Much of the human past is a foreign country, as the novelist L P Hartley once commented. Archaeologists around the world continue to be reminded how our views are sometimes no more than stories that we have come to accept without questioning them thoroughly enough. Narratives concerning the origins of cities offer a fine example of this. Over coming issues, this column will delve into the secrets and mysteries surrounding the subject of cities, settlements, and their networks. This focus is in part because there is so much to say, with researchers currently returning to the theme of urbanism with great zest, but also because it reveals what archaeology can tell us about seemingly familiar subjects. After all, towns loom large in many modern lives, with commuters and farmers, among others, all feeling the powerful draw of jobs and markets many kilometres distant.
This subject can also tell us something about the role of archaeology itself. We all know it offers an apparently inexhaustible wellspring of exciting stories. Some are the tales of fieldwork – the personal anecdotes about discovery and camaraderie in pursuit of the past. Participating in such adventures can remind us why we do archaeology, and why we find it so fascinating. The excitement of fresh discoveries is an important reason why archaeology features prominently in newspapers, radio programmes, and on the screen – as both documentaries and epic blockbusters, such as The Northman. These thrills alone, though, are hardly the reason why we need archaeology. Archaeology is about gathering knowledge of humans in the past using the full range of modern research tools. The often-surprising results can provide valuable food for thought in the present.
The origin of cities is one of archaeology’s most-famous conundrums. In the Old and the New World alike, people created large and complex settlements, sometimes with striking similarities in form and function. Early European visitors to the New World, for example, instantly recognised Maya or Aztec centres such as Iximche or Tenochtitlan as cities. These great settlements were strikingly reminiscent of those they knew from home. This pattern, the development of urbanism, is regarded by most archaeologists as a major turning point for societies. But why did it happen?
