4.605 | Spring 2012 | Undergraduate

Introduction to the History and Theory of Architecture

Readings

Assigned readings for each lecture session are from the course textbook: Ching, Francis, Mark Jarzombek, and Vikram Prakash. A Global History of Architecture. 2nd ed. John Wiley & Sons, 2010. ISBN: 9780470402573.

SES # TOPICS READINGS
L1 First societies  
L2 The Gravettians and the hunting tradition of the north pp. xi–xv.
L3 The Holocene and the agro-pastoral emergence pp. 1–4.
L4 Grains, animals and the village world pp. 5–16.
L5 Cities, gods and empires pp. 17–51.
L6 Pits, granaries and boats: the sacred section  
L7 1500 BCE: After the Cataclysm: Knossos and Karnak pp. 55–80.
L8 800 BCE: Iron and the New World Order: Greeks, Etruscans, Assyrians pp. 85–7, and 98–112.
L9 500 BCE: Persia and Central Asia pp. 113–45.
L10 Fire, water and chariots pp. 93–7.
L11 Buddhism: Out of India pp. 173–82, 214–8, and 235–43.
L12 Chang’an pp. 148–50, 183–5, and 219–21.
L13 Rome pp. 151–72.
L14

Rome (cont.)

pp. 191–213.
L15 The Americas pp. 52–4, 81–91, 222–8, 257–9, 264–7, 328–39, and 475–82.
L16 Early Christian transitions pp. 229–56, and 268–75.
L17 Early Islam: 800 CE pp. 293–327.
L18 From Armenia to Borobudur pp. 276–92.
L19 Early Hindu architecture pp. 340–55.
L20 Southeast Asia and Angkor Wat pp. 392–7.
L21 Gothic architecture: Cistercians & cathedrals pp. 362–78, and 417–25.
L22 Late medieval Europe: Renaissance in perspective pp. 426–7, and 460–9.
L23

History and time

UNESCO & cultural nationalism

pp. 762–90.
L24 Colonial worlds No readings assigned.
L25 Final review session  

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Spring 2012
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