Changes

__NOTOC__

The rise of cities in the ancient Near East during the fourth millennium BC (4000-3000 BC) is a key event in the history of the world, as urban patterns that first arose there became patterns inherited in many societies, including in the West. Cities in the ancient Near East were the first to develop major temples, palaces, large urban dwelling areas, city walls, governments, and religious authorities that become features seen in later cities. Furthermore, these cities drew long-distance trade that created both great wealth for them but also led to the rise of economic systems that created greater social inequality, characteristics that we have also inherited.

==The Motives of Trade==

Among the earliest regions we see large-scale urbanism develop is in southern Mesopotamia, a region located in modern day southern Iraq (Figure 1). Increasingly in the early fourth millennium BC, urban patterns began to form in southern Mesopotamia, including in places such as Eridu, located near ancient Ur, where one of the first large temples from this period is evident.<ref>For a discussion on the development of Eridu (pg. 135) see: Maisels, Charles Keith. 1999. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415096596/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0415096596&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=c6682a192fb0650be063c649cf853b25 The Emergence of Civilization: From Hunting and Gathering to Agriculture, Cities, and the State in the Near East]''. Repr. London: Routledge.</ref>

The need for trade was created based on a lack of resources, while location along canals and rivers facilitated the transport of goods. The fertile agricultural area was irrigated with canals, allowing a large population to develop. In essence, low cost transport helped fuel trade growth. Once trade began to make this city wealthy, this then fueled growth further through positive feedback growth. In other words, growth in the city and its trade simply fueled more growth and trade as the city used resources to further invest and grow in other areas, expanding its reach.<ref>Lane, D., Pumain, D., Leeuw, S.v.d. 2009. Introduction, in: D. Lane, D. Pumain, S.v.d. Leeuw, and G. West (Eds.): <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/9048181798/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=9048181798&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=19197796d30f73ffb902faeec611ea05 Complexity Perspectives in Innovation and Social Change]</i>. Springer, Berlin, pp. 1-7.</ref> Additionally, other urban areas, as demonstrated through archaeological survey, seem to be growing in this period, suggesting the rise of urbanism began to spread in southern Mesopotamia.<ref> Bob Adams’ extensive surveys in southern Iraq had demonstrated how early urban centers developed. See: Adams, Robert McC. 1981. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0226005445/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0226005445&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=1a308caf084aa23b657bd6584ee2a5e6" Heartland of Cities: Surveys of Ancient Settlement and Land Use on the Central Floodplain of the Euphrates]''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.</ref> In fact, urbanism in the fourth millennium BC was not simply confined to southern Mesopotamia but also northerly regions.<ref>Oates, Joan, Augusta McMahon, Philip Karsgaard, Salam Al Quntar, and Jason Ur. 2007. ''Early Mesopotamian urbanism: A new view from the North''. Antiquity 81 (2007): 585–600.</ref>

Trade seems to have been so important for urban growth that by the late fourth millennium BC we begin to see the expansion of urban colonies to other regions. One example is the site of Habuba Kabira, a modern day name for an ancient city that was build in the late fourth millennium BC in northern Syria on the Euphrates River. Although writing was still scarce in this period, the city was clearly built by people from southern Mesopotamia, as all of its cultural remains such as architecture, pottery, and other objects indicate the people who settled there did not have cultural markers from the native populations in Syria. Rather, the site of Habuba Kabira represents a colony that was placed next to the Euphrates to control trade coming down to southern Mesopotamia.<ref>Habuba Kabira has been described as a near exact footprint of southern Mesopotamian cities due to its material culture resembling items from that region. See: Strommenger, Eva. 1980. "Habuba Kabira: Eine Stadt Vor 5000 Jahren: Ausgrabungen Der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft Am Euphrat in Habuba Kabira, Syrien." ''Sendschrift Der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft 12''. Mainz am Rhein: von Zabern.</ref> Therefore, it was not simply passive trade that brought goods to southern Mesopotamia but colonies were sometimes established to bring in raw materials.

==Conclusion==

What we see from this brief overview is that urbanism was not driven by a natural process. In fact, this process took several millennia after the invention of agriculture, which made it possible to settle in one region. Urbanism simply became the predominant social form through a complex set of interactions that led to increased trade wealth concentrating into cities with access to key trade routes but also motivation to expand trade networks as they often lacked raw resources. Warfare could have resulted from increased trade competition, which could have forced more people to seek protection in the cities. Social inequality was a byproduct but also likely motivated greater population to cities as wealth and power helped to concentrate people.

<div class="portal" style="width:85%;">

==Related DailyHistory.org Articles==

*[[Why was Alexander the Great So Successful In His Conquests?]]

</div>

{{Mediawiki:Ancient Greece}}