RESEARCH GUIDE:
WORLD CIVILIZATION
Topics On This Page:
In the Library
Guns, Germs, and Steel : The Fates of Human Societies
by Jared Diamond
Explores how environmental factors, technology and disease have affected the course of human history
Historical Atlas and Guide
by Rand McNally and Company
Includes maps of every era throughout world history
The Human Record : Sources of Global History, Volume 1: To 1500
edited by Alfred J. Andrea and James H. Overfield
Includes primary sources from civilizations around the world from the beginning of written history to the start of the Renaissance
Online
Cambridge Digital Library | University of Cambridge
Provides access to the full text of historical books, maps, manuscripts, journals, and scientific manuscripts by Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and many others. Covers Judaism, Islam, Christianity and Buddhism
Project Gutenberg
Makes available, in e-book format to read online or download to an e-reader, over 42,000 works of literature, history, religion, mythology, philosophy, and more
Women’s History Sourcebook
Includes primary source material related to the lives of women, including leaders, goddesses and commoners, from around the world throughout history
In the Library
The Epic of Gilgamesh : A New Translation, Analogues, Criticism
edited by Benjamin R. Foster
Includes the text of, and commentary on, the ancient story of Gilgamesh
Epics of Early Civilization : Myths of the Ancient Near East
by Michael Kerrigan, Alan Lothian and Piers Vitebsky
Covers the gods, goddesses and stories of ancient Near Eastern & Mesopotamian mythology
Gods, Demons, and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia : An Illustrated Dictionary
by Jeremy A. Black, et al
Covers the gods, goddesses and stories of ancient Mesopotamian mythology
Online
The Code of Hammurabi | The Avalon Project | Yale Law School
Includes the full text (in English) of the Code of Hammurabi, along with commentary
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Mesopotamia
Includes primary sources related to Sumeria, Akkadia, Babylonia, the Kassites and Hittites, Assyria, Chaldea, Phoenicia, and Carthage
Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses | Oracc - Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus
Covers Mesopotamian history, literature and mythology, and includes a timeline, maps, glossary, and bibliography
In the Library
Ancient Egyptian Literature : An Anthology
edited by John L. Foster
Includes poetry, stories, hymns, prayers, and wisdom texts, along with an introduction to ancient Egyptian literature
The Egyptian Book of the Dead : The Book of Going Forth by Day : Being the Papyrus of Ani
Includes images of the original papyrus scroll along with translations and commentaries
Egypt’s Dazzling Sun : Amenhotep III and His World
by Arielle P. Kozloff and Betsy M. Bryan
Explores the life and times of Pharaoh Amenhotep III
Religion and Magic in Ancient Egypt
by A. Rosalie David
Examines the beliefs of ancient Egyptians and the role of religion and magic in society
Women in Ancient Egypt
by Gay Robins
Examines the life and status of women in family life, religion, economic activities and legal affairs, as well as royal women and images of women in art and literature
Online
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Egypt
Includes primary sources related to the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms, Akhnaten, and ancient Egyptian religion, art, architecture, literature, and more
UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology
Includes over 100 peer-reviewd articles on ancient Egyptian history, society, religion, mythology, literature, and geography
In the Library
Epics of Early Civilization : Myths of the Ancient Near East
by Michael Kerrigan, Alan Lothian and Piers Vitebsky
Covers the gods, goddesses and stories of ancient Near Eastern & Mesopotamian mythology
The Jewish Study Bible
Includes the text of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, along with commentary and translation notes
Online
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Christian Origins
Includes primary sources related to the life of Jesus and early Christianity in the 1st to 3rd centuries
Internet History Sourcebook: Israel
Includes primary sources related to the Bible, Moses and monotheism, early Israelites, Judaism under the Roman Empire, and early rabbinic Judaism
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Persia
Includes primary sources related to the Persian Empire, including religion, art and architecture
In the Library
The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece
edited by Paul Cartledge
Covers the history, politics and culture of ancient Greece
Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves : Women in Classical Antiquity
by Sarah B. Pomeroy
Examines the role of women in ancient Greece and Rome
The Landmark Herodotus : The Histories
by Herodotus
Covers the rise of the Persian empire, the war between Persia and the Greek city-states, Athens, Sparta, and Greek history and civilization
