Sessional Lecturer - NMC292H1S - The Rise of the City

Description: Today, roughly 50–55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, but for most of human history this was not the norm. For nearly 7,000 years after the first sedentary communities formed, settlements rarely exceeded 0.5–3 ha before fissioning. This pattern shifted around 4500 BC in northern Mesopotamia, where unprecedentedly large, nucleated settlements appeared—the earliest steps toward urbanism. 
 
Mid-20th-century scholarship, especially V. G. Childe, framed this shift as a rapid “urban revolution” tied closely to emerging states. Recent research, however, rejects a single package model, emphasizing diverse and experimental urban trajectories. 
 
This course adopts a broad view of early Near Eastern urbanism, asking: What halted long-standing fissioning? How did diverse groups coexist in confined spaces? What forms did early proto-cities take? Were cities products of revolution, evolution, or something else? How did later urban centers emerge? 
 
Such questions resonate today as cities confront increasing migration, integration, and rising nativism. 

Estimated Course Enrolment: 50 

Estimated TA Support: N/A 

Class Schedule:  Thursdays, 1:00pm – 3:00pm 

Class Format: Online 

Sessional Dates of Appointment: September 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026 

Salary: (including vacation pay)  

Sessional Lecturer I – $9,997.48 

Sessional Lecturer I, Long Term – $10,699.22 

Sessional Lecturer II – $10,699.22 

Sessional Lecturer II, Long Term - $10,953.96 

Sessional Lecturer III – $10,953.96 

Sessional Lecturer III, Long Term - $11,228.90 

Please note that should rates stipulated in the collective agreement vary from rates stated in this posting, the rates stated in the collective agreement shall prevail.

Minimum Qualifications: PhD in Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations or related field or equivalent knowledge and experience. Evidence of knowledge in subject matter. Access to ROM collections for lab is required. 

Description of Duties: Preparation and delivery of course content; development, administration and marking of assignments, tests and exams; holding regular office hours; calculation and submission of grades; and other teaching related duties and administrative tasks associated with an undergraduate course.  

Application Instructions: Applications should be addressed to the Department Chair and include a Curriculum Vitae; CUPE Unit 3 application form; Cover Letter; and the names of two references and their contact information. Applications should be emailed to nmcchair@utoronto.ca.