This module offers a global history of cities, ancient to modern. We will consider how to ‘read’ the urban landscape as a historical source, and trace the practical transformation of organising communities, including the emergence of city states, and cities as a part of a larger empire. The module will cover important themes such as trade and craftsmanship, city planning, civil defence, administration, urbanisation and how cities function as spaces for cultural encounters and nodes of migration. Across time, cities have been the origin of empire, as well as important points of connectivity for facilitating imperial rule. Uniquely for Level 4, this module introduces students to new modes of historical enquiry, namely the ability to explore the history of cities and empires either from a comparative or entangled historical perspective. This means, they will learn how to compare and contrast historical developments across time and space. To facilitate this approach, students will be introduced to new digital humanities tools such as GIS mapping and other visualisation aids. This reflects a wider commitment within the BA History programme to embed digital literacy as a key employability skill into Level 4 teaching. Other academic and professional benefits include practising transferable oral presentation skills that will be applicable to a wide variety of career paths.
