Week 1 January 10  Introduction: travel literature as an historical source

Week 2 January 17 Marco Polo’s book

Read: The Travels of Marco Polo

Larner, Marco Polo and the Discovery of the World, pp. 1-87

Week 3 January 24  Marco Polo and Asia

Read: Larner, Marco Polo and the Discovery of the World, pp. 88-150

PROPOSE BOOKS TO READ FOR WEEKS 6 AND 7

Week 4 January 31  Questioning Marco Polo’s Book

Read: Frances Wood, Did Marco Polo Go to China?

PROPOSE A PAPER TOPIC, WITH MAIN SOURCES IDENTIFIED

Week 5  February 7  Defending Marco Polo’s Book

Read: Rachewiltz, Igor de. "F. Wood’s Did Marco Polo Go to China?" http://rspas.anu.edu.au/eah/Marcopolo.html

Peter Jackson, “Marco Polo and his ‘Travels’,” Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 61.1 (1998), 82-101. Online access via JSTOR

Yang, Zhijiu. “ Marco Polo Did Come to China: a Reply to Did Marco Polo Go to China?” Social Sciences in China (Beijing) 19, no.3 (Fall 1998): 98-123 < EAsia Serials   Online reserve

 Week 6  February 14  Oral reports on reading another primary source.

Week 7  February 21  Oral reports on reading another secondary source. 

THOSE PRESENTING IN WEEK EIGHT MUST BRING COPIES OF THEIR PAPER DRAFT FOR EACH PERSON IN THE CLASS

Week 8  February 28  discussion of drafts. Each paper will have three assigned discussants.

THOSE PRESENTING IN WEEK NINE MUST BRING COPIES OF THEIR PAPER DRAFT FOR EACH PERSON IN THE CLASS

Week 9  March 6  discussion of drafts. Each paper will have three assigned discussants.

THOSE PRESENTING IN WEEK TEN MUST BRING COPIES OF THEIR PAPER DRAFT FOR EACH PERSON IN THE CLASS

Week 10 March 13  discussion of drafts. Each paper will have three assigned discussants.

Final paper due by 4 PM Monday March 17 in Ebrey’s mailbox in the History department office on the third floor of Smith