographic citations, which requires you to do the following:

Artifacts found on websites and books can be trickier to cite properly.  Below are a couple of examples to guide you:

Examples of Artifact Citations

“Egyptian Clay Model of Cattle.” In Neil MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects (New York: Viking, 2010), pg 44.

“Model of a River Boat; Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 11-12.” Chicago Institute of Art. http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/127874

Happy Halloween! It's "Mummy" Day!

This week, we have looked at how the Nile River shaped Ancient Egypt.  This gave us some exposure to Egyptian religious beliefs as well, with many of you noting yesterday that the system of gods and goddesses appeared to be hierarchical in nature.  How did the Egyptians answer the big questions?  How did we get here?  Why are we here?  How do we explain the good and the bad stuff that happens to us?  What happens to us when we die?

EGYPTIAN VISION OF THE AFTERLIFE: MUMMIFICATION

One of the most important points to be made about Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife was that it persisted for over three thousand years.  Compare the two "mummifications" below, one pre-dynastic and one thought to be of the Old Kingdom (one thousand year difference):

                          

How did they make a mummy?  Play this game from the Oriental Institute to find out. 

http://oi-archive.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/ED/mummy.html

Here's another one, available at the British Museum:
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/activity/main.html

http://discoverykids.com/games/mummy-maker/

As argued in your homework reading, the Egyptians covered the walls of the tombs with spells and guides to the afterlife.  This comes from the Book of the Dead.

YOUR CLASS INTERPRETATIONS:  Afraid of uncertainty, they drew comfort from the idea of the afterlife to explain what happens to us after we die. Appealing to the gods and goddesses, the rituals and spells, they can take comfort against the unexpected, the uncertain, and protect their loved ones.  During life, they celebrated and praised what gave them life.  In death, they wanted to perpetuate the life they enjoyed.  According to the Book of the Dead, to be a good person, an Egyptian should strive to be religious (respect gods), selfless, pious, generous, pacifist/peaceful, helpful, charitable, and honest. 

Egypt: Quarterly Research Paper Begins!

Today, you began the process of considering a research paper topic specific to ancient Egypt.  Once you have an idea of a topic, you may begin your LIBRARY RESEARCH.  Ms. Volk, our class librarian, has created this EGYPT PATHFINDER, which is a special web page, that links you to relevant books, databases, scholarly websites, and primary sources. The goal of secondary source research is to provide the contextual details to aid your analysis of the civilization and the artifacts you have chosen.  If you pick an artifact from the Old Kingdom, your secondary source research should not deal with the New Kingdom.  Use the approximate dating of the artifact to locate the particular era from which it would derive in ancient Egypt.

My recommendations are to (a) consider what "lens" (political, economic, technological, religious, social, cultural, military) interests you most as a historian; (b) consider what "period" or "periods" of Egyptian history are relevant to your "lens;" and (c) consider the geographic area of Egypt relevant to your "lens," "period," and finally "topic." A knowledge of ancient Egyptian cities, as different pharaohs concentrated power in different places, can be of use.  In class, we are looking at a film in class to ignite your "historical imagination," assist you to choose a "lens" and "period," and give you a sense of change and continuity over 2500 years. It is also available via Youtube, if you are absent.

Keep track of your sources as well as their page numbers as you research. We will spend Friday and Monday the library, so that you have time to ask Ms. Volk and myself research questions. 

Your first DUE DATE is a four source, annotated bibliography (two artifacts or primary sources and two scholarly secondary sources minimum) due to turnitin.com by 7 pm on Wednesday, November 2.  A sample annotated bibliographic summary for a source can be found HERE, from your Rampolla text.  

Unit 3: Ancient Africa: Egyptian and Kushite peoples

Today, we will move to our third unit on ancient Africa: Egyptian and Kushite peoples. This unit will feature your first quarterly research project of the year.

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa/africa_pol_2012.pdf

Countries and Capitals	Landmarks
Algeria (Algiers)  Angola (Luanda)  Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa)  Egypt (Cairo)  Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)  Ghana (Accra)  Kenya (Nairobi)  Morocco (Rabat) Mozambique (Maputo)   Nigeria (Abujo) South Africa (Pretoria, a/k/a Tshwane)  Sudan (Khartoum) Tanzania (Dodoma)  Uganda (Kampala)	Atlas Mountain Congo River Indian Ocean Niger River Nile River Red Sea Sahara Desert  East African Rift

Again, realize that political map boundaries (the black lines) are artificial and of "modern" construction.  They are ephemeral (lasting for a very short time) in the "Big History" of the world. Africa's map could have taken a very different form, but for European conquest and the decisions made at the time of decolonization to keep the map to prevent disputes between newly independent African nation-states.  That said, efforts have been made to represent what political boundaries would have looked like had some other indicia, such as ethnicity, been used. 

