Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age Landscapes of Settlement and Mobility in the Middle Euphrates

A Reassessment

Datos Bibliográficos

ID24091998
AutoresTony J Wilkinson, Nikolaos Galiatsatos (0000-0002-0425-1662, Durham University), Dan Lawrence (0000-0001-5613-1243, Durham University), Athos Ricci (0000-0003-1415-4695, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Zentrale), Andrea Ricci (0000-0002-5392-6785), R W Dunford (0000-0002-6559-1687, University of Oxford), Rob Dunford, Graham Philip (0000-0002-6023-3928, Durham University)
Año2012
Volumen44
Número2
Páginas139-185
Fecha de publicación2012-11-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaLevant (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0075-8914 • E-ISSN: 1756-3801
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1179/0075891412z.0000000007
OpenAlexW2060241082
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas26
Referencias citadas64

Urbanization occupies an ambiguous position in the development of the Middle Euphrates region of Turkey and Syria, in part because the area frequently formed a contested region between other stronger Early Bronze Age polities. This paper aims to review evidence from a series of archaeological surveys to illustrate trends in settlement during the 4th and 3rd millennium BC. Re-analysis of survey data from three exemplar regions in the Middle Euphrates demonstrates that by including settlement away from the main Euphrates Valley we get a picture of two main zones of settlement corresponding to agro-ecological zones. In the northern zone, settlements underwent phases of nucleation and dispersal through time, but long-term configurations were relatively stable. In contrast, a southern zone, south of the Sajur Valley, was characterized by rapid colonization and some degree of boom and bust growth of towns, perhaps encouraged by the opportunities afforded by the high risk but high rewards of the ‘zone of uncertainty’. Although ecological conditions and climate change played a role in settlement growth and failure, in part by setting the parameters for agro-pastoral production, it is evident that socio-political circumstances, chronic conflict and sheer opportunism were probably key to both the growth and decline of the southern settlements.

Archaeology · Boom · Bronze Age · Bust · Chalcolithic · Geography · Human settlement · Indus · Settlement (finance) · Structural basin · Urbanization · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Ancient Near East History · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Ecology · Geology