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Barkus Aurelius and the Canines

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WORLD HISTORY PROJECT AP / LESSON 1.0 ACTIVITYAP THEMES INTRO: BARKUS AURELIUS AND THE CANINES1Barkus Aurelius and the CaninesBy OER Project staffFinding What They BuriedThe Canine state grew from nomadic community to a global group of societies from about 12,000 BCE to 8,000 BCE. It seems that the construction of dens for shelter and the ability to bury bones for future use allowed the nomads to form permanent settlements. Very little was known about this ancient, four-legged people until the recent discovery of an ancient scroll written by their legendary leader, Barkus Aurelius. Known as The Barkus Decree, the scroll provided information invaluable to Canine historians, who now have a fuller picture of this society and especially of Barkus Aurelius’s time as ruler from 4355 to 4344 BCE, a reign of 77 dog years.See pg. 3for an excerpt from the scroll that provides a record of certain rituals, laws, and societal norms that Barkus sought to enforce, and is one of the most important primary source documents in Canine studies.The Canine Howl of FameOne of the most significant aspects of the Barkus Decree came not from its content, but from the way it was distributed. Prior to the reign of Barkus Aurelius, it was nearly impossible to communicate something far and wide without the message being corrupted in some way. The message was howled loudly from the highest hill, heard by several surrounding dogs and re-howled further, where it was heard by even more dogs, howled again, and so on. But after being passed from a terrier to a pug to a labrador, a howl communicating something as simple as, “Dog party this Saturday afternoon!”, might be heard, in its seventh iteration as, “Collective learning will eventually lead to our extinction.” Artist’s depiction of BarkusAurelius (the grey pug handing the card to the other dog) engaging in the ancient Canine ritual known as Poker. A Friend in Need, by C.M. Coolidge, 1903. Public domain.Unless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “AP Themes Intro Excerpt”, OER Project, www.oerproject.com/
WORLD HISTORY PROJECT AP / LESSON 1.0 ACTIVITYAP THEMES INTRO: BARKUS AURELIUS AND THE CANINES2Then came the invention that made Barkus Aurelius the legendary ruler whom history would never forget. He was determined that his message—his laws, his ideas, his demands—be understood by all dogs in the Canine state.Critics say he was motivated by ego, but when he created a device that could record his howled message and then replay it howl-for-howl as many times as necessary, he was justifiably praised as an innovative genius. The device, known as the yowlophone would change nearly every aspect of Canine society because it ensured that everyone was hearing the same message. Laws, beliefs, and new ideas could be shared instantly and accurately—as long as the king wanted to share them.Dog Days Are OverAfter his long reign, Barkus Aurelius ceded power to his daughter, Catherine the Great Dane. Despite rumors of his death, most historians believe he went to live on a farm and remains there to this day.
WORLD HISTORY PROJECT AP / LESSON 1.0 ACTIVITYAP THEMES INTRO: BARKUS AURELIUS AND THE CANINES3