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Chapter 13: Origins of Cities and States (Components of the Modern World,…
Chapter 13: Origins of Cities and States
The Emergence of Civilizations
Civilization: urban society, from latin for "City-State" 8000 BP
Increase in quality and scales of community life = initiation of city and states
5500 BP traits of civilization: writing, full time craft specialization and monumental architecture, wealth and class differences
Hierarchical centralized political system = The State
Components of the Modern World
Civilization: larger, social order that includes states related by language, history, economics and culture
Cities: Urban centres that support and are supported by a hinterland of lesser communities
States: Governmental organization maintained through politically controlling a territory. Requires social classes, citizenship, administrative bureaucracies and force
Material remains reflect culture and social organization
Egalitarian Society: Individuals in a given age sex category have equal access to economic resources, power and prestige
Material culture: few differences between individuals
Status differences in society: higher quality/quantity grave goods
NB: Status differences do not automatically mean differences in socio-economic standing. Substantial differences in material culture may indicate socio-economic classes
State Societies: Hierarchical and centralized political systems: smaller communities centralized around large centre. Large centre = large scale trade
Civilizations
Sumer in Mesopotamia
Increasing complex social and political life
Craft specialization: village based
Temples centrally located for religious and political governance
Status difference reflected in burials
Development of Chiefdoms
Sumerian Ciivlization
Cities = central ziggurat, enclosed by fortress wall
Surrounded by agricultural fields and villages
City-States unified under central government
Social Stratification: Many social classes, specialized craftspeople, an army
Had the wheel, horse drawn chariots, bronze armour, sailboats, religious iconography
Egypt
Neolithic villages lined Nile River
Upper Egypt consolidated
Pharaoh Narmer united Upper and Lower Egypt = Old Kingdom
Many of the Pyramids built ~4600 BP
Farmers built pyramids during spring floods
Mesoamerica
Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico
Small farming villages along valley slopes
by 2500 BP villages consolidated into larger centre on valley floor, platforms with temples
Always politically unified as a central-state, more influential than Rome
Grid layouts of City
Pyramids of the Sun and Moon
Many classes, ethnic groups
Civilizations Across the Globe
Indus Valley, India
Harrapan Civilization
1 million km squared territory
Multiple cities, municipal water and sewer system
Shang Dynasty, China
Stratified, specialized society
Religious, economic, administrative unification
Writing
West Coast Africa
Kingdom of Ghana
Part of Gold Coast
Traded gold and other goods with the Mediterranean
Cahokia, North America
Large mounds, maize monoculture, craft specialization
Not sure if it counts as a state
Theories About the Origin of the State
Irrigation
Made land habitable or productive
Overseer for irrigation system became political elite
City and State = outgrowths of administration system
Criticism: does not work with all cities (Sumer)
Population Growth , Circumscription and War
States emerged in physically or socially limited area
Subordination of defeated groups --> State
State development in Peru, mesoamerica, southern Iraq
Criticism: population growth does not equal signal resource pressure. Why not kill the defeated and take the land??
Trade
Organizational requirements of making, shipping, receiving trade items helped to create the state (southern Iraq and Mayan lowlands)
In China, long-distance trade networks --> reliance by trade partners
Unification of trade partners into state: maintained relationship
Criticism: Why wouldn't trade have done this earlier??
Consequences of State formation
Larger, denser populations
Increase in non-agricultural labour and specialization
Art, music, and literature flourish
Organized religion
Government with increased power, state warfare and conquest
Military = instruments of terror and oppression
Class stratification: differential across resources
Diseases increase in high population densities
Decline and Collapse of State Formation
State Declines may have been caused by
Environmental degradation: drought
Disease
Catastrophes
Overextension(Roman Empire became too big to govern)