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Codex Mendoza Folio 2R
The Codex Mendoza is painted on European paper with 71 folios bound at the spine in book style. It combines pictorial representations with Náhuatl and Spanish commentary. It is divided into three sections. The first section covers the pre-Conquest history of the Mexica. The second section documents the tributes extracted by the Mexica from subjugated…
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On the Harmony of Religion and Philosophy
ike Christianity in the West, Islam also struggled with how to deal with the conflict between revealed truth (revelation) and reason (philosophy). Abu al-Walid Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Rushd (1126-1198 C.E.), was known as the commentator because of his extensive glosses aimed at helping individuals understand the writings of Aristotle, tackled this challenged in his…
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The Annals
Cornelius Tacitus was born .c 56 C.E. in Narbonese or Cisalpine Gaul and died around c. 120 C.E. He authored a series of important works include The Histories, Germania and The Annals. The latter of these works, The Annals, is devoted to the early history of imperial Rome. It explores the autocratic rule that has…
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Metaphysics
Aristotle (384–322 B.C.E.) was one of the most prolific Greek philosophers of his generation. His writings touch upon a wide range of topics that included logic, metaphysics, ethics and political theory. His theories greatly influenced a vast array of thinkers, particularly during the period spanning from Late Antiquity through the Renaissance. In his Metaphysics, one…
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Tanakh
The Tanakh contains the most sacred canon for Judaism. Tanakh is an acronym for thetripartite division of this canon: the Torah (Law), the Neviim (Prophets), and theKetuvim (Writings). The canon making up the Tanakh are believed to have beenwritten and compiled between 1100 to 100 B.C.E. The five books of the Torah areconsidered to the…
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The Analects
he Analects of Confucius (551-479 B.C.E) is an anthology of brief statements made by Confucius. His disciples are believed to have compiled these statements after 479 B.C.E. Attempting to address the chaos and disorder that plagued China during his time, Confucius advocated a revival of Zhou traditions as a means of restoring order to his…
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Discourse of the Turning Wheel
The Buddha’s first public sermon or teaching is referred to the Discourse of the Turning Wheel Doctrine. It received this title because it launched the Buddha’s commitment to public teaching. This sermon instructs listeners on the themes that are at the center of the Buddha’s thoughts. These themes include pursuing the middle way and the…
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The Law Code of Hammurabi
Hammurabi (r. 1795-1750) was a ruler of Babylon’s Amorite Dynasty. He is best known for producing a law code that is presently located at the Louvre Museum, France. This code is fascinating to historians because of what it tells of the attitudes and daily lives of ancient Babylonians. Consider the following questions as you read…
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The Cave of Altamira
Uncovering what human life was like in the Paleolithic Age is a difficult task at best since writing had not yet been developed. Consequently, scholars rely on the archaeological record and present-day hunting and foraging societies in an effort to draw some conclusions about human lifeways during this period. In this activity your will have…
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Çatalhöyük Archive Report: Human Remains (1997)
Introduction The Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük was first discovered in the late 1950s and has become one of the most important archeological sites for this period because of its size, density, and the wealth of information its artifacts have revealed. First excavated by James Mellaart in the early 1960s, an international team of archaeologists led…