gordon childe criteria

·      Childe, “The Urban Revolution” 1950 article in Town Planning Review

                                                                                             i.         Primary Characteristic 1 size and population​ of the settlement

1.        Could only be considered a city if larger both in population and physical size than preceding settlements

2.        Must be densely populated metropolis that acts as centre of region

3.        Largest ancient Sumerian cities estimated to have population sizes 7k-20k

                                                                                          ii.         Primary Characteristic 2 a ​discernible division and specialization of labor

1.        must have ​discernible division and specialization of labor; “full-time specialist craftsmen, transport workers, merchants, officials and priests” who were not directly responsible or harvesting or hunting own food.

2.        new classes of workers emerge within core of new city as new professions such as rudimentary merchants and engineers, as well as new ruling class who offer city required leadership needed to function.

3.        helps distinguish early cities from sprawling settlements, like that of Yoruba tribe in pre-colonial Lagos.

4.        Despite this population being relatively large and stationary, Lagos was not considered a city partly because all inhabitants were full time fishermen no distinction between roles on large scale

                                                                                       iii.         Primary Characteristic 3 – management of general resources and surplus

1.        Collective surplus, taxes, tithes - concentration of collective surplus among a few groups, ruling classes are formed and perpetuated

                                                                                       iv.         Primary characteristic 4 – social structure

1.        Class structure based community – military, political or religious status; shift away from kinship

2.        Creation of state dramatically changed how urban populations politically self-identified

3.        Solidarity between workers of same profession solidifying development of social stratification in urban areas

                                                                                          v.         Primary characteristic 5 – emergence of an organised state

1.        Need for surplus management systems

2.        Creation of a state and administration –

                                                                                       vi.         Secondary characteristic 1 – presence of monuments

1.        Progress quantified by large public buildings larger than preceding ones

2.        Embodiment of increase of wealth of a city through common surplus

3.        Inequality of wealth distribution, function of a ruling class

4.        Large buildings symbolise urban permenance, physical representation of centralised power of early rulers – pyramids of ancient Egypt and Mesoamerica

5.        Overawed population whilst creating civic pride in their city’s capability

                                                                                    vii.          Secondary characteristic 2 – cultural artistic production

1.        Monumental works of art not just symbolic, also made life more enjoyable

2.        Increases city’s grandeur and gave sense of belonging and pride to inhabitants

                                                                                  viii.         Secondary characteristic 3 – expansive trade networks

1.        Could only be accomplished once organs of state had organised urban society

2.        Allowed for more prosperity for craftsmen, and encouraged further specialization of labour

3.        Prevalence of imported items in tombs of powerful people from early cities is evidence that prestige and wealth came with trade

4.        With establishment of mercantile class, such luxuries would also be available to common citizenry

                                                                                       ix.         Secondary 4 – development of written language allowed for

1.        Physical and accurate storage of info

2.        Formalization of govt and politics

3.        Easier to conduct rudimentary forms of international trade between urban civilisations

                                                                                          x.         Secondary 5 – development of early sciences

1.        Organisation of city made possible for one group to focus on development of practical sciences, such as arithmetic, geometry and astronomy – Sumerian mathematics

2.        Use of these sciences to predict and exploit environmental cycles of nature to maximise agricultural potential, trade networks used to circulate info