The origins and development of urban cultures and attendant states and empires represents one of the most important institutions of the modern global community. Between 10-15,000 years ago some populations began to aggregate in year-round villages based upon horticulture and/or agriculture. This led to the development of the earliest urban centres. Today, the majority of the global population lives in cities thanks to agricultural-industrial economies. This course investigates the process of cultural developments arising from settled lifestyles, food production systems, and the development of complex socio-political institutions, including models of cultural collapse. A regional focus is followed using examples from the Near East, Easter Island and the Andean region of South America.