The course will examine the profound influences of events on the Eurasian steppes on world civilization both east and west. This vital area saw the domestication of the horse and other animals, key aspects of the Neolithic Revolution, the development of Indo-European languages, and early developments in metallurgy. For over five thousand years, horse cultures stormed out of the central steppe, transforming China in the east and Europe in the west. Nothing could stop them, until settled peoples finally developed into well-organized polities. 

Richard Eason is a retired US diplomat and graduate of the College of William and Mary. He also attended the US Naval War College, where he studied the Revolutionary War, and then earned a second MA from George Washington University. He served overseas in nine different countries. He served as Charge d’Affaires in Belgium among other senior posts. He speaks Arabic, French, and Spanish, and is now studying modern Greek, to help keep his brain healthy. 

Previous | Next