Professor: Tim Smit
4 credits
This course will examine the outbreak of plague that spread through Asia, Africa, and Europe in the fourteenth century, commonly referred to by the current term The Black Death. We will engage with a variety of texts (laws, literature, painting and sculpture, human remains, and more) to explore what it was like to live through a devastating outbreak of epidemic disease and the impact it had on individuals, communities, and societies. During the course we will develop proficiency in the liberal arts through reading, writing, discussion, and research. The course will also provide an introduction to different academic disciplines and their approaches, ranging from art history and the analysis of visual culture to genetics and the unraveling of ancient DNA. The purpose of the course is for you to expand your understanding of epidemic disease and its impact on human societies and develop critical skills (reading, writing, and thinking) you can draw on as a student in the liberal arts.