Course Details

This course employs the history of cattle as a lens to investigate broad patterns of human-animal interaction from the Palaeolithic era until today. Our principal goal is to gain insights into the conception and treatment of animals in diverse cultural settings. To keep the topic within manageable bounds, we will focus on cattle (and related bovine species), though you are welcome to write about other species and themes for your final paper. The assigned readings range widely across world history, including the Ancient Near East, the Greco-Roman world, India, East Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Grading will be based on 1-page response papers (35%), a final research paper (25%), a class presentation (20%), and participation (20%).