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The Classic Maya city-states of Central America that flourished from the 3rd through the 9th centuries famously "collapsed" in the 9th and 10th. However, in the distinctive environment of the Yucatan Peninsula the Maya experienced a greater continuity, and a resurgent Post-Classic Maya culture arose that persisted uninterruptedly until the incursion of the Spanish in the 16th century. Cultural historian George Scheper examines its achievements and legacy.

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the late 1940s and early 1950s forever changed the study of ancient Judaism and early Christianity. Dead Sea Scrolls scholar Gary Rendsburg describes the discovery of these precious fragments, what we know about their origins, the controversies surrounding them, and their influence on the development of both ancient Judaism and early Christianity.

Long before royal exploits were splashed across the tabloids, England’s ruling clan played out their dramas on the national stage during the mid-to-late 15th century. The houses of Lancaster and York brawled through a series of family battles known as the Wars of the Roses, marked by enough drama, betrayals, and intrigue to fill a television series. Tudor and Renaissance scholar Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger looks at the conflict from the inside out, finding truth in the warning “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.”

The 16th century is one of the most fascinating periods of English history, and its vibrant center was the great city of London. During the Tudor dynasty the city on the Thames was filled with the bustling daily life of common people living in a rapidly changing city and world. Historian Cheryl White examines the panorama of ordinary life in London at the birth of early-modern England.

The potato famine of 1845 to 1849, known in the Irish language as "the great hunger," led to the death of a million people and the emigration of a million more, reducing the population of Ireland by roughly one quarter. Historian Jennifer Paxton explores the origins of the famine in the difficult economic and political circumstances of Ireland in the early 19th century and examines the controversy over the degree to which the British government can be held responsible for the disaster and its impact on the Irish landscape and culture.

Lecturer Paul Glenshaw looks at great works of art in their historical context by delving into the time of the artist, exploring the present they inhabited, and what shaped their vision and creations. Together with Revolutionary War scholar Iris de Rode he examines The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis by John Trumbull, covering the story of the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781 and the fascinating process of the creation of the epic work by Trumbull. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

With a dynamic and far-reaching history that spans the Neolithic period to the modern age, Chinese civilization has given rise to some of the world’s most remarkable artistic creations. Art historian Robert DeCaroli explores that complex legacy by examining how shifts in China’s social, religious, and political life have influenced transformations in its material culture. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)

Quilting is a tradition that has transcended the limits of culture and eras. Throughout the centuries, styles and techniques evolved, but the common thread in the creation of quilts was often their makers: women. Led by Alden O’Brien, textile and costumes curator at the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum, visit three museums to explore the role quilting has played in our society, including how it has been used to express emotion and act as a force of social justice.