Deepak Lal
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199275793
- eISBN:
- 9780191706097
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199275793.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, History of Religion
This chapter begins with a discussion of the geographical environment of Pre-Aryan India. It then discusses the emergence of pastoralism and agriculture, this is followed by a look at the development ...
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This chapter begins with a discussion of the geographical environment of Pre-Aryan India. It then discusses the emergence of pastoralism and agriculture, this is followed by a look at the development of the Indus valley civilization. This was the first urban civilization on the subcontinent, which was based on the agriculture and animal husbandry of the Indus flood-plain which appears to have been similar to that of recent centuries in the Indus valley.Less
This chapter begins with a discussion of the geographical environment of Pre-Aryan India. It then discusses the emergence of pastoralism and agriculture, this is followed by a look at the development of the Indus valley civilization. This was the first urban civilization on the subcontinent, which was based on the agriculture and animal husbandry of the Indus flood-plain which appears to have been similar to that of recent centuries in the Indus valley.
David Wengrow
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691159041
- eISBN:
- 9781400848867
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691159041.003.0005
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
This chapter considers the cultural ecology of composite animals. Paleolithic and Neolithic societies sometimes created durable images of composite beings, and the few surviving candidates have often ...
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This chapter considers the cultural ecology of composite animals. Paleolithic and Neolithic societies sometimes created durable images of composite beings, and the few surviving candidates have often been accorded great prominence in modern interpretations. Yet they remain strikingly isolated. If the popularity of minimally counterintuitive images is to be explained by their core cultural content and its appeal to universal cognitive biases, the question that arises is: Why did composite figures fail so spectacularly to “catch on” across the many millennia of innovation in visual culture that precede the onset of urban life? Much hinges here upon our conceptualization of the “counterintuitive” and its role in cultural transmission. To determine what kind of “cultural ecology” the composite animal belongs to, the chapter examines composites in early dynastic Egypt before discussing the relationship between the spread of urban civilization and the widespread transmission of images depicting composite beings.Less
This chapter considers the cultural ecology of composite animals. Paleolithic and Neolithic societies sometimes created durable images of composite beings, and the few surviving candidates have often been accorded great prominence in modern interpretations. Yet they remain strikingly isolated. If the popularity of minimally counterintuitive images is to be explained by their core cultural content and its appeal to universal cognitive biases, the question that arises is: Why did composite figures fail so spectacularly to “catch on” across the many millennia of innovation in visual culture that precede the onset of urban life? Much hinges here upon our conceptualization of the “counterintuitive” and its role in cultural transmission. To determine what kind of “cultural ecology” the composite animal belongs to, the chapter examines composites in early dynastic Egypt before discussing the relationship between the spread of urban civilization and the widespread transmission of images depicting composite beings.
Harvey Cox
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691158853
- eISBN:
- 9781400848850
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691158853.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Since its initial publication in 1965, this book has been hailed as a classic for its nuanced exploration of the relationships among the rise of urban civilization, the decline of hierarchical, ...
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Since its initial publication in 1965, this book has been hailed as a classic for its nuanced exploration of the relationships among the rise of urban civilization, the decline of hierarchical, institutional religion, and the place of the secular within society. Now, half a century later, this international best seller remains as relevant as when it first appeared. The book's arguments—that secularity has a positive effect on institutions, that the city can be a space where people of all faiths fulfil their potential, and that God is present in both the secular and formal religious realms—still resonate with readers of all backgrounds. This brand-new edition includes a substantial and updated introduction. The author reflects on the book's initial stunning success in an age of political and religious upheaval and makes the case for its enduring relevance at a time when the debates that the book helped ignite have caught fire once again.Less
Since its initial publication in 1965, this book has been hailed as a classic for its nuanced exploration of the relationships among the rise of urban civilization, the decline of hierarchical, institutional religion, and the place of the secular within society. Now, half a century later, this international best seller remains as relevant as when it first appeared. The book's arguments—that secularity has a positive effect on institutions, that the city can be a space where people of all faiths fulfil their potential, and that God is present in both the secular and formal religious realms—still resonate with readers of all backgrounds. This brand-new edition includes a substantial and updated introduction. The author reflects on the book's initial stunning success in an age of political and religious upheaval and makes the case for its enduring relevance at a time when the debates that the book helped ignite have caught fire once again.
Harvey Cox
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691158853
- eISBN:
- 9781400848850
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691158853.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter illustrates the rich variety of the secularization process, looking at four cities representing four distinctive regions. These cities include New Delhi, Rome, Prague, and Boston. They ...