The Landmark Thucydides : A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War
by Thucydides
Covers the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta
The True Story of Alexander the Great (DVD)
Covers the life of Alexander the Great and his military campaigns
Online
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Greece
Includes primary sources related to Crete, Mycenae, archaic Greece, Homer, the Persian Wars, Athens and democracy, Sparta, the Peloponnesian War, and ancient Greek religion, mythology, literature, theater, art, law, and more
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Hellenistic World
Includes primary sources related to Alexander the Great, Ptolemaic Egypt, the Seleucid Empire, and Hellenistic art, architecture, literature, philosophy, religion, science, and medicine
The Internet Classics Archive
Includes the full text (in English) of over 400 works of classical literature, including works by Homer, Aristotle, Plato, and many more
In the Library
The Aeneid
by Virgil
Tells the tale of Aeneas, who flees the ashes of Troy, travels through stormy seas and a tragic love affair, and eventually reaches Italy and founds the Roman people
Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves : Women in Classical Antiquity
by Sarah B. Pomeroy
Examines the role of women in ancient Greece and Rome
Life, Myth, and Art in Ancient Rome
by Tony Allan
Covers Roman culture, including art, architecture, literature, politics and more
Lives of the Caesars
by Suetonius
Covers Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus and Domitian
The New Oxford Annotated Apocrypha : New Revised Standard Version
edited by Michael D. Coogan
Includes the apocryphal books, written around the time of Jesus Christ but not included in most Christian Bibles, along with commentary
The New Oxford Annotated Bible : New Revised Standard Version
edited by Michael D. Coogan
Includes the text of the Bible, along with commentary
The Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity
edited by John McManners
Covers the history of Christianity from its beginnings during the Roman Empire through the 20th century
Online
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Late Antiquity
Includes primary sources related to the end of the Roman Empire, Roman mystery religions, and ancient philosophy
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Rome
Includes primary sources related to the Roman republic, the war with Carthage, the Roman empire, and Roman art, architecture, literature, religion, and more
The Internet Classics Archive
Includes the full text (in English) of over 400 works of classical literature, including works by Homer, Aristotle, Plato, and many more
In the Library
Ancient China : Chinese Civilisation From its Origins to the Tang Dynasty
by Maurizio Scarpari
Cover the history of China from the Neolithic era, through the early Bronze Age dynasties and the Qin and Han empires, to the Sui and Tang dynasties
Chinese Myths & Legends
edited by Lianshan Chen
Covers the gods, goddesses and stories of Chinese mythology
Confucius : Words of Wisdom (DVD)
Covers the life of Confucius and the legacy of his teachings
Images of Women in Chinese Thought and Culture : Writings From the Pre-Qin Period Through the Song Dynasty
edited by Robin R. Wang
Surveys the role of women in Chinese culture and society from ancient times through the 13th century
Online
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor | UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Covers the discovery and history of the terra-cotta army near the tomb of China’s First Emperor and includes maps, photographs and video clips
In the Library
Bhagavad Gita : A New Translation
translated by Stephen Mitchell
Includes the text of the Bhagavad Gita, along with commentary
Hindu Myths : A Sourcebook Translated from the Sanskrit
edited by Wendy Doniger
Covers the gods, goddesses and stories of Hindu mythology
Online Resources Coming Soon!
In the Library
Afghanistan : Crossroads of the Ancient World
by Fredrik T. Heibert et al.
Explores the history of the area now known as Afghanistan and its place on the Silk Road through its archeological treasures
Marco Polo : Journey to the East (DVD)
This film covers the travels of Marco Polo through China, India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia
Online
The Silk Road Journal | The Silk Road Foundation
Covers a wide range of topics related to the Silk Road and trade in Asia, including archaeological finds, textiles and decorative arts, religious and cultural exchanges, and ancient travellers
Knowledge Bank | SILK ROAD | UNESCO
Includes articles, studies, scientific papers, and reports on different aspects of the Silk Road (land trade routes across Central Asia) and Spice Route (maritime trade routes across the Indian Ocean). Search by type of route (land or maritime), by theme (arts and literature, economy and trade, history, etc.), or by country, or search by keyword.
