Course Description

Beginning from the earliest human records, we see how intertwined the relationship between humans and science is. For example, Egyptian mummies are so well preserved due to the plants they embalmed with containing essential oils that have been found to be preservatives from as early as 2600 BCE. In this course, we will explore how ancient societies lived day to day and what technologies were invented to sustain an ever-growing and expanding human population. Most of the historical information we will look at comes from archaeological evidence as opposed to written works.  We are more interested in what early humans used to write or what materials did they write upon. Several major topics we will explore in early human history include but are not limited to: Agriculture, Construction, Transportation, Time Keeping, Cooking, Warfare, Engineering, and the technology involved in the Rise and Fall of Great civilizations. 

Texts

All readings will be provided for the students for free via canvas, no textbook is required for purchase in this course

Requirements

Although there are no prerequisites, a basic knowledge of high school chemistry and physics or a willingness to learn these topics is necessary for an understanding of the course materials. The student is to actively participate in classroom discussions, write 2 short essays, present independent research 2 times, and students will take 2 student-generated quizzes in the course. 

About the Instructor(s): Jake Greenberg

Dr. Jake Greenberg was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jake earned 2 Bachelor's degrees from UNM in Chemistry and Biology and earned his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Colorado: Boulder.  One of Jake's primary research interests is exploring early science and technology used by our ancestors.