The Life and Death of Ancient Cities

The Life and Death of Ancient Cities PDF Author: Greg Woolf
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190618566
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 512

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Book Description
The dramatic story of the rise and collapse of Europe's first great urban experiment The growth of cities around the world in the last two centuries is the greatest episode in our urban history, but it is not the first. Three thousand years ago most of the Mediterranean basin was a world of villages; a world without money or writing, without temples for the gods or palaces for the mighty. Over the centuries that followed, however, cities appeared in many places around the Inland Sea, built by Greeks and Romans, and also by Etruscans and Phoenicians, Tartessians and Lycians, and many others. Most were tiny by modern standards, but they were the building blocks of all the states and empires of antiquity. The greatest--Athens and Corinth, Syracuse and Marseilles, Alexandria and Ephesus, Persepolis and Carthage, Rome and Byzantium--became the powerhouses of successive ancient societies, not just political centers but also the places where ancient art and literatures were created and accumulated. And then, half way through the first millennium, most withered away, leaving behind ruins that have fascinated so many who came after. Based on the most recent historical and archaeological evidence, The Life and Death of Ancient Cities provides a sweeping narrative of one of the world's first great urban experiments, from Bronze Age origins to the demise of cities in late antiquity. Greg Woolf chronicles the history of the ancient Mediterranean city, against the background of wider patterns of human evolution, and of the unforgiving environment in which they were built. Richly illustrated, the book vividly brings to life the abandoned remains of our ancient urban ancestors and serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of even the mightiest of cities.

The Life and Death of Ancient Cities

The Life and Death of Ancient Cities PDF Author: Greg Woolf
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190618566
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 512

Get Book Here

Book Description
The dramatic story of the rise and collapse of Europe's first great urban experiment The growth of cities around the world in the last two centuries is the greatest episode in our urban history, but it is not the first. Three thousand years ago most of the Mediterranean basin was a world of villages; a world without money or writing, without temples for the gods or palaces for the mighty. Over the centuries that followed, however, cities appeared in many places around the Inland Sea, built by Greeks and Romans, and also by Etruscans and Phoenicians, Tartessians and Lycians, and many others. Most were tiny by modern standards, but they were the building blocks of all the states and empires of antiquity. The greatest--Athens and Corinth, Syracuse and Marseilles, Alexandria and Ephesus, Persepolis and Carthage, Rome and Byzantium--became the powerhouses of successive ancient societies, not just political centers but also the places where ancient art and literatures were created and accumulated. And then, half way through the first millennium, most withered away, leaving behind ruins that have fascinated so many who came after. Based on the most recent historical and archaeological evidence, The Life and Death of Ancient Cities provides a sweeping narrative of one of the world's first great urban experiments, from Bronze Age origins to the demise of cities in late antiquity. Greg Woolf chronicles the history of the ancient Mediterranean city, against the background of wider patterns of human evolution, and of the unforgiving environment in which they were built. Richly illustrated, the book vividly brings to life the abandoned remains of our ancient urban ancestors and serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of even the mightiest of cities.

Ancient Cities and Towns

Ancient Cities and Towns PDF Author: Mary A. Vance
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781555906788
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 16

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Book Description


America's Ancient Cities

America's Ancient Cities PDF Author: Gene S. Stuart
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
Examines ancient cities in the Americas, revealing how settlements evolved and how urban centers grew and functioned.

The Ancient City

The Ancient City PDF Author: Arjan Zuiderhoek
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521198356
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
This book provides a survey of modern debates on Greek and Roman cities, and a sketch of the cities' chief characteristics.