In the Library
Faces of Love : Hafez and the Poets of Shiraz
introduced and translated by Dick Davis
Includes writings of Hafiz and other 14th-century Persian poets
Islam : A Short History
by Karen Armstrong
Covers the history of Islam from the Prophet Muhammad through the 20th century
Islam : A Thousand Years of Faith and Power
by Jonathan Bloom and Sheila Blair
Covers the history of Islam from the Prophet Muhammad through the 20th century
The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World
edited by Francis Robinson
Covers the history and culture of the Islam world from the Prophet Muhammad through the 20th century
The Qur’an with Annotated Interpretation in Modern English
Includes the text of the Qur’an, along with commentary
Online
Arabic Materials | Perseus Collection | Tufts University
Includes several different English versions of the Qu’ran
Internet Islamic History Sourcebook
Includes primary sources related to the pre-Islamic Arab world, Muhammad, the Qur’an and Hadith, women in Islam, Sunnis and Shi’ites, Sufism, and the history of the Islamic world from the beginnings of Islam to the 20th century
Islamic Heritage Project | Harvard University Library Open Collections Program
Includes hundreds of manuscripts, maps, and published texts from and about the Islamic world from the 10th to the 20th centuries
In the Library
The Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity
edited by John McManners
Covers the history of Christianity from its beginnings through the 20th century
The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe
edited by George Holmes
Covers the history, politics and culture of Europe from the fall of the Roman Empire to the coming of the Renaissance
The Quest of the Holy Grail
Anonymous
Tells the tale of the King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table at Camelot, and their search for the Holy Grail
Renaissance People : Lives That Shaped the Modern Age
by Robert C. Davis and Beth Lindsmith
Explores the lives of artists, architects, explorers, inventors, and political and religious leaders
Online
Internet Medieval Sourcebook: Selected Sources: Byzantium
Includes primary sources related to Byzantium, the Islamic world, the Roman Church, the Crusades, the middle ages throughout Europe, and the Renaissance
Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Enlightenment
Includes primary sources related to the Enlightenment throughout Europe
In the Library
In the Language of Kings : An Anthology of Mesoamerican Literature, Pre-Columbian to the Present
edited by Miguel León Portilla and Earl Shorris
Includes songs, poems, histories and other literature written by the indigenous peoples of Mexico and Central America
The Oxford History of Mexico
edited by William H. Beezley and Michael C. Meyer
Explores the history of Mexico from the Aztecs, through the Spanish colonial period and into the modern era
Popol Vuh : The Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life
edited by Dennis Tedlock
Includes the text of the Mayan book of creation, along with commentary
Secrets of the Aztecs (DVD)
This film investigates the Aztec civilization, based on archaeological finds including the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan
Online
The Aztec Pantheon and the Art of Empire | The J. Paul Getty Museum
Explores Aztec gods and goddesses, the Aztec empire, and the Florentine Codex
Exploring the Early Americas | The Library of Congress
Covers the time the indigenous cultures of the Americas before Europeans arrived in the Western Hemisphere, the encounters between indigenous peoples and European explorers and settlers, and the aftermath of those encounters. Includes maps, documents, paintings, artifacts and other primary sources
Realms of the Sacred in Daily Life: Early Written Records of Mesoamerica | UC Irvine
Explores the early codices produced by Maya, Aztec and other Mesoamerican civilizations
In the Library
Thinking and Writing in the Humanities
by Suzanne Hudson and Molly LeClair
Covers writing in history, English, and other areas
Writing for Visual Thinkers : A Guide for Artists and Designers
by Andrea S. Marks
Provides tips and tricks for improving your writing and making the writing process easier
Online
Tutorial : Citing Sources in MLA | DISD Library
Covers how and why to cite sources using MLA style guidelines
Writing a Research Paper | The OWL at Purdue : Online Writing Lab
Considers the entire process of writing a research paper, from selecting a topic and writing a thesis to citing sources and formatting the final paper. Includes one of the best style guides for APA and MLA citations available online
Writing in College : A Short Guide to College Writing | University of Chicago Writing Program
Reviews the process of writing a paper for college, including how to organize your paper and how writing for college differs from writing in high school
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