Some economists today have tried to study to what extent Africa's artificial and tragic political boundaries may be blamed for conflict and wars in Africa today.  "Not surprisingly, the length of a conflict and its casualty rate is 25 percent higher in areas where an ethnicity is divided by a national border as opposed to areas where ethnicities have a united homeland. Examples of divided (and conflicted) groups are the Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania, and the Anyi of Ghana and the Ivory Coast. The conflict rate is also higher for people living in areas close to ethnic-partitioned hot-spots." 

http://freakonomics.com/2011/12/01/the-violent-legacy-of-africas-arbitrary-borders/


"The past lies like a nightmare upon the present." -- Karl Marx, The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte 

Assyrians and ISIS

                                                  (University of Chicago Oriental Institute)

The last of the Mesopotamian empires we will look at is that of the Assyrians, who had previously existed as a people under the rule of Babylon, and became a military empire that rose in the first millennium. The last notable Assyrian ruler was Ashurbanipal, whose library was discussed in today's reading. Other sources emphasize the military feats, as well as their reputation for cruelty, among those they conquered. Regardless, they provide the perfect opportunity for us to discuss thinking like a historian, which Rampola equates with avoiding obvious bias and value-laden judgments. Our question is how should we assess the Assyrians based on Hunt's article on Ashurbanipal's Library. Is it objective? Is it biased? Is it value-laden?

Ashurbanipal's Hunting Lions Video Tutorial from Dr. Harris and Dr. Zucker (5:54)

Lamassu from the Citadel of Sargon II Video Tutorial from Dr. Harris and Dr. Zucker (5:08)

The empire of the Assyrians was destroyed in 612 BCE when the Medes and New Babylonians (Chaldeans) forged an alliance and overtook Nineveh, resulting in the burning of the library you read about in Hunt's article, which ironically served to "bake" the clay cuneiform tablets and better preserve them.  Many began to be unearthed around 1849 CE.  

Ishtar Gate and Processional Way, Babylon, 575 BCE Video Tutorial (6:49)

Pillaging of archaeological sites and cultural repositories to destroy irreplaceable cultural heritage and to disperse rare and important artifacts is reprehensible.  This has caused irreparable damage to the heritage of the people of Iraq and humanity worldwide.

- Archeological Institute of America’s Joint Statement.

This quarter we have introduced you to a number of ancient artifacts that shed light on early river valley civilizations.  When we looked at Gilgamesh, we paired it with our analysis of the lion-taming statue that depicted divine and royal power. When we looked at the Standard of Ur, we learned of the necessity of examining the place and context in which an artifact was found, along with which other artifacts it was found. Unfortunately, the geographic region from which artifacts of the Ancient Near East originate have seen instability, revolution, and war in the last decade.  Many have worked tirelessly, and even sacrificed their own lives, to save archeological artifacts.  Archeological artifacts have been looted, sold, even purposefully destroyed.  Some have suggested 3D printing of all wonders of the ancient world to prevent the wholesale loss of priceless objects, while others note that a virtual version does not serve as an adequate replacement.  Nor are the artifacts of any of the civilizations we have examined this quarter entirely free from potential harm, whether found in Iraq, or Syria. During this 21^st century CE, the U.S. invasion in 2003 endangered Iraqi artifacts, with immediate looting of Iraq’s museums, and ISIS purposefully destroys (and sells other) artifacts today.

All of these artifacts hold a special importance to those of us at University of Chicago.  The Oriental Institute houses both Egyptian artifacts and Assyrian artifacts and has reacted strongly to the destruction of artifacts, noting that their collections of artifacts from Iraq have seen their “counterparts” destroyed. http://oi.uchicago.edu/about/statement-cultural-destruction-iraq.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/02/150227-islamic-militants-destroy-statues-mosul-iraq-video-archaeology/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/150414-why-islamic-state-destroyed-assyrian-palace-nimrud-iraq-video-isis-isil-archaeology/ 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2986275/Have-ISIS-destroyed-ancient-city-Iraq-investigating-reports-jihadists-looted-blown-former-700BC-Assyrian-capital-near-Mosul.html

Unit II Test Scheduled for Friday, October 21

The test will have two sections. The first will be the Middle East map section and the second will be the Gilgamesh essay.  Reminder, you may pre-plan and MEMORIZE that pre-planning (e.g., memorize thesis and major topics of body paragraphs). You will be able to use your Gilgamesh book and your Sumerians article.  You may NOT have a pre-written outline of any kind during the test. I suggest 10 minutes for the map and 35 minutes for the essay.

