MELC 309 A: Death and Afterlife in the Ancient World

Summer 2025 B-term
View in MyPlan View in Time Schedule
Meeting:
MW 1:10pm - 4:00pm / * *
SLN:
12280
Section Type:
Lecture
Joint Sections:
MELC 509 A
Instructor:
GRADUATE STUDENTS SEE MELC 509A.
Syllabus Description (from Canvas):

The step pyramid of Pharoah Djoser of Egypt - the first known pyramid to be completed by the Egyptian kings!

In this course, we will explore beliefs about death and the afterlife from the ancient Middle East.  We will have three units, each focusing on a different geographical area: Egypt, Syria & Canaan, and Mesopotamia.  We will look at myths, burial inscriptions, and burial practices from each region, trying to piece together what the ancient peoples of these areas believed about death. There are no prerequisites for this course. Can be taken for A&H or SSc credit.

Assignments include: guided reading questions, fun in-class activities, a creative story about the Egyptian afterlife, and a final project in which you become an ancient tomb salesperson and try to convince us to be buried in your cemetery! (We'll take a vote on whether we want to do this final project or whether y'all would prefer a final exam.)

All READINGS are in Canvas under MODULES.

I have to update the syllabus for summer 2025, but here is last year's version: SYLLABUS MELC 309 - Summer 2024.docx

 

Catalog Description:
Explores human yearnings, obsessions, fears, and aspirations associated with death and afterlife by examining major political, military, social, economic, religious, literary, artistic, and architectural phenomena directly connected to the way ancient cultures, such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, Israel, and the Levant, have conceptualized death.
GE Requirements Met:
Social Sciences (SSc)
Arts and Humanities (A&H)
Credits:
3.0
Status:
Active
Last updated:
May 10, 2025 - 4:23 am