Table of Contents
[Vol. 1]
Introduction
1. Early Humans and the Origins of Complex Systems: to 8000 BCE
1.1 Images: early hominins
1.2 Map: global language groups
1.3 Image: hunter-gatherers
1.4 Images: Late hunter-gatherer toolkits
1.5 Images: cave paintings
1.6 Steven Mithen, "Last of the Cave Painters"
2. Patterns and Parameters: Development of the Agrarian World since 10,000 BCE
2.1 Images: Ötzi the Ice Man
2.3 Early Proto-Indo-European settlements
2.3a Çatal Höyük
2.3b Harappa
2.4 Epidemic Disease
2.4a Plague in Athens from Thucydides, The Peloponnesian Wars
2.4b The Plague of Justinian from Procopius, History of the Wars
2.4c "Rat Death" in China, 1792
3. The World of Early Complex Societies: 4000 to 600 BCE
3.1 Oracle Bone Inscriptions
3.2 The Code of Hammurabi
3.3 A Peace Treaty between Ramesses II and Hattusili III
3.4 The Hymn to Purusha
4. The Axial Age: 600 to 300 BCE
4.1 Medicine
4.2a Hippocrates, On the Sacred Disease
4.2b Yellow Emperor's Classic on Medicine
4.3 Confucius, Analects
4.4 The Baghavad Gita
4.5 The Buddha, The Four Noble Truths
4.6 Zoroastrianism: Yasna 19
4.7 The Bible: The Book of Isaiah
4.8 Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics
5. The Age of Empires: 500 BCE to 400 CE
5.1 Pliny the Younger: Correspondence with Emperor Trajan
5.2 Res Gestae Divi Augusti
5.3 Asoka, Rock and Pillar Edicts
5.4 Sima Qian, Records of the Grand Historian
5.5 Huan Kuan: Discourses on Salt and Iron
6. Societies and Peoples: Everyday Life in the Agrarian World
6.1 Ban Zhao, Lessons for Women
6.2 The Code of Manu
6.3 The Life of St Thomais of Lesbos
6.4 The Byzantine Farmer's Law
6.5 Land Reform in Song China
6.5a Su Hsün, The Land System
6.5b Wang An-Shih, Memorial on the Crop Loans Measure
7. The Salvation Religions: 200 BCE to 900 CE
7.1 Mahayana Buddhism
7.1a The Lotus Sutra
7.1b Mou Tzu, The Disposition of Error
7.2 Devotional Hinduism: The Vishnu Purana
7.3 Christianity
7.3a Romans 1, 5, 10; Matthew 5, 6
7.3b Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks
7.4 Islam
7.4a Quran, Selections
7.4b The Pact of Umar
8. Contested Intersections: Networks, Hierarchies, and Traditional Worlds to 1500 CE
8.1 Intersections
8.1a Guibert of Nogent, revolt of Laon commune
8.1b Guild Regulations
8.2 Wise Practitioners: The Arabian Nights
8.3 Informed Officials: Zhau Rugua, Description of the Barbarous Peoples
8.4 Worldly Travelers: Ibn Battuta, Travels
9. Traditional Worlds I: Inner Circuit Eurasia, 400-1100
9.1 The Steppes
9.1a Han Shu: Descriptions of the Xiongnu
9.1b Ammianus Marcellinus, Res Gestae
9.2 China
9.2a Du Fu, Poems
9.2b Chu Hsi, Further Reflections on the Things at Hand
9.3 Islam: Al-Jahiz, The Merits of the Turks
9.4 India: Abdul Raiban al-Biruni, Description of India
9.5 Byzantium
9.5a Digenes Akritas
9.5b The Russian Primary Chronicle
10. Traditional Worlds II: Outer Circuit Afro-Eurasia, 400-1100
10.1 Japan: Murasaki Shikubu, Tale of Genji
10.2 Ghana: Abu Ubaydallah, The Book of Routes and Realms
10.3 Western Europe: William of Poitiers, Gesta Guillelmi
10.4 Mali: Sundiata
11. Traditional Worlds III: Separate Circuits, 400-1500
11.1 Popol Vuh
11.2 Bernard de Sahagun, General History of New Spain
11.3 Diego Duran, Book of the Gods and Rites
11.4 Pedro de Cieza de Leon, Chronicles
12. War, States, Religions: 1100-1400
12.1 First Crusade
12.1a The Siege of Antioch: Fulcher of Chartres, Chronicle
12.1b The Siege of Antioch: Ibn Al-Athir, The Perfect History
12.2 Villehardouin, The Conquest of Constantinople
12.3 The Poem of the Cid
12.4 The Tale of the Heike
12.5 The Investiture Controversy
12.5a Dictatus Papae
12.5b Letter of Henry IV to Gregory VII
12.6 Magna Carta
13. The Crisis of the Mongol Age: 1200-1400
13.1 The Mongols
13.1a The Secret History of the Mongols
13.1b Ibn al-Athir, The Perfect History
13.2 The Plague
13.2a Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah
3.2b Ahmad al-Maqrizi, The Plague in Cairo
13.2c Boccaccio, Decameron
13.3 Tradition Reasserted: Dee Goong An (Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee)
14. Innovation and Tradition: 1350-1550
14.1 Western Europe in Crisis:
14.1a The Statue of Laborers of 1351
14.1b Froissart, Chronicles1
14.2 China at Sea
14.2a Zheng He, Inscription of World Voyages
14.2b Ma Huan, Overall Survey of the Ocean Shores
14.3 Europe at Sea
14.3a Vasco da Gama, A Journal of the First Voyage
14.3b Christopher Columbus, Letter
14.4 Framing Innovation: Giorgio Vasari, Lives of the Artists
