Imperial structures and urban forms : a comparative study of capital cities in the Roman and Han empires
This study focuses on the imperial capitals of Rome, Changâan and Luoyang, during a period in which transformations of political institutions, imperial ideologies, and religious beliefs occurred on both sides of Eurasia. In the centuries between 210 BC and AD 220 Rome and China became the worldâs largest agrarian states, and their capital cities were shaped for the first time to be symbols of the power of their imperial systems. The physical features of the capitals, more than any other urban centre, became integral components of the ideological, socio-political and cultural dynamics of the two empires, which they reflected through their design and location in the urban landscape. This thesis aims to further the understanding of the relationships between the cultural, political and social institutions and processes existing in the Han and Roman empires, and the physical structures and internal organization of their capital cities. It will apply a contextual, comparative methodology, specifically tailored to its scope and aims to the available historical and archaeological data relating to city planning principles and models, infrastructure, economic, and ritual architecture of the three capitals. The analysis
Razeto, A.
Imperial structures and urban forms : a comparative study of capital cities in the Roman and Han empires. This study focuses on the imperial capitals of Rome, Changâan and Luoyang, during a period in which transformations of political institutions, imperial ideologies, and religious beliefs occurred on both sides of Eurasia. In the centuries between 210 BC and AD 220 Rome and China became the worldâs largest agrarian states, and their capital cities were shaped for the first time to be symbols of the power of their imperial systems. The physical features of the capitals, more than any other urban centre, became integral components of the ideological, socio-political and cultural dynamics of the two empires, which they reflected through their design and location in the urban landscape. This thesis aims to further the understanding of the relationships between the cultural, political and social institutions and processes existing in the Han and Roman empires, and the physical structures and internal organization of their capital cities. It will apply a contextual, comparative methodology, specifically tailored to its scope and aims to the available historical and archaeological data relating to city planning principles and models, infrastructure, economic, and ritual architecture of the three capitals. The analysis
imperial structure urban form comparative_study capital_city roman han empire study_focus imperial capital rome period transformation political_institution imperial ideology religious_belief occur side eurasia century rome china become world large agrarian state capital_city shape first_time symbol power imperial system physical feature capital urban_centre become_integral component ideological socio_political cultural_dynamic empire reflect design location urban_landscape aim relationship cultural_political social_institution process exist han roman empires physical structure internal organization capital_city apply contextual comparative specifically tailor scope aim available historical_archaeological data relate city planning principle model infrastructure economic ritual architecture capital analysis