Course Details

This course focuses on the history of cattle to explore patterns in human-animal interaction throughout human history. Our principal goal is to gain insight into the use and conception of animals in various societies, including our own. To keep the topic within manageable bounds, we will focus on just one type of animal: the cow, since, arguably, no animal has had a greater impact on the evolution of human societies and the environment. We will concentrate on three broad geographical and chronological areas — the ancient world, Western Europe, and America — but with forays into other regions and periods (India, Iran, South America).