Meets Together with HISTART 689-005 / ANTHRARCH TBD

While the nomads of Eurasia have perpetually resided at the fringes of historical narratives, they developed complex socio-political institutions and pluralistic material cultures indicative of sophisticated civilizations in the steppes. Through a series of example nomadic societies, from the Bronze Age to the Mongol Empire, this course brings to light the intricacies of cultural politics evident in steppe arts and the complexities of the polities they established. Students will employ anthropological literature on the dynamics of mobile pastoral societies to engage in analyses and discussions of material remains of arts and cultures of the Eurasian steppes. We will address their roles in increasingly globalized worlds and the influence they had on neighboring agrarian civilizations.

Textbooks/Other Materials: individual readings to be posted on Canvas.