Hammurabi's Code & Babylonian Court Simulation

As you've seen in Kramer, the Sumerians settled between the Two Rivers around 3000 BCE and reached its peak around 2500 BCE. They were followed by four empires, marked by their rule over peoples and territory beyond their own.

The Akkadians, including under Sargon the Great, moved into the area between 3000 and 2000 BCE. The most memorable Akkadian ruler was perhaps Sargon, whose "growing realm became an empire as it incorporated multiple kingdoms ruled by himself as the overall king."

The Akkadians were followed by the Babylonians, which rose to power around 1800 BCE. Under Hammurabi, Babylon acquired the law code we explore on Friday, which dealt with a wide array of topics, such as marriage, real estate, business transactions and criminal law. Many of these laws can be traced back to the Sumerians. Notably, the punishments differed based on class, meaning that punishments were more severe for commoners than elites.

During Friday's simulation, we will hear six cases.  Six cases will be prosecuted by six students, while six students will defend themselves, and six other students will act as Hammurabi, proclaiming his final decision. Read your legal code!  It might be a matter of life or death!

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/ancient-near-east1/babylonian/v/law-code-stele-of-king-hammurabi-792-1750-b-c-e

Case # 22

Case # 226

Case # 209

Case # 204

Case # 235

Case # 197

Me: Hear ye, hear ye -- the courtroom of the Great Hammurabi is now in session! Hear ye the decisions of the great Lord of the Universe, Ruler of the Land between the Two Rivers, and King of Babylon and Sumer!  Case # -- is called. 

Attorney and Lawbreaker come forward. 

Lawbreaker kneels before the Great King! 

Attorney: "Oh Great Hammurabi, Lord of the Universe -- Wise Servant of the gods Ishtar & Marduk -- I come to plead my case.  What say ye?  

Hammurabi: "Speak to me of this lawbreaker's crime or reason to come before my face!" 

Attorney: Defendant stands accused of breaking Case law # --.  Read it. 

Attorney: Make an argument why the law should be followed in this case. Why would this law be important to Babylon? 

Defendant:  Make an argument why the law should NOT be followed in this case. Why would this law be of lesser importance to Babylon?  Are there other similar laws on the books? 

YOU MUST BOTH TRY TO CONVINCE HAMMURABI, BUT NOT OFFEND HIM IN ANY WAY, OR THE PENALTY OF THE LAW MAY SIMPLY BE SENTENCED, AND EVEN MORE PUNISHMENT, INCLUDING OF THE ATTORNEY. 

Hammurabi: may consider the arguments and pass judgment. 

End of class question: 5 minute response: What do these cases suggest about the political, economic and social values of Babylon? 

Standard of Ur

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/history/ancient-medieval/Ancient/v/standard-of-ur-c-2600-2400-b-c-e

As a class, you watched and picked apart this mini-tutorial on the Standard of Ur.  You asked what questions must I consider when "reading an artifact" deeply in order to act as a visual detective? Below is the list generated by 7th period:

These questions should guide your visual analysis for the remainder of the year:

• Where was the artifact found?  How was it found?  With what other artifacts was it found?  How can I use the other (outside) artifacts found with this artifact to interpret it? 

• Of what is it made in terms of materials?  What is the origin (place) of those materials?  What do those materials suggest about the culture that produced it?

• How difficult would you anticipate it was to build or create this artifact?  What technologies were have been used to build or create it?  What types of skilled and unskilled labor would have been required to build or create it?

• Has this artifact been well-preserved, damaged, altered, or experienced decay? How, if at all, would it have appeared different at the time?

• What is its size (and relative sizes within the composition)? 

• If a scene, or consisting of separate parts, what is its layout or overall organization? 

• What are the unique stylistic features? What specific details are represented? 

• What is its purpose?  Who used it? How did they use it? Why did they use it? 

• (For artifacts depicting people/animals,) what actions do the people seem to be undertaking? Who are they? What do they represent? Is any status or rank differences evident? 

• How would you describe the life ways of the "people" based on their depictions? 

• Why is this artifact significant?