This class provides a comprehensive survey of Mesopotamian architecture from 10,000-300 BC. Topics to be investigated in this class include: the evolution of human habitats — from temporary shelters to well-defined house types that dominated Mesopotamian domestic life for millennia; the development of places of worship — from pre-formal household-based cultic spaces during the Neolithic to large temples complexes that dominated the cities of Sumer, Assyria, and Babylonia; the rise of palaces — from the house of the "Big Man" to large elaborately decorated buildings that were homes to kings and rulers but also served as administrative centers and arenas for political performance; the emergence of villages — their layout, economic underpinnings, and social organization; the formation and layout of cities — centres of political, religious, and economic power.