Resource person: Pam Petrie

Location: Parksville Community Centre | 223 Mills Street, Parksville, BC, V9P 2H2

Description:

Schools often highlight major ancient empires such as Rome, China, Egypt, Persia, and Macedonia. Yet one of the earliest and most influential empires was established by the Assyrians of northern Mesopotamia in the first millennium BCE.

This course examines the rise, expansion, and fall of the Assyrian Empire. It explores how the Assyrians addressed the challenges of governing a vast and diverse territory, including issues of control, communication, and trade across multiple polities, cultures, religions, and languages—from Egypt to Central Asia.

The Assyrians’ success lay in their ability to adapt to this diversity, enabling them to maintain imperial rule for nearly 200 years. Their innovations in governance influenced many subsequent empires, with legacies that continue to be evident today.

Instructor: Mitchell Allen, PhD (UCLA), is a research associate in archaeology at UC Berkeley. He has taught archaeology for over 20 years, and has done fieldwork in Israel, Afghanistan, and California.

Mandatory membership(s):

• Volunteer Membership 2026-27
• Life Membership
• Individual Membership 2026-27

Available spots: 25 out of 25

Price: $33.00 Taxes not included

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