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This chapter illustrates the rich variety of the secularization process, looking at four cities representing four distinctive regions. These cities include New Delhi, Rome, Prague, and Boston. They represent the march of secularization and urbanization in, respectively, Southeast Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and the United States. Each of the four has felt the pressure of secularization differently, in part because of their diverse histories. The careers of these cities prove that the emergence of a world-wide urban civilization need not obliterate the distinctive coloration of particular cities or erase the uniqueness of their character. The chapter also demonstrates an important distinction made in an earlier chapter—the difference between secularization as a historical movement and secularism as ideology.Less
This chapter illustrates the rich variety of the secularization process, looking at four cities representing four distinctive regions. These cities include New Delhi, Rome, Prague, and Boston. They represent the march of secularization and urbanization in, respectively, Southeast Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and the United States. Each of the four has felt the pressure of secularization differently, in part because of their diverse histories. The careers of these cities prove that the emergence of a world-wide urban civilization need not obliterate the distinctive coloration of particular cities or erase the uniqueness of their character. The chapter also demonstrates an important distinction made in an earlier chapter—the difference between secularization as a historical movement and secularism as ideology.
Denis J. Murphy
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199207145
- eISBN:
- 9780191708893
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199207145.003.0017
- Subject:
- Biology, Plant Sciences and Forestry
This final chapter looks back at the impact of agriculture on human populations, and looks forward to a highly uncertain future for both farming and humanity. The relatively stable Holocene climate ...
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This final chapter looks back at the impact of agriculture on human populations, and looks forward to a highly uncertain future for both farming and humanity. The relatively stable Holocene climate enabled the development of farming and a forty-fold increase in human numbers by 2,000 BP. The recent dramatic increases in crop yields due to science-based agriculture have led to a further ten-fold population rise over the past two centuries. The world is now overwhelmingly dominated by complex techno-urban civilizations sustained by high-input farming regimes that rely on cheap and plentiful energy sources and a relatively stable climate. As energy becomes more expensive and the current period of climatic stability draws to a close, it will be increasingly difficult to maintain present levels of population and complex urban societies. As in previous eras, human populations may fall and undergo cultural simplification in response to such climatic uncertainties.Less
This final chapter looks back at the impact of agriculture on human populations, and looks forward to a highly uncertain future for both farming and humanity. The relatively stable Holocene climate enabled the development of farming and a forty-fold increase in human numbers by 2,000 BP. The recent dramatic increases in crop yields due to science-based agriculture have led to a further ten-fold population rise over the past two centuries. The world is now overwhelmingly dominated by complex techno-urban civilizations sustained by high-input farming regimes that rely on cheap and plentiful energy sources and a relatively stable climate. As energy becomes more expensive and the current period of climatic stability draws to a close, it will be increasingly difficult to maintain present levels of population and complex urban societies. As in previous eras, human populations may fall and undergo cultural simplification in response to such climatic uncertainties.
Erik Harms
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780816656059
- eISBN:
- 9781452946245
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816656059.003.0007
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Asian Cultural Anthropology
This chapter focuses on the difficulties in achieving Ho Chi Minh City’s campaign to build an urban civilization. It argues that the campaign for urban civilization is a propaganda campaign because ...
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This chapter focuses on the difficulties in achieving Ho Chi Minh City’s campaign to build an urban civilization. It argues that the campaign for urban civilization is a propaganda campaign because it does not resonate with the social practices of everyday life on the streets of Vietnam. It discusses that the quest to civilize is not only about traffic and infrastructure; it represents a concerted attempt to rework the relationship between the rural and the urban. It examines that postwar Saigon was faced with a form of urbanization quite at odds with the rational, enlightened form envisioned by socialism or by traditional urban planners. A key problem stemmed from how the actual development of Ho Chi Minh City confounded the notion that rational urbanization requires separation and ordered interaction.Less
This chapter focuses on the difficulties in achieving Ho Chi Minh City’s campaign to build an urban civilization. It argues that the campaign for urban civilization is a propaganda campaign because it does not resonate with the social practices of everyday life on the streets of Vietnam. It discusses that the quest to civilize is not only about traffic and infrastructure; it represents a concerted attempt to rework the relationship between the rural and the urban. It examines that postwar Saigon was faced with a form of urbanization quite at odds with the rational, enlightened form envisioned by socialism or by traditional urban planners. A key problem stemmed from how the actual development of Ho Chi Minh City confounded the notion that rational urbanization requires separation and ordered interaction.
Guillermo Algaze
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226013770
- eISBN:
- 9780226013787
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226013787.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
The alluvial lowlands of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in southern Mesopotamia are widely known as the “cradle of civilization”; owing to the scale of the processes of urbanization that took place ...
