"In this course, we will explore Mesopotamian societies from the Neolithic era (c. 9,000 B.C.) to the defeat of the great Persian Empire at Gaugamela by Alexander the Great (331 B.C.) The study will take us from the world of international diplomacy with powerful neighbors in Egypt, Syria, and Anatolia to the mundane issues of daily life, such as providing food for the family, curing disease, and settling legal disputes. It examines archaeological...

Hollywood has gone to elaborate lengths to recreate the violence and mayhem of ancient warfare in movies, but what were ancient battles really like? What weapons, tactics, armor, training, and logistics were used? What were the crucial factors that could turn the tide of battle, giving one side victory and consigning the other to slaughter, capture, or, at best, escape to fight another day? These lectures examine some of the most notable battles...

Classical archaeology, the excavation and analysis of ancient Greek and Roman sites, has been one of the leading branches of archaeology, pioneering its basic methods and major innovations. In these 36 half-hour lectures, Dr. John R. Hale of the University of Louisville guides the listener through 18th-century excavations at Herculaneum and Pompeii, tours many important archaeological sites or discoveries, from the Bronze Age to late antiquity, and...