This course is a survey of medicine, surgery and medical theory and practices from prehistoric times through to the early medieval period. The focus of enquiry is the evolution and development of a suite of medical traditions over time as informed by their respective cultural milieus. Regionally Europe (the Greek and Roman empires specifically), North Africa (Egyptian), the Near East (Mesopotamia), the Indian subcontinent, mainland and insular Southeast Asia and China are explored in detail. Sources for this survey include both received and discovered texts as well as a range of archaeological and osteological evidence. While it is assumed that students have no previous experience or background in the history of medicine, pass grades in at least 48 units of undergraduate courses in the Arts or Sciences is required prior to enrollment in this course.

(2) become familiar and comfortable with a broad sample of scholarship on the archaeology, prehistory and history of medicine and surgery

(3) augment (to a standard commensurate with second year undergraduate studies) the ability to think critically about basic assumptions and conceptual frameworks in analysing medical issues, past and present

(4) develop skills in oral presentations and debate and in writing about ancient medical issues

Tutorial Tasks equivalent to 2,000 words (50%)

2 hours of lectures and one hour of tutorials per week

BIAN2125 Ancient Health

BIAN3015 Human Skeletal Analysis

It is unlikely that I will settle on a single main text due to a lack of any current texts that have the temporal and geographic depth and breadth of this course. Nonetheless, I am reviewing a number of potentially useful introductory texts.