HUMA 401W: Intro to Humanities:
Travel in the Pre-modern Mediterranean and Beyond
Fall 2016
Monday, Wednesday 2:10-3:30pm
Murkland G02
Professor: Ann Zimo
Office: Murkland 304
Email:
Office Hours: Mon. 3:45-5pm, Tu 1-3pm, and by appointment
Course Description:
Travel is a fundamental aspect of the human experience. Science and History show us that practically as long as there have been humans, they have been wandering around the planet. Even when not physically travelling, we invent tales of travel and adventure to entertain ourselves at home. Origin stories of peoples and nations, like Rome (Aeneas coming from Troy) or the United States (Pilgrims and Plymouth Rock), often begin with a tale of travel and migration. As a locus of intensive travel from an early on, this course will explore the human experience of travel using materials originating from or generally associated with the pre-modern Mediterranean Basin. Students will investigate maps, pilgrimage accounts, tales, letters, chronicles and more to understand what has compelled people to undertake the often perilous and uncomfortable road and analyze how travelers presented their journeys and the others they encountered. Moreover they will consider the role of travel in cultural contact, communication, exchange, and the generation and spread of knowledge.
In class we will be both discussing readings and doing activities designed to reinforce concepts and promote writing skills. As a writing intensive course, substantial focus will be given to writing and argumentation. Accordingly, the primary means of student assessment will be through class discussion and writing assignments.
Learning Outcomes:
In this course students will learn:
-major texts and other materials from pre-modern Mediterranean history
-how to read and critically analyze sources
-how to read and critically analyze scholarly articles
-how to write a thesis statement
-how to support an argument with evidence
-how to organize an essay
-how to work with a partner to lead discussion in a group of peers
Required Texts:
-Sir John Mandeville,The Book of Marvels and Travels, trans. by Anthony Bale, Oxford World Classics, 2012 (ISBN 978-0-19-960060-1)
-Ibn Fadlan and the Land of Darkness: Arab Travellers in the Far North, Penguin Classics, 2012 (ISBN978-0140455076)
-all other course materials will be available through the Canvas site or online
Course Assignments:
Writing Assignment 1: 10%
Writing Assignment 2: 10%
Essay 1: 10%
Essay 1 revision: 20%
Essay 2: 25%
Leading discussion: 10%
Participation: 15%
Writing Assignment 1 (10%): Due Monday Sept 12. Following our discussion of different ways people have presented space and the world around them, you are to create a map of your own and write a short 1-2 paragraph explanation of it. This explanation should include such information as what you have presented, why it is important, and how you have arranged it and why. Based on the information on the map itself and with the explanation, any reader should be able to follow the map.
Writing Assignment 2 (10%): Due Monday Oct. 3. Choose an object from modern life and write a 1-2 paragraph explanation of how it embodies an aspect of travel. This could be something you own or not. Has it moved? If so, where? Does it cause people to move? If so, how and from where?
Essay 1 (10%): Due Monday Oct. 24. You will be given an essay prompt in week 6 and have two weeks to write a 3-5 page essay response using the writing skills we’ve developed in class (thesis statement, organization, evidence, etc.)
Essay 1 revision (20%): Due Monday Nov. 7. In week 10 Essay 1 will be returned to you with my comments and you will have two weeks to revise the paper in light of them and your own ideas. This revision you will turn in for a grade along with the original draft of the paper. You will not receive a grade without submitting both the first and the final drafts. The grade on the final draft will not replace the grade on the first one but will reflect the student’s ability to take comments and revise accordingly.
Essay 2 (25%): Due Monday Dec. 12. In week 14 you will be given prompts pulling from the entirety of the material covered in the course. You will select one and you will have approximately two weeks to write a 5-7 page essay response using the writing skills we’ve focused on all semester.
Leading Discussion (10%): Being able to take on leadership roles and teach peers is an important life skill. Accordingly, each student will be responsible for helping to lead 20 minutes of discussion once over the course of the semester. Never fear! You will not be alone, but have a partner or two. During your 20 minutes of leading discussion I will not participate, and so you will be responsible for identifying key themes, issues, problems in the readings and generating questions or activities designed to spark discussion with your peers. Since everyone will be in the same position, it will be in everyone’s interest to do their best to participate on these days. Groups should meet with me the week before they present to go over their sources and their questions.
