To compare and contrast early urban settlements in Asia and Africa; to compare these early cities, and how and why they arose, with other global regions.
To present, consider, and critique diverse scientific views on how and why early states developed.
To describe early writing systems and to understand some of their key similarities and differences in structure and use.
To present the long-term waves of change that characterize the rises and collapses of civilizations and urban centers across the globe.
To discuss the different ways that powerful people and groups materialized in landscapes where they lived and ruled.
To compare and contrast varying modes of leadership and rule in different early Asian and African states.
