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The Ancient City
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tarix | 18.07.2018 | ölçüsü | 2,07 Mb. | | #56252 |
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The Ancient City
Why study historic cities? Gives us examples of cities other then our own Brings us to consider the fundamentals of what makes a city
Connected to transition of humans from hunting & gathering to settled agricultural life
Emergence of Urban Form Settled agricultural life: - Old world: begins c. 10,000 years ago (YBP)
- New world: begins 2,000 YPB
Emergence of Urban Form Old World: - 5,300-5,500 YBP Mesopotamia, Indus valley
New World:
First Cities Mesopotamia: Southern Iraq, Tigris & Euphrates rivers: Ur, Indus valley: Harrapa, Mohenjo-Daro etc.,
First Cities Cities emerge after long pre-urban period of settled agricultural life Cities emerge before writing
Exception: Catal Huyuk urban almost 10,000 YBP pre-agricultural based on mining and trade in obsidian
First Cities Very rapid emergence of sophisticated urban civilizations - writing
- complex buildings
- skilled craftsmen
- luxury items
- long-distance trade
First Cities Small by modern standards Ancient monster cities: - Classical Athens: 300,000
- Classical Rome: 650,000
Why were they so small?
World Urban Population
First Cities Distinguished by urban forms of social organization
First Cities Key issue is urban social organization Can be fairly rural in setting:
First Cities Stark social contrasts: - god-King, priest
- craftsmen
- slaves
First Cities Places where power was projected - social
- religious
- military
- economic
Connected with monumental structures - helped to project the power?
First Cities Connected to the emergence of states
First Cities need to control rural territories - obtain food, slaves
- collect “taxes”
Classical Greece Complex long-distance trading networks Expensive iron technology vital to warfare
Classical Greece Kings relied on wealthy farmers, merchants to provide the army Power of kings diminished, power fell into the hands of farmers & merchants
Theories of Urban Origins Childe theory Trade theory Wittfogel’s Hydraulic theory Pivot and Four Quarters
Childe Theory V Gordon Childe Technology allows - accumulation of surpluses
- increased production
Trade Theory Braidwood Cities emerge out of complex trading routes
Hydraulic Theory Karl Wittfogel First cities emerge in agricultural regions dependent on irrigation City states developed as means of organizing irrigation schemes, agriculture
Pivot & Four Quarters Paul Wheatley Religious activity is the key factor Cities emerge as key control points, temple locations, centres receiving religious tributes
Synoecism Rural area gradually evolves into an urban one If rural develops urban social organization Gradually transformed - ancient Athens, Rome
- rural district surrounding fortified temple/refuge site
Urban Origins Probably many ways in which cities can emerge
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