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THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF ANCIENT CITIES

GLENN R. STOREY
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

From the reviews . . .

“[A] primer on ancient urbanism for an undergraduate-level course, employing a global and cross-cultural perspective . . . . It achieves this breadth . . . in a way that sets it apart from other textbooks on ancient urbanism . . . . Suffuse with theoretical discussion, there are many points at which this book repositions the study of ancient urbanism in a new light for the student.""
Stephen A. Collins-Elliott in Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology

“Ancient Cities is intended . . . to be a short introduction to “issues of ancient urbanism” . . . . [Storey] accomplishes his goal and much more. He combines his years of experience in researching and writing about Roman urbanism, plus archaeological side-trips to Teotihuacan and Copan, with a truly worldwide knowledge of early cities that . . . introduces beginning students to archaeology and ancient urbanism.”
Thomas E. Emerson in Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology

“[A]n atypical academic text with few references, an easy-going and interactive, conversational style without bogged-down discussion of definitions, and with textbook-type exercises at the end of each chapter. . . . This is a useful book that shares the palpable depth and breadth of Storey’s knowledge of many complex aspects of cities, both in terms of data and theory. Every reader is bound to get something out of this volume.”
Bisserka Gaydarska in Antiquity

“[A] valuable primer for students as they begin to question their understanding of the origins of and continuities in urban communities. As the latest addition to the “Principles of Archaeology” series published by Eliot Werner Publications, Storey’s accessible contribution joins a growing collection of introductory texts that can easily serve as a foundation for discussion in the classroom.”
Giles Spence Morrow in Canadian Journal of Archaeology

“[T]his book covers theoretical and methodological perspectives and diverse case studies through accessible writing, making it a nice addition to introductory courses on urbanism. To this end, the exercises provided at the end of each chapter are interesting and informative. . . . [A]lternative perspectives and analytical tools are provided, all of which should support fruitful discussion in both teaching and future research.”
Tatsuya Murakami in American Antiquity

“This engaging, well-written text seeks to make the world of ancient cities accessible to non-specialists, with a particular eye toward undergraduate students in archaeology or geography courses. . . . Because the book is designed as a primer on ancient urbanism, it includes student exercises at the end of each chapter. . . . Space limitations in the series promote trenchant writing, and citations are limited and thus manageable. . . . A thoughtful and useful contribution.”
M. T. Stark in Choice

Prepublication praise . . .

“Storey embraces a truly global approach to understanding what makes the city a unique social arrangement and connects the archaeology of ancient urban centers with contemporary concerns such as density, sociability, and planning. Anyone interested in the uniquely human phenomenon of urban life should read this lively and accessible book.”
Traci Ardren, University of Miami

“Most people live in cities but few students learn how this came to be. This book represents a first-of-its-kind resource: a highly readable and well-documented primer for courses dealing with the origins and variability of early cities. Provides students with foundational frameworks for understanding the deeply rooted human experience with urbanism.”
David M. Carballo, Boston University

“Storey has put together an original, well-constructed, and much needed primer on urban studies. The exercises that conclude each chapter serve as excellent foci for class discussion. I recommend this work as an excellent text in a variety of courses, and wish I had access to it when I taught cultural evolution.”
David B