The first human came from Africa, Courses in the field examine the birth of world religions, the slave trade, the rise and fall of great empires, the intellectual production of antiquity, commodities that affect all our lives, the rise of global political movements and much more. Some students choose to concentrate on Africa. Language study is not required to specialize in the region, but many students study other regional languages in order to enhance both their intellectual engagement with their studies and their ability to conduct first-hand research in Yale’s rich collections of primary-source materials. This specialist field allows students to examine the history of these vital regions in all of their complexity, political richness, and cultural vitality. The regions’ history moves from some of the world’s first societies to modern countries now at the heart of global events.