Foundations of Global Heritage: Cities, Cultures, and Continuities

Zoom webinar

Across continents and millennia, many of the world’s earliest civilizations took root along rivers-fertile landscapes where communities first cultivated land, built homes, and shared traditions. Over time, these settlements evolved into cities, shaped by the rhythms of agriculture, architecture, belief systems, and governance. Though each region followed its own trajectory, their transformations reflect a shared journey from life by water to urban worlds of remarkable complexity.

This webinar brings together scholars to explore the earliest stages of urbanization and cultural development across ancient societies in different regions. Through a comparative lens, the discussion will highlight these common beginnings and the transformation from riverine settlements to cities - laying the foundations for the diverse heritage we carry forward today. As the opening session of the Global Heritage series, this conversation offers a foundational perspective for future explorations of cities, civilizations, and cultural legacies across time. 

Speakers

Alan L. Kolata
Bernard E. and Ellen C. Sunny Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Anthropology; 
Committee on Southern Asian Studies; 
Committee on Environment, Geography and Urbanization
The University of Chicago

James Osborne
Associate Professor of Anatolian Archaeology
The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures
Interim Chair, Department of Middle Eastern Studie
The University of Chicago

Edward L. Shaughnessy
Lorraine J. and Herrlee G. Creel Distinguished Service Professor in Early Chinese Studies
Director of Graduate Studies, East Asian Languages and Civilizations
The University of Chicago

Moderator

Kenneth Pomeranz
University Professor of Modern Chinese History and the College
The University of Chicago

February 10, 2026 (Tuesday)
9:30 pm        Japan | South Korea   
8:30 pm        Hong Kong | Beijing | Singapore   
6:00 pm        Delhi   
1:30 pm         Paris   
12:30 pm       London  
6:30 am        Chicago   

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