Write your abstract here. Origins of
Ancient Cities -A New Theory.
Ancient cities arose not by decree from a
centralized political power,
as was previously widely believed, but as the outgrowth of decisions
made by smaller groups or individuals at Tell Brak, located in northern
Mesopotamia, in what is today northern Iraq and northeastern Syria,
according to a new study from researchers at Harvard University, the
University of Cambridge, and the University of Edinburgh. “The results of our work show that the existing models for the
origins of
ancient cities may in fact be flawed,” says Jason Ur,
assistant professor of anthropology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
at Harvard University, “Urbanism does not appear to have originated
with a single, powerful ruler or political entity. Instead, it was the
organic outgrowth of many groups coming together.” “Ours is a largely urban society, and the nascent urbanization of Tell
Brak tells us about the formation of the very first cities in the
world,” says Ur. To understand
patterns of population growth in the earliest urban
areas, archaeologists surveyed the spatial distribution of artifacts. The researchers’ work was based on observation of surface objects at
the site, along with satellite imagery and Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) spatial analysis. Surface artifacts included bits of
broken pottery and other ancient garbage, which indicated to the
archaeologists where the inhabitants of the city lived. In this survey,
the patterns of distribution of these objects were examined for an 800
year period. This field survey has demonstrated that the city was much larger
geographically than realized, and had also been populated by settlement
clusters surrounding the “central mound.” According to the survey of distribution of artifacts, around 4200
BCE the “central mound” was suddenly surrounded by these clusters,
suggesting immigration to the city. These clusters were separated from
one another, indicating social distance among the groups, possibly
because the social mechanisms that allow strangers to live together in
an urban environment had not yet evolved. The patterns of settlement and distance from the “central mound” also signified autonomy from the political center of the city. The theory of a singular leader as the catalyst for urbanization has
been widely supported in part because it is reinforced by the story of
Gilgamesh, who “built” the city of Uruk. Uruk (image above), located in what is today
southern Iraq, had been considered the world’s oldest city. The field survey, along with recent related excavation by the
University of Cambridge has shown that the urban development of Tell
Brak was concurrent, or may have been earlier, than the development of
Uruk. Published in the Aug. 31st Science, the research was led by Jason Ur,
assistant professor of anthropology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
at Harvard University, with Philip Karsgaard of the University of
Edinburgh, and Joan Oates of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological
Research of the University of Cambridge. Galaxy News Reported September 4th, 2007.