Early urbanism in the northern fertile crescent : a comparison of regional settlement trajectories and millennial landscape change
This thesis investigates the development of urban centres in the Northern Fertile Crescent during the Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age and seeks to place this development in a wider context of landscape transformation over time. Settlement data from eight archaeological surveys covering a range of landscape types and environments are brought into a single interpretive framework, organised through a Geographical Information System (GIS). These surveys are enhanced through the use of satellite imagery, particularly Corona spy photography, to discover new sites both within and outside the boundaries of their original areas. Methods for the incorporation of this wide range of data are developed, including the use of concepts such as âcertaintyâ and âprecisionâ and techniques for the comparison of multiple chronological systems. These new methods are used to undertake a multi-scalar examination of settlement trajectories from the 5th to the 3rd millennium. Two phases of urban development are evident, first in the Late Chalcolithic and then during the âsecond urban revolutionâ (Akkermans and Schwartz 2003) in the later Early Bronze Age. Whilst the Late Chalcolithic centres emerged within dense
Lawrence, Dan
Early urbanism in the northern fertile crescent : a comparison of regional settlement trajectories and millennial landscape change. This thesis investigates the development of urban centres in the Northern Fertile Crescent during the Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age and seeks to place this development in a wider context of landscape transformation over time. Settlement data from eight archaeological surveys covering a range of landscape types and environments are brought into a single interpretive framework, organised through a Geographical Information System (GIS). These surveys are enhanced through the use of satellite imagery, particularly Corona spy photography, to discover new sites both within and outside the boundaries of their original areas. Methods for the incorporation of this wide range of data are developed, including the use of concepts such as âcertaintyâ and âprecisionâ and techniques for the comparison of multiple chronological systems. These new methods are used to undertake a multi-scalar examination of settlement trajectories from the 5th to the 3rd millennium. Two phases of urban development are evident, first in the Late Chalcolithic and then during the âsecond urban revolutionâ (Akkermans and Schwartz 2003) in the later Early Bronze Age. Whilst the Late Chalcolithic centres emerged within dense
early urbanism northern fertile comparison regional settlement trajectory millennial landscape_change investigates_development urban_centre northern fertile late_chalcolithic early_bronze_age seek_place development wider_context landscape transformation time settlement data archaeological_survey cover range landscape type environment bring single interpretive_framework organise geographical_information_system gis survey enhance use satellite_imagery particularly corona spy photography discover new site within_outside boundary original area methods incorporation wide_range data develop include use concept certainty precision technique comparison multiple chronological system new_method use undertake multi_scalar examination settlement two_phase urban_development evident first late_chalcolithic second urban revolution later early_bronze_age whilst late_chalcolithic centre emerge within dense