Participation (15%): This course will be discussion based, with very little lecture from me. Accordingly, it is imperative both for your own learning as well as that of your classmates that you arrive to class prepared and ready to participate. Being prepared includes having completed the readings as well as any additional assignments I may give for that day and bringing them to class. Each week you have the opportunity to earn four points towards your participation grade, two for each class[This includes weeks where we only meet once. This is the only possible extra credit you can receive-it also means you have two free days without a penalty if you need to miss class]. If you fail to come to class, you can’t get participation points for that day. Full points are given to prepared and engaged students. Participation includes asking questions for clarification from me or for the groups’ consideration, being an active listener, working productively in small groups or partner activities, doing well in the short out-of-class assignments I may ask you to complete. I reserve the right to give pop quizzes on the readings that will go towards participation. Quizzes will be more prevalent if I find that students come consistently to class unprepared.
Course Schedule
Week 1- Introduction
Mon. Aug. 29 - Course Introduction
Wedn. Aug. 31 – What Is Travel?
*Pico Iyer "Why We Travel"
*Jonathan Stern "The Lonely Planet Guide to My Apartment"
Week 2 - Maps
Mon. Sept. 5 – NO CLASS LABOR DAY
Wedn. Sept. 7- Maps
*D. Woodward "Reality, Symbolism, Time, and Space in Medieval Maps” pp.510-521 pdf
*Examine the following maps:
-Tabula Peutingeriana
-Hereford T-O map
-al-Idrisi world map
-Canepa portolan chart
Week 3 – Travelers as Ethnographers
Mon. Sept. 12 – Writing Assignment 1 due!!!
*C. Geertz, "Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight" pp.56-86 pdf
Wedn. Sept. 14
* Herodotus,Persian Warson the Persians and Scythians pdf
Week 4 – Travelers as Ethnographers
Mon. Sept. 19
* Ibn Fadlan “Introduction” pp. xiii-xxvi; and pp.3-22
Wedn. Sept. 21 – Student Led Discussion #1
*Ibn Fadlan pp.23-58
Week 5 – Travelers as Pilgrims
Mon. Sept. 26 – Christian
* F. Bechtel “Itineraria” in The Catholic Encyclopedia (1910)
* Egeria’s pilgrimage account pp. 3-13, 30-44
* Extract from The Book of Margery of Kemp “Pilgrimage to Jerusalem”
Wedn. Sept. 28 – Relics – Student Led Discussion #2
* Translation of St. Nicholas
* Read about pilgrimage souvenirs:
Week 6 – Travelers as Pilgrims
Mon. Oct. 3 – Jewish– Writing Assignment #2 due!!!
*E. Weber “Sharing the sites” pp.35-52 pdf
Wedn. Oct. 5 – Jewish
*Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela pp. 1-31 excerpt pdf
Week 7 – Travelers as Merchants
Mon. Oct. 10– Student Led Discussion #3
*S. Kinoshita, “Introduction,” The Description of the World, pp.xiv-xxv pdf
*Marco Polo, Description of the World, “Prologue” pp.1-14 pdf
Wedn. Oct. 12
*Early Medieval Syrian Mercantile Documents pp.23-35 pdf
*Excerpts from merchants’ manuals pp.346-348, 355-358 pdf
Week 8 – Travelers as Merchants…and/or Pirates
Mon. Oct. 17
* K. Reyerson, “Identity in the Medieval Mediterranean World of Merchants and Pirates” pp.129-146 pdf
*Boccaccio Decameron II.4 pp.91-96, II.9; pp.165-178 pdf
Wedn. Oct. 19 – In-class peer review
*Boccaccio Decameron II.3 pp.82-91; X.9 pp.764-783 pdf
Week 9 – Travelers as Exiles
Mon. Oct. 24 – Essay 1 due!!!
