ECON 110 - The Origins of Commerce: Intro to the Ancient Economy

Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia form the basis for some of our most enduring legends and images from the ancient world, but what was the material basis for their success? In this course we examine the development of the ancient economy in the earliest societies from which we have significant data. Through a series of topical investigations, we will explore the related development of practices, conventions, and institutions that accompanied the growth of complex sedentary economies in the region where such communities first formed. Along the way, we will learn how the Egyptians built the Pyramids, why Hammurabi’s “Law Code” is all about business, and why Ea-nasir was a good copper trader. As a result, we will gain an understanding of the early political economy, the development of exchange mechanisms, and the regulatory environments that encouraged exchange and the potential for economic growth. This course takes a social science approach, exploring ancient history through exploration and analysis of empirical data. We will use case studies built on the ancient sources to examine what we can learn directly from that data.

Credits: 4
Grade Mode: Letter
GUR Attributes: SSC
WP Points: 1