COURSE OVERVIEW AND SYLLABUS

This document gives an overview of course intent and organization.

4.605x, A Global History of Architecture: Part 1 serves as a platform to
think about architecture in various places around the world. The architectural
works presented in this course will fall between 100,000 BCE to 1,600 CE.
Discussion includes context in which these architectures are built, how they
are situated in the landscape, as well as understanding the social structures
that designed and created these works. At the end of the course you will
receive a certificate of course completion.
Three lectures, downloadable handouts, lecture questions, discussion
prompts, and readings will be released weekly, on Tuesday, at 14:00 UTC.
Four exams are also included with this course, one for each six lectures. All
assessment material, including lecture questions and exams, must be
completed within one week of its release on edX, no exceptions.
Announcements will be posted in the Updates & News section, under Course
Info. Our primary communication channel will be our interactive forum,
where students and staff will all contribute to an ongoing discussion of the
course material. Teaching assistants can address logistical and technical
concerns on the course discussion forum.
The course has a companion textbook by Francis Ching, Mark Jarzombek and
Vikram Prakash, A Global History of Architecture (Wiley, 2010). This book or
eBook is available for purchase on Amazon.com. Purchasing the textbook
yourself is not necessary, as sections of the book will be made available for
viewing, for free, for those enrolled in the course. Each weeks lecture will
have a reading from the textbook, presenting information that is not seen in
the lecture. While textbook reading does not factor into the grading of this
course it is highly recommended that students compete all the readings
assigned before watching this courses lectures.

COURSE ABSTRACT
How do we understand architecture? One way of answering this question is
by looking through the lens of history. This course will examine architecture
through time, beginning with First Societies and extending to the 15th
century. Though the course is chronological, it is not intended as a linear
narrative, but rather aims to provide a more global view, by focusing on
different architectural "moments." The lectures will give students the
appropriate grounding for understanding a range of buildings and contexts.
The material in the lectures will be supplemented by readings from the
textbook A Global History of Architecture. Each lecture analyzes a particular
architectural transformation arising from a dynamic cultural situation. How
did the introduction of iron in the ninth century BCE impact regional politics
and the development of architecture? How did new religious formations, such
as Buddhism and Hinduism, produce new architectural understandings?
What were the architectural consequences of the changing political
landscape in northern Italy in the 14th century? How did rock-cut
architecture move across space and time from West Asia to India to Africa?
How did the emergence of corn impact the rise of religious and temple
construction in Mexico? These are typical questions that the lectures will
address.
ASSIGNMENTS, GRADING, AND CERTIFICATES
Watch all weekly lectures, complete all lecture review questions, participate
in forum discussion, and complete all four exams. Grading will be weighted
as follows: 20% on Lecture Review Questions, and 80% on exams (meaning
each exam is worth 20% of your grade). If you earn more than 80% of the
points in the course, you will receive a certificate of completion.
SUPPLEMENTARY CONTENT
Four bonus lectures will also be made available at the beginning of the
course. It is not mandatory that you watch them. There is no assessment
associated with this supplementary content.
A Study Map, identifying locations of many key buildings discussed in
course lectures, has been made to accompany the online courseware. There
is no assessment associated with this map.

INTERFACE OUTLINE
Courseware
4.605x is accessible through the edX platform. All lectures are accessed
under the Courseware tab. The Mid-term and Final exams will be posted
under this tab. This is also where will be weekly readings from the textbook
posted, as well as weekly discussion topics.
Course Info
The course syllabus, overview (this document), and information regarding
fair use will be available here. Course updates will also be posted here.
Check this tab often, as this is your source for news and updates regarding
4.605x.
Discussion
The course will have a public discussion forum which will be moderated by
the course TAs. Topics will be posted weekly, with their associated lectures.
The discussion forum also contains a space to share your troubleshooting
concerns.
Progress
This tab shows your progress and grades for all completed sections of the
course.
Study Map
Information about the map of the buildings that are discussed in 4.605x. The
map includes photos, videos, and a short summary of the structures. A link
to the map can be found here.

SCHEDULE
WEEK

RELEASE

ITEM TITLE

9/17/2013

Lecture 1

The First Societies

Lecture 2
the North

The Gravettians and the Hunting Traditions of

Lecture 3
Emergence

The Holocene and the Agro-Pastoral

Lecture 4

Agricultural Emergence

Lecture 5

Stone Between Life and Death

Lecture 6

Cities and Temples

9/24/2013

10/1/13

Exam 1

10/8/13

Lecture 7
After the Cataclysm and the Rise of the
Eastern Mediterranean

10/15/13

Lecture 8

Iron and the New World Order

Lecture 9

Persia and Greece

Lecture 10

India and China

Lecture 11

Buddhism: India and Beyond

Lecture 12

Americas: Shaping/Harvesting the Land

10/22/13

Exam 2

10/29/13

Lecture 13

Rome

Lecture 14

Roman Architecture

Lecture 15

Early Christian Architecture

Lecture 16

Christianity and the Roman East

Lecture 17

Early Islamic Architecture

Lecture 18

Early Hindu Architecture

11/5/13

11/12/13

Exam 3

10

11/19/13

Lecture 19

Borobudur, Angkor, and SE Asia

Lecture 20

The 13th Century: Inner Asia and Beyond

Lecture 21

Medieval Christian Architecture

Lecture 22

Italy: 13th to the 15th Century

Lecture 23

Colonial Transitions

Lecture 24

Time

11

12

11/26/13

12/3/13

Exam 4