General topics for the lectures across Terms 1, 2 and 3 are outlined below. These are subject to change depending on the particular interests of the module group.

Term 1:

Week 1. What is Global History, what is Ancient Global History and how will this module work?
Week 2. Overview of Ancient Mediterranean History + the kinds of evidence we have. Text of Megasthenes' Indika
Week 3. Overview of Ancient West Asian + Central Asian History + the kinds of evidence we have + Seminar 1. See the text of the Behistun Inscription of Darius and evidence for Parthian kings 2nd c CE.
Week 4. Overview of Ancient Indian history + the kinds of evidence we have. See the text of the RigVeda ; Kautilya's Arthashastra ; Edicts of Ashoka (also Megasthenes Indika in link above). Corpus inscriptionum Indicarum (Corpus of Indian Inscriptions): Vol 1 (Ashoka); Vol. 3 (Guptas); Gandhara Connections Art Project
Week 5. Overview of Ancient East Asian history + the kinds of evidence we have + Seminar 2. Key Texts: Spring and Autumn Annals Confucius Analects

Week 7. Creating time-lines of coherence between cultures: the ‘Axial age’ of great thinkers and ideas + Term 1 Assessment hand in
Week 8. Creating time-lines of coherence between cultures: Evolution of Empires + meeting of histories
Week 9. Creating time-lines of coherence between cultures: see the text Discourses of Salt and Iron
Week 10. Introduction of Oiko.world, investigation of database + short presentations on connective ancient global historical examples

Term 2:

Week 11. Comparative histories - ancient Greece and China + Oiko.world digital assessment session (for those persuing pathway 'C' in Term 2 Assessment). Key Text: Beecroft on Comparisons
Week 12. Comparative histories: writing history across the ancient world + Seminar 3
Week 13. Connective history: the development of the ancient Silk Roads in 1st-4th centuries CE
Week 14. Your ancient worlds: Class Presentations + Seminar 4. Presentations: Terracotta Warriors; Japan and China; Andean Cultures ; Ethiopia and Ancient Greece and Rome

Week 15. Your ancient worlds: Class Presentations: Qin/Han Dynasty India and the Greek world; Gandharan Art ; Tamil Kingdoms

Class Presentations Topics/Groups + Times for Presentation

Week 17. Your ancient worlds: Class Presentations: Vedic Religion; Dogs in the Ancient World; Alexander and Ashoka + Term 2 Assessment hand in

Week 18. Connective history: The spread of religion Key Sources: Questions of Milinder Faxian Description of Buddhist Kingdoms

Week 19 Connective history: Art across the Silk Roads Key sources: China: Dawn of a Golden Age

Week 20 The meaning of a good: silk across the Silk Roads / Thinking ahead to exams

Term 3:

Week 21. Revision - what next for ancient global history? S.Whitfield Silk, Slaves and Stupas - the Steppe Earrings
Week 22. Revision - Gobbets

Week 23. Revision - Essays