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Ancient (before 500 CE)

Source

Ptolemy's World Map

Ptolemy was an ancient geographer working in Rome in the 2nd century AD.

Thumbnail image of Glikl
Teaching

Syllabus: Women and Gender in World History, 600-2000

The syllabus below lays out a 15-week course, beginning in the 6th century and continuing through the 20th century. It provides suggestions for how to use units and their various parts with your students, as some of the materials are student-facing, and others are instructor-facing.

A drawing of a building with a dome in the center
Review

Global Architectural History Teaching Collaborative

Perhaps most interesting and relevant for world history teachers and students are the modules that make connections across space and time.
A woman kneels and holds a piece of stone at an archeological site
Methods

Analyzing Material Objects

The modules in Methods present case studies that demonstrate how scholars interpret different kinds of historical evidence in world history. This module developed by historian Daniel Waugh explores how historians interpret material objects to better understand the past.

Stone alter depicting a bull being led to a sacrifice
Source

Temple of Vespasian altar

This stone alter found in Pompeii, Italy was part of temple dedicated to the Roman Emperor Vespasian who ruled from 69 to 79 CE. The alter depicts a scene of a bull being led to a religious sacrifice, a common practice in ancient Rome.

A Stone Age comb with a horse head carved into the handle
Source

Bone comb

Historians and archeologists can learn a great deal from artifacts such as this comb that may date from the Neolithic or Late Stone Age. Items found near the artifact can help provide context such as when the artifact was created and what it might have been used for.

A woman kneels and holds a piece of stone at an archeological site
Source

Excavation at Çatalhöyük, Turkey

The excavation at Çatalhöyük in southern Turkey began in 1958 and scholars continue to actively search for artifacts at the site. Items found at Çatalhöyük have shown that the site has been inhabited since Neolithic times beginning in approximately 7100 BCE.

Methods

Primer: Tasting and Hearing the Past

Experiencing the full spectrum of world history involves all the senses. World historians not only use their eyes to see what happened; they not only read or otherwise examine written and visual evidence.

Korean world map
Review

World Digital Library

The World Digital Library is a free online archive of over 19,000 culturally significant primary source materials from around the world.
Thumbnail image of a Korean painting from MIA's Art of Asia website
Review

Art of Asia

This site, an integrated, interactive media program, introduces users to the various arts of Asia. The site focuses on MIA’s extensive collections of Asian art, focusing on Chinese and Japanese art.