Date	Topic	Assignment
August 20	What is collapse?
August 25	Why does collapse happen	Diamond “Prologue”
August 27	How are complex societies vulnerable?	“The Tragedy of the Commons” on the web
September 1	Rapa Nui—Easter Island	Diamond ch. 2
September 3	Competing explanations for the Rapa Nui collapse	“A message for our future? The Rapa Nui Ecodisaster” by Rainbird on the web
September 8	Film and Discussion
September 10	Early Mesopotamian collapse	“The Collapse of Ancient Mesopotamian States and Civilization” on electronic reserve
September 15	Final Mesopotamian collapse	"Salt and silt in ancient Mesopotamian agriculture"on the web
September 17	Discussion and exercise
September 22	Mayan collapse and drought	Diamond ch. 5
September 24	Mayan collapse and warfare	“Explaining the Collapse” on electronic reserve Long paper topic due
September 29	Film and discussion
October 1	Review Session
October 6	Fall Break
October 8	Midterm exam
October 13	Collapse by Invasion
October 15	Violence and Stupidity	Diamond ch. 10
October 20	Outline of Imperial Roman History	Tacitus’ Annals, Book I on the web
October 22	The first fall of Rome	Gibbon “Chapter X” on the web
October 27	The second fall of Rome	Gibbon “Chapter XXXVI” on the web
October 29	Discussion and exercise
November 3	Economy and Systems	“Evaluation: Complexity and Marginal Returns in collapsing societies” by Tainter on electronic reserve
November 5	Senate and Army	Long papers due
November 10	Rome the Mirror
November 12	Why does collapse happen? (pt. 2)	Diamond, ch. 14
November 17	Irrationality and Folly	“Rational Irrationality” on the internet.
November 19	Collapse as a Cautionary Tale
November 24	Discussion and exercise
November 26	Thanksgiving Break	No Class
December 1	Review Session	Last Day of Class