Craig Benjamin is an Associate Professor of History at Frederik J. Meijer Honors College, Grand Valley State University, Michigan (GVSU). At GVSU, he teaches Big History, world history, and East and Central Asian history, to students at all levels, from first-year to postgraduate. He is a frequent guest presenter at conferences worldwide, and the author of numerous published books, chapters and essays on ancient Central Asian history, Big History, and world history. He is co-author (with David Christian and Cynthia Brown) of a Big History textbook – Big History: Between Nothing and Everything (2013). Benjamin has recorded several programs and lecture series for The History Channel, The Teaching Company and Scientific American magazine. He is also a member of the College Board Test Development Committees for both the AP and SAT World History exams; Treasurer of the International Big History Association; and President (2014/15) of the World History Association.

• Part I. Global Histories: 1. Introduction: the world from 1200 BCE to 900 CE Craig Benjamin; 2. Global economic history Sitta von Reden; 3. The gendering of power in the family and the state Ping Yao and Scott Wells; 4. Slavery Peter Hunt; 5. The axial age in world history Björn Wittrock; 6. Developments in science and technology c.800 BCE to c.800 CE Helmuth Schneider; 7. Discourses on gender and sexuality Ping Yao and Scott Wells; 8. Art Robert Bagley; 9. Pastoral nomads Tim May; Part II. Trans-Regional and Regional Perspectives: 10. Western and Central Eurasia Touraj Daryaee; 11. Regional study: Bactria – the crossroads of ancient Eurasia Jeffrey Lerner; 12. The Mediterranean Craig Benjamin and Merry Wiesner-Hanks; 13. Regional study: Athens in the fifth century BCE William Morison; 14. Late antiquity in Europe c.300–900 CE Charles F. Pazdernik; 15. East Asia Charles Holcombe; 16. Regional study: Confucianism and the state Xinzhong Yao; 17. Regional study: exchanges within the silk roads world system Xinru Liu; 18. South Asia Shonaleeka Kaul; 19. Regional study: Pataliputra Shonaleeka Kaul; 20. The Americas Janet Brashler and Erica Begun; 21. Regional study: Chaco culture and the US Southwest Stephen H. Lekson; 22. Australasia and the Pacific Ian McNiven; 23. Africa: states, empires and connections Stanley Burstein; 24. Regional study: trans-Saharan trade Ralph Austen.

Craig Benjamin is an Associate Professor of History at Frederik J. Meijer Honors College, Grand Valley State University, Michigan (GVSU). At GVSU, he teaches Big History, world history, and East and Central Asian history, to students at all levels, from first-year to postgraduate. He is a frequent guest presenter at conferences worldwide, and the author of numerous published books, chapters and essays on ancient Central Asian history, Big History, and world history. He is co-author (with David Christian and Cynthia Brown) of a Big History textbook – Big History: Between Nothing and Everything (2013). Benjamin has recorded several programs and lecture series for The History Channel, The Teaching Company and Scientific American magazine. He is also a member of the College Board Test Development Committees for both the AP and SAT World History exams; Treasurer of the International Big History Association; and President (2014/15) of the World History Association.

• Part I. Global Histories: 1. Introduction: the world from 1200 BCE to 900 CE Craig Benjamin; 2. Global economic history Sitta von Reden; 3. The gendering of power in the family and the state Ping Yao and Scott Wells; 4. Slavery Peter Hunt; 5. The axial age in world history Björn Wittrock; 6. Developments in science and technology c.800 BCE to c.800 CE Helmuth Schneider; 7. Discourses on gender and sexuality Ping Yao and Scott Wells; 8. Art Robert Bagley; 9. Pastoral nomads Tim May; Part II. Trans-Regional and Regional Perspectives: 10. Western and Central Eurasia Touraj Daryaee; 11. Regional study: Bactria – the crossroads of ancient Eurasia Jeffrey Lerner; 12. The Mediterranean Craig Benjamin and Merry Wiesner-Hanks; 13. Regional study: Athens in the fifth century BCE William Morison; 14. Late antiquity in Europe c.300–900 CE Charles F. Pazdernik; 15. East Asia Charles Holcombe; 16. Regional study: Confucianism and the state Xinzhong Yao; 17. Regional study: exchanges within the silk roads world system Xinru Liu; 18. South Asia Shonaleeka Kaul; 19. Regional study: Pataliputra Shonaleeka Kaul; 20. The Americas Janet Brashler and Erica Begun; 21. Regional study: Chaco culture and the US Southwest Stephen H. Lekson; 22. Australasia and the Pacific Ian McNiven; 23. Africa: states, empires and connections Stanley Burstein; 24. Regional study: trans-Saharan trade Ralph Austen.

Craig Benjamin is an Associate Professor of History at Frederik J. Meijer Honors College, Grand Valley State University, Michigan (GVSU). At GVSU, he teaches Big History, world history, and East and Central Asian history, to students at all levels, from first-year to postgraduate. He is a frequent guest presenter at conferences worldwide, and the author of numerous published books, chapters and essays on ancient Central Asian history, Big History, and world history. He is co-author (with David Christian and Cynthia Brown) of a Big History textbook – Big History: Between Nothing and Everything (2013). Benjamin has recorded several programs and lecture series for The History Channel, The Teaching Company and Scientific American magazine. He is also a member of the College Board Test Development Committees for both the AP and SAT World History exams; Treasurer of the International Big History Association; and President (2014/15) of the World History Association.

• Part I. Global Histories: 1. Introduction: the world from 1200 BCE to 900 CE Craig Benjamin; 2. Global economic history Sitta von Reden; 3. The gendering of power in the family and the state Ping Yao and Scott Wells; 4. Slavery Peter Hunt; 5. The axial age in world history Björn Wittrock; 6. Developments in science and technology c.800 BCE to c.800 CE Helmuth Schneider; 7. Discourses on gender and sexuality Ping Yao and Scott Wells; 8. Art Robert Bagley; 9. Pastoral nomads Tim May; Part II. Trans-Regional and Regional Perspectives: 10. Western and Central Eurasia Touraj Daryaee; 11. Regional study: Bactria – the crossroads of ancient Eurasia Jeffrey Lerner; 12. The Mediterranean Craig Benjamin and Merry Wiesner-Hanks; 13. Regional study: Athens in the fifth century BCE William Morison; 14. Late antiquity in Europe c.300–900 CE Charles F. Pazdernik; 15. East Asia Charles Holcombe; 16. Regional study: Confucianism and the state Xinzhong Yao; 17. Regional study: exchanges within the silk roads world system Xinru Liu; 18. South Asia Shonaleeka Kaul; 19. Regional study: Pataliputra Shonaleeka Kaul; 20. The Americas Janet Brashler and Erica Begun; 21. Regional study: Chaco culture and the US Southwest Stephen H. Lekson; 22. Australasia and the Pacific Ian McNiven; 23. Africa: states, empires and connections Stanley Burstein; 24. Regional study: trans-Saharan trade Ralph Austen.