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History of Science Ancient Egypt

History of Science Online

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LibraryThing: Science in Ancient Mesopotamia Week 3: Ancient Egyptian and Aegean science

This week's assignments

In our whirlwind tour of the history of science, this week we make our stop in ancient Egypt and among the Greek Pre-Socratic natural philosophers settled in colonies around the Aegean Sea. ("Presocratic" just means they lived before Socrates; see the overview of Important Dates.) Our aim will be to get to know them in terms of their own place and time. We'll not be like tourists in Luxor or Ephesos who seek fast food at McDonald's.

Ancient Egypt and Aegean assignments

#

 Due Date*
Pts
 Activity Time
1.1 Tuesday 8/26
11:59 p.m.*		 10

1. Starting Assumptions
Think about what you know already about the culture and period, share your knowledge and experience with other students in the class

 30 min.
1.2 Wednesday 8/27
11:59 p.m.*		 25

2. Topic 1: Ancient Egypt + Quiz
Background: Without a sense of context, history is anachronistic.
Primary sources: Without documentary evidence, history is speculation
The first of two topic assignments per week involving both background and primary sources.

 90 min.
1.3 Thursday 8/28
11:59 p.m.*		 25

3. Topic 2: Presocratics + Quiz
Background: Without a sense of context, history is anachronistic.
Primary sources: Without documentary evidence, history is speculation
The second of two topic assignments per week involving both background and primary sources.

 90 min.
1.4 Friday 8/29
11:59 p.m.*		 20 4. Interpretation
Unless it explains, history is trivial.
Write a short persuasive essay agreeing or disagreeing with a common interpretation about the topic and expressing your own view.
60 min.
1.5 Monday
11:59 p.m.		 10 5. Online Resource Project
Over the course of the semester, we will assemble a catalog of online resources for exploring the history of science.
 60 min.
1.6 Monday 8/31
11:59 p.m.*		 10

6. Reflection + Peer Responses
Think about all that you did this week, including reading the Interpretation Essays of other students, and share your thoughts and ideas with other students in the class

 30 min.
 Total pts
 100
Total time
 6 hours

 

Around 2000 B.C. an Egyptian priest counseled his son: “Behold, nothing surpasses books. Would that I might make you love books more than your mother. Would that I might make their beauty enter before your face, for it is greater than any office. You are to set your heart on books.” (translation of a hieroglyphic papyrus). But consider also the words of Qoheleth, the Teacher, from a millennium later: “Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.” Ecclesiastes 12.12.

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HSCI 3013. History of Science to 17th centuryCreative Commons license
Kerry Magruder, Instructor, 2004-14
Brent Purkaple, TA

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Many thanks to the pedagogical model developed in Mythology and Folklore and other online courses by Laura Gibbs, which have been an inspiration for this course.

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This course is currently undergoing major reconstruction to bring it into alignment with the new version of the course at Janux