Urban Formation and Ancient Cities

Study Notes

Cities are distinguished from other settlements by their larger population size, diverse economic activities, and minimal agricultural production.
They were centers of political, economic, and social power, driving growth through economic innovation.
Early cities played a crucial role in political change and the centralization of power, as well as cultural innovation.

The emergence of ancient cities coincides with the first agricultural revolution (6000-8000 years ago).
Most modern cities have only existed for the past 300 years.
"Civilization" refers to complex socio-cultural organization with formal institutions, centralized authority, and organized people.
Early cities were often located in sub-tropical, temperate, or Mediterranean climates, with fertile soil for agriculture, access to rivers or water sources, and strategically elevated landscapes for defense.
Technological innovation was crucial, including irrigation systems, food transportation and storage, and construction techniques for fortifications and monumental structures.
Social organization and power were necessary to regulate urban life. Elites emerged who controlled material resources and other social groups.
Early cities functioned as centers for extracting and redistributing resources from the countryside to the urban population.

No single theory explains the origins of cities; multiple factors were at play.
Agricultural surplus:
- Surplus food led to a social surplus, allowing for specialized labor outside of agriculture.
- Managing the surplus required greater social organization, leading to central authority.
- Early forms of taxation and labor contributions emerged.
Religion:
- Religion played a role in developing social power.
- Temples were central to early cities.
- Elites often held both political and religious authority.
- A priestly class emerged.
- The blending of religious and secular authority forms a theocracy.
Defensive needs:
- Fortifications were common features, especially city walls.
- A military class arose to defend food supplies and resources.
Trading requirements:
- Complex cultures cultivated complex economies.
- Trade was essential, leading to marketplaces that would form the basis for new cities.
- Economic intensification and diversification occurred.
- A merchant class gained privileged status.

Some argue that cities developed independently in various cultures and regions worldwide.
Others argue that cities diffused from a single point of origin (hearth).
Some of the earliest cities were in Mesopotamia (birthplace of the agricultural revolution), particularly Sumeria (southern Mesopotamia) around 4750 B.C.
Other important hearths include:
- The Nile River Valley
- The Yellow River Valley
- West Africa
- Meso-America
The growth of empires (Roman, Han and Tang in China, Islamic in the Middle East and North Africa) led to the development of large cities.