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  • Childe Urban Revolution

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    Adrian Percival Kim
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    childe urban revolution

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    13 Ansichten6 Seiten

    Childe Urban Revolution

    Hochgeladen von

    Adrian Percival Kim
    childe urban revolution

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Als PDF herunterladen oder online auf Scribd lesen
    Markieren Sie unangemessene Inhalte
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    Fron: The Town Planning Review 21/1: 3-17 The Urban Revolution V. GORDON CHILDE ‘The concept of “city” is notoriously bard to define, ‘The aim of the presear essay is to present the city Listorically—or rather prehistorically—as the re- sultant and symbol ofa “revolution” that initiated a ‘ew economic stage inthe evolution of society. The word “revolution” must aot of course be taken as denoting a sudden violent catastrophe: it is here used for the culmination of a progressive change in the economic structure and social organization of com- ‘unites that caused. or was accompanied by, a samati increase in the population affected —an ine crease that would appear as am obvious bend in the Population graph were vital statistics avaiable. Just such bead is observable at the time of the Industrial Revolution in England. Though aot demonstrable statistically, comparable changes of direction must ‘have occurred at two earlier point in che demographic history of Britain and other regions. Though perhaps less sharp and les durable, these too should indicate ‘equaly revolutionary changes in economy. They may then be regarded likewise as marking transitions Dbeeween stages in economic and social development. Sociologists and ethnographers last century clas- sified existing preindustrial societies in a hierarchy of three evolutionary sages, denominated respectively “savagery,” “barbarism” and “civilization.” If they be defined by suitably selected criteria, the logical hie- rarchy of stages can be transformed into a temporal Sequence of ages, proved archaeologicaly to follow ‘one another in the same order wherever they occur. ‘Savagery and barbarism are conveniently recognized ‘and appropriately defined by the methods adopted for ‘rocuring Food. Savages ive exclusively on wild food obtained by collecting, hunting or fishing. Barbarians Reprise, with permision hot Tow Planing Reem Vo. 21, No repeal Uae Pre (2950) on the contrary at lest supplement these natucal resources by cultivating eile plants and—in the Old World north ofthe Tropies~also by breeding aniraals for food. Throughout the Plistocene Pericd—the Palaeo- Uthic Age of archacobgias—all Known human 30. cleties Were savage in ‘he foregoing sease, and a few savage tribes have survived ia out ofthe way parts to the present day. In the archaeological record bar barism began ess chan‘ea thousand yearsago with the Neolithic Age of archeologists. Tc thus represents 3 later, a8 weil as a sigher stage. chan savagery, Civilization cannot be deiced in quite such simple terms. Etymologically the word is connected with “city,” and sure enough lif in cities begins with this stage, But “sity” is ise ambiguous so archaeologists like to use “ariting” sa criterion of civilization: it should be easily recopniable and proves to be a ‘eliable index to more profound characters. Note, however, that, because people suid to be civilized oF literate it does not follow that ll its members. can read and write, aor thatthe allived in ities. Now there is fo recorded instance of a community of savages hilizing themseives, adopting urban if or inventing 4 script. Wherever cites have been but, villages of | Drelterate farmers exited previonsly (save perhaps where an already civiized people have colonized Uniohabited tracts). So cinlization, wherever and Whenever it arose, sucreded barbarism, We bave seen that 2 revolution as bere defined should be reflected inthe population statics. [a the ‘case of the Urban Revolution the increase was mainly ‘accounted for by the multiplication ofthe numbers of Persons living together, ie, ia a single built-up area. Pp. 317. Lispool Unbety Pr, Copyright 1950 by the ‘THE URBAN REVOLUTION “The ist cities represented settlement units of hitherto unprecedented size, Ofcourse, it was not just thei size that constituted thet distinctive character. We shall find that by modern standards they appeared ridiculously small and we might meet agglomerations bf population today to which the name city would have to be refused. Yet a certain size of settlement, and density of population, is an essential feature of civili- zation. "Now the density of population is determined by the food supply which in tum is limited by natural resources, the techniques for their exploitation and the means of transport and food-preservation available. ‘The last factors have proved to be variables in the course of human history, and the technique of obtain- ing food has already been used to distinguish the consecutive stages termed savagery and barbarism. Under the gathering economy of savagery population ‘was always exceedingly sparse, In aboriginal America the carrying capacity of normal unimproved land seems t0 have bees from .05 to .10 per square mle Only under exceptionally favourable conditions did ‘the fshing tribes ofthe Northwest Pacific coast attain ‘densities of over one human tothe square mile. As far fs we can guess [rom the extant remains, population ensities in palacolithic and pre-neolthic Europe were less than the normal American. Moreover such hun- ters and collectors usualy live in small roving bands. [At best several bands may come together for quite brief periods on ceremonial occasions such as the ‘Australian coroborrees. Only ia exceptionally fax voured regions can fishing tribes establish anything like villages. Some setlements on the Pacific coasts ‘comprited thirty oF so substantial and durable houses, ‘accommodating groups of several hundred persons. But even these villages were only occupied during the winter; for the rest of the year their inhabitants

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