Lecture 5 - Ca. 3000 BCE, Stone - Between Life and Death
Welcome to the fifth lecture!
This lecture is about the use of stone around 3,000 BCE.
Between 5,000 and 2,500 BCE, Europe underwent a huge transformation as agro-pastoral cultures spread from east to west, reaching Ireland around 4,000 BCE. Particularly impressive is the megalithic tradition of the Atlantic Coast cultures from Portugal to the tip of Scotland and into north Germany. Huge structures of stone and earth were made that served as secondary burial sites, ritual meeting sites, and as celestial observations. This expansion is contrasted with Egypt and its contraction around the Nile River. The Egyptian tradition took a new turn with Zoser’s pyramid, the first moment of a grand scale to be built of dressed stone.
To get started, download the Lecture Handout, which outlines important places, terms, and dates addressed in Lecture 5. This document can be used for note-taking (during lectures and video) and as a study guide.
Download the Lecture 5 Handout here.
This lecture is divided into five units. Some units have a lecture video, followed by a multiple choice question, or questions. These questions will test what you have just learned. You must complete these questions before 14:00 (UTC) October 1, 2013 to receive credit. The last 5 sections of this lecture (a late addition) have no questions associated with them. Please watch these sections.
At the end of each lecture is a directed discussion with other members of your course. Discussion of other topics can be addressed in the forum, accessible by clicking "Discussion" in the menu at the top of this page.
The time to complete this lecture (watching all videos, answering the review questions, and participating in directed discussion) is approximately two hours.