Making Ancient Cities

Making Ancient Cities PDF Author: Andrew T. Creekmore, III
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139916947
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 443

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Book Description
This volume investigates how the structure and use of space developed and changed in cities, and examines the role of different societal groups in shaping urbanism. Culturally and chronologically diverse case studies provide a basis to examine recent theoretical and methodological shifts in the archaeology of ancient cities. The book's primary goal is to examine how ancient cities were made by the people who lived in them. The authors argue that there is a mutually constituting relationship between urban form and the actions and interactions of a plurality of individuals, groups, and institutions, each with their own motivations and identities. Space is therefore socially produced as these agents operate in multiple spheres.

The Complete Cities of Ancient Egypt

The Complete Cities of Ancient Egypt PDF Author: Steven Snape
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
ISBN: 050077241X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 595

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Book Description
From early towns to booming metropolises, The Complete Cities of Ancient Egypt explores every facet of urban life in ancient Egypt with a leading authority in the field as a guide Ancient Egyptian cities and towns have until recently been one of the least-studied and least-published aspects of this great ancient civilization. Now, new research and excavation are transforming our knowledge. This is the first book to bring these latest discoveries to a wide audience and to provide a comprehensive overview of what we know about ancient settlement during the dynastic period. The cities range in date from early urban centers to large metropolises. From houses to palaces to temples, the different parts of Egyptian cities and towns are examined in detail, giving a clear picture of the urban world. The inhabitants, from servants to Pharaoh, are vividly brought to life, placed in the context of the civil administration that organized every detail of their lives. Famous cities with extraordinary buildings and fascinating histories are also examined here through detailed individual treatments, including: Memphis, home of the pyramid–building kings of the Old Kingdom; Thebes, containing the greatest concentration of monumental buildings from the ancient world; and Amarna, intimately associated with the pharaoh Akhenaten. An analysis of information from modern excavations and ancient texts recreates vibrant ancient communities, providing range and depth beyond any other publication on the subject.

The Destruction of Cities in the Ancient Greek World

The Destruction of Cities in the Ancient Greek World PDF Author: Sylvian Fachard
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108851460
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 377

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Book Description
From the Trojan War to the sack of Rome, from the fall of Constantinople to the bombings of World War II and the recent devastation of Syrian towns, the destruction of cities and the slaughter of civilian populations are among the most dramatic events in world history. But how reliable are literary sources for these events? Did ancient authors exaggerate the scale of destruction to create sensational narratives? This volume reassesses the impact of physical destruction on ancient Greek cities and its demographic and economic implications. Addressing methodological issues of interpreting the archaeological evidence for destructions, the volume examines the evidence for the destruction, survival, and recovery of Greek cities. The studies, written by an international group of specialists in archaeology, ancient history, and numismatic, range from Sicily to Asia Minor and Aegean Thrace, and include Athens, Corinth, and Eretria. They highlight the resilience of ancient populations and the recovery of cities in the long term.

Ancient cities and towns in China

Ancient cities and towns in China PDF Author: Peter Rosinski
Publisher: Punto Rojo Libros
ISBN: 8418605960
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 342

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Book Description
The rise and fall of the ancient Chinese towns are one of the most typical, vivid, and intuitive portrayals of the long-standing and splendid part of Bashu civilization . In ancient times, Sichuan, with relatively developed small- scale peasant economy and handicraft industry, had fertile soil and abundant products. They created the prosperity of Sichuan’s traditional fair trade and promoted the development of the town and its market. Sichuan has a large number of towns with a long history and a considerable scale. The construction of the “Ten Ancient Towns” is a silhouette. For Chengdu Plain, which is reputed as “the one town in ten miles” is even more evident.

The Law of Election in the Ancient Cities and Towns of Ireland Traced from Original Records

The Law of Election in the Ancient Cities and Towns of Ireland Traced from Original Records PDF Author: William Lynch (Barrister-at-law)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 116

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Book Description


City and Country in the Ancient World

City and Country in the Ancient World PDF Author: John Rich
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134891288
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 331

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Book Description
This volume of papers by influential historians and archaeologists explores the city-country relationship in the ancient Greco-Roman world and its impact on social, political, economic and cultural conditions in classical antiquity.