World History to A.D. 600

History 20 - World History to A.D. 600 - 5 units - UCLA GE From the Neolithic to the Roman Empire An examination of the earliest civilizations of Asia, North Africa, Europe, and the New World from the development of settled agricultural communities until about 600 AD: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Israel, India, China, Mesoamerica, Greece, and Rome. A number of central themes are explored: the emergence of cities and states; the organization of society; the nature of kingship; writing and the growth of bureaucracy; the varieties of religious expression; social, gender, and cultural hierarchies; empire as a political system; and the linkage between culture and society. Ronald Mellor is a Distinguished Professor of History whose research centers on ancient religion and Roman historiography. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment from the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the American Academy in Rome, among others.