*S. Grebe “Why Did Ovid Associate His Exile with a Living Death?” pp.491-509 pdf
* Ovid, Epistulae ex Ponto “II To Cotta” pp.385-391; “IV To Rufinus” pp.399-
407 (found at
Wedn. Oct. 26
* Ovid, Tristitia, Bk I: I-III, pp.1-27; Bk I: VII, pp.37-41; Bk I: X-XI, pp.49-55;
Bk III: I-III, pp.101-115; Bk III: IV b, pp.119-121
(found at
Week 10 –Travelers as Exiles
Mon. Oct. 31
*J. Freccero, “Foreword” to The Inferno pp.ix-xvii pdf
* Dante, Inferno, canto 1-4 (found at
Wedn. Nov. 2
*Dante, Inferno, canto 5, 26-28,34
Week 11 – Travelers as Conquerors
Mon. Nov. 7
* Jean de Joinville excerpts pdf
Wedn. Nov. 9 – Student Led Discussion #4
* Jean de Joinville excerpts pdf
Week 12 – Travelers as Conquerors
Mon. Nov. 14 – Essay 1 Revision due
*Letter from Columbus to the King and Queen of Spain (
*The Requirement/Requerimiento word doc
*Las Casas, Apologetic History of the Indies selections word doc
Wedn. Nov. 16 – Screening “Even the Rain” (2010)
Week 13 – Armchair Travelers
Mon. Nov. 21
*D. Connolly “Imagined Pilgrimage in the Itinerary Maps of Matthew Paris” pp.598-622 pdf
Wedn. Nov. 23 – NO CLASS HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Week 14 – Armchair Travelers
Mon. Nov. 28
*Sir John Mandeville, “Introduction” pp.ix-xxviii; pp. 5-19
Wedn. Nov. 30 – Student Led Discussion #5
* Sir John Mandeville, pp.19-58
Week 15 – Armchair Travelers
Mon. Dec. 5
* Sir John Mandeville, pp.58-87
Wedn. Dec. 7
* Sir John Mandeville, pp.106-124
Finals Week: Mon. Dec. 12 - Essay 2 due!!!
Policies
Discussion: This class will be largely discussion based. The classroom should be a comfortable place for you to collaborate with your peers in working with primary and secondary source materials. Of course, there are no bad questions; if you are confused about something there is a good chance that others will be as well, so be sure to ask your questions, voice your opinions, and respond to what others say. Disagreements are welcomed during class discussions, but all discussion must remain civil and reasonable. Personal attacks, insults, and offensive remarks about class members are absolutely unacceptable. Everyone in the class deserves to be treated with respect. If you have an issue with the class environment or feel uncomfortable, please come and see me as soon as possible.
Office Hours/Communication: Clear and open communication is an important element of this class. Your UNH e-mail address is the University’s official way of communicating with you. Any important notifications (including changes to this syllabus) will be sent to that address. It is your responsibility to check it regularly. Likewise, many of the assignments will be found on the course Canvas page and it will be your responsibility to either print or read them digitally. I will be happy to answer questions that you may have about class expectations or material. Remember, as an adult, you are your own best advocate in this class. You must let me know if you have questions or need anything. I am also interested to hear any feedback regarding the format of the course.
Attendance and Participation: While attendance is not mandatory, it will be vital to your success to show up to class. Missing a day means missing important material for that week. It also means not getting participation points, which is part of the grade. Additionally, arriving to class more than 20 minutes late is unacceptable due to the disruption it causes and the material missed. If for any reason you must miss class, it is your responsibility to get the notes from a classmate.
Because discussion is central to the format of this class, class will only be interesting if you come prepared: complete the reading/writing assignments before coming to class and then bring the readings with you to class. You must also put your phones on silent and away for the duration of class. I will confiscate any phones I see for the duration of class.
Grade disputes: In the event that you disagree with a grade you receive, you may email me with a detailed explanation of what grade you feel you earned and why. Grade disputes can be submitted no sooner than 48 hours after you received the grade. It is up to my discretion whether or not the grade will be changed.
Remember that I am here for you. Don’t hesitate to contact me or for help or to ask any questions!!
Academic Honesty: Please note the University has no tolerance for students who break the University Academic Honesty Policy. Please see the Students Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities Handbook for full description.
Accommodations: The University is committed to providing students with documented disabilities equal access to all university programs and facilities. If you think you have a disability requiring accommodations, you must register with Disability Services for Students (DSS). Contact DSS at (603) 862-2607 or . If you have received Accommodation Letters for this course from DSS, please provide me with that information privately in my office so that we can review those accommodations.
Other Concerns: If you are experiencing challenges outside the classroom (ex.: caring for family members, health concerns) that are affecting your academic performance this term, please make an appointment to discuss your situation with me as soon as possible. For mental or emotional health distress, please contact the University’s Counseling Center (3rd fl, Smith Hall; 603 862-2090/TTY: 7-1-1) which provides counseling appointments and other mental health services.
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