ONLINE: Many lesser-known empires and kingdoms throughout history soared high but flamed out fast, leaving their many achievements in ruins. We will recount the heights they climbed to and the remnants left behind from their destruction for people in modern times to ponder. This course offers a broad introduction to their cultural legacies, focusing on a history overview, then inventions, architecture, art and religion, rather than on dense historical detail. The lost great empires and kingdoms to be explored include: India's Harappa and Maurya; Latin America's Teotihuacan, Maya, Aztec Inca; Africa's Great Zimbabwe, Mali, Songhai, Aksum, Swahili coastal city-states; and the Mongols. The course will be primarily lecture-based, enhanced with images, examples and short videos. Questions are welcome throughout. Students will also have access to recordings and a website with downloadable notes, so active note taking won't be necessary. | Lecture + Q&A.
Max enrollment: 200.
Class sessions are recorded.
