Urban Geography

Part 2

Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were two of the first cities of the Indus River Valley.

- intricately planned

- houses equal in size

- no palaces- no monuments

Indus River Valley

Diffusion to Greece

• Knossos emerged as the leading city of the Minoan Civilization about 3,500 yrs. ago.

• Greece emerged as one of the most highly urbanized areas on earth with over 500 cities and towns by 500 BC

• Athens was the largest city in the world with 250,000.

• Each Greek city had an acropolis (high city) for defense.

• The most famous is the acropolis of Athens (447BC)

• Below the acropolis was the agora or market place

• Theaters, shops and stores of all kinds were available.

• Despite the modern features-sanitation was still primitive

Athens, Greece

above the acropolis

below-the agora

Roman Urban System

• The Romans created the largest urban system with an excellent transportation system

• The Romans were masters of engineering efficiency creating aqueducts, sewers, roads, bridges and great public buildings like arenas and baths.

• Roman cities had great contrast-great villas & spacious avenues, aqueducts, baths and sewers, yet also –

• Wretchedly poor housing in 4-5 story over-crowded tenements, dirty, noisy, crime-ridden streets and a population composed of ½ slaves.

• With the collapse of the empire the city of 1 ½ m. shrunk to less than 50,000

Urban Growth Elsewhere

• China-rapid growth in the Han Dynasty period-Xian became the Rome of East Asia.

• Timbuktu developed in West Africa in the 14th cent. While Meroe on the upper Nile developed advanced metallurgy.

• Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital was the most advanced city in the world with 100,000 by the 16th cent.

Huang He and Wei River Valleys

The Chinese purposefully planned their cities.- centered on a vertical structure- inner wall built around center- temples and palaces for the leadership class

Terracotta Warriors guarding the tomb of the Chinese Emperor Qin Xi Huang