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The Social Construction Of ancient Cities
[Paperback - 2010]
monica l. smith
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Category: Sociology
Sub-category: Sociology
Additional Category: Archaeology
Publisher: Smithsonian Books | ISBN: 9781588342911 | Pages: 336
Shipping Weight: .397 | Dimensions: 6 x .7 x 9 inches

Description

What made ancient cities successful? What are the similarities between modern cities and ancient ones? The Social Construction of Ancient Cities offers a fresh perspective on ancient cities and the social networks and relations that built and sustained them, marking a dramatic change in the way archaeologists approach them. Examining ancient cities from a “bottom up” perspective, the authors in this volume explore the ways in which cities were actually created by ordinary inhabitants. They track the development of urban space from the point of view of individuals and households, providing new insights into cities' roles as social centers as well as focal points of political and economic activities.

Analyzing various urban communities from residences and neighborhoods to marketplaces and ceremonial plazas, the authors examine urban centers in Africa, Mesoamerica, South America, Mesopotamia, the Indian subcontinent, and China. Collectively they demonstrate how complex networks of social relations and structures gave rise to the formation of ancient cities, contributed to their cohesion, and sustained their growth, much as they do in modern urban centers.

The authors' analyses draw from ancient texts as well as archaeological surveys and excavations of urban architecture and other material remains, including portable objects for daily use and comestibles. They show clearly how early urban dwellers consciously developed dense interdependent social networks to satisfy their needs for food, housing, and employment, forged their own urban identities, and generally managed to thrive in the crowded, bustling, and competitive environment that characterized ancient cities. Not least of all, they suggest how urban leaders and urban dwellers negotiated a consensus that enabled them to achieve both mundane and extraordinary goals, in the process establishing their unique ritual, legal, and social status.

About the Author

Hello readers! I'm an archaeologist based at UCLA where I use my background of global field research to identify the things that make human societies and settlements distinct.How did I start studying cities? Many years ago I moved to Manhattan after living in a small town while I was a graduate student. That move was electrifying and made me think about what it meant to be an urban person. The move dovetailed with new research that I was undertaking in India, so that I became lucky enough to study something that I loved and wanted to find out more about. There are two books that came out of that process. One book is A Prehistory of Ordinary People, which looks at how and why humans are so good at multitasking. The other is Cities: The First 6,000 Years, which looks at the way that cities both past and present are places where people connect with each other in a dynamic and energizing way. Even though we all recognize that cities have some disadvantages, they've become the dominant form of population center because of the great nexus of economic, educational, and entertainment options that they offer.In the Cities book, I wanted to have a conversation with readers and let them see how they can decode their own cities just as archaeologists decode the material traces of the past. I’d love to hear from you about your journey!

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