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The alluvial lowlands of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in southern Mesopotamia are widely known as the “cradle of civilization”; owing to the scale of the processes of urbanization that took place in the area by the second half of the fourth millennium bc. This book draws on the work of modern economic geographers to explore how the unique river-based ecology and geography of the Tigris–Euphrates alluvium impacted the development of urban civilization in southern Mesopotamia. It argues that these natural conditions granted southern polities significant competitive advantages over their landlocked rivals elsewhere in Southwest Asia, most importantly the ability to transport easily commodities. In due course, this resulted in increased trade and economic activity and higher population densities in the south than were possible elsewhere. As southern polities grew in scale and complexity throughout the fourth millennium, revolutionary new forms of labor organization and record keeping were created, and it is these socially created innovations, the author argues, that ultimately account for why fully developed city-states emerged earlier in southern Mesopotamia than elsewhere in Southwest Asia or the world.Less
The alluvial lowlands of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in southern Mesopotamia are widely known as the “cradle of civilization”; owing to the scale of the processes of urbanization that took place in the area by the second half of the fourth millennium bc. This book draws on the work of modern economic geographers to explore how the unique river-based ecology and geography of the Tigris–Euphrates alluvium impacted the development of urban civilization in southern Mesopotamia. It argues that these natural conditions granted southern polities significant competitive advantages over their landlocked rivals elsewhere in Southwest Asia, most importantly the ability to transport easily commodities. In due course, this resulted in increased trade and economic activity and higher population densities in the south than were possible elsewhere. As southern polities grew in scale and complexity throughout the fourth millennium, revolutionary new forms of labor organization and record keeping were created, and it is these socially created innovations, the author argues, that ultimately account for why fully developed city-states emerged earlier in southern Mesopotamia than elsewhere in Southwest Asia or the world.
Michael A. Gomez
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780691196824
- eISBN:
- 9781400888160
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691196824.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, African History
This chapter discusses the consistent omission of early and medieval Africa in world and imperial histories. West Africa is certainly left out of the narrative of early human endeavor, and only tends ...
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This chapter discusses the consistent omission of early and medieval Africa in world and imperial histories. West Africa is certainly left out of the narrative of early human endeavor, and only tends to be mentioned, with brevity, in conjunction with European imperialism. Nevertheless, substantial archaeological work has been underway in West Africa for decades, particularly in the middle Niger valley. For it was during the period of the Shang, Chou, Shin, Han, and Tang dynasties of China, the Vedic period in India, and the Mayans in central America, that another urban-based civilization flourished in West Africa, in the Middle Niger region. The chapter then considers the history of civilization in the Middle Niger, which is a study of the multiple ways in which communities continually adjust to and engage with one of the more “variable and unpredictable” environments in the world. Indeed, the story of the Middle Niger connects directly with the celestial preoccupations of big history in that much of its climatic variability is explained by slight alterations in solar radiation, produced in turn by the intricacies of the sun's cyclical patterns.Less
This chapter discusses the consistent omission of early and medieval Africa in world and imperial histories. West Africa is certainly left out of the narrative of early human endeavor, and only tends to be mentioned, with brevity, in conjunction with European imperialism. Nevertheless, substantial archaeological work has been underway in West Africa for decades, particularly in the middle Niger valley. For it was during the period of the Shang, Chou, Shin, Han, and Tang dynasties of China, the Vedic period in India, and the Mayans in central America, that another urban-based civilization flourished in West Africa, in the Middle Niger region. The chapter then considers the history of civilization in the Middle Niger, which is a study of the multiple ways in which communities continually adjust to and engage with one of the more “variable and unpredictable” environments in the world. Indeed, the story of the Middle Niger connects directly with the celestial preoccupations of big history in that much of its climatic variability is explained by slight alterations in solar radiation, produced in turn by the intricacies of the sun's cyclical patterns.
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226013770
- eISBN:
- 9780226013787
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226013787.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
This chapter details available evidence that bears on the initial emergence of urban civilization in the Mesopotamian alluvium. It outlines important conceptual and methodological problems that ...
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This chapter details available evidence that bears on the initial emergence of urban civilization in the Mesopotamian alluvium. It outlines important conceptual and methodological problems that hinder our understanding of the role of economic processes leading to that emergence and that, if left uncorrected, may well limit the kinds of future research that are needed to understand fully the Sumerian takeoff. These limitations will ultimately only be circumvented by a substantial amount of imaginative and carefully designed new research, and some possible avenues of investigation toward this end are suggested in the epilogue. However, it may be possible to look at existing data with new eyes by framing them in the context of pertinent models of modern urban growth derived from the work of economists and economic geographers.Less
This chapter details available evidence that bears on the initial emergence of urban civilization in the Mesopotamian alluvium. It outlines important conceptual and methodological problems that hinder our understanding of the role of economic processes leading to that emergence and that, if left uncorrected, may well limit the kinds of future research that are needed to understand fully the Sumerian takeoff. These limitations will ultimately only be circumvented by a substantial amount of imaginative and carefully designed new research, and some possible avenues of investigation toward this end are suggested in the epilogue. However, it may be possible to look at existing data with new eyes by framing them in the context of pertinent models of modern urban growth derived from the work of economists and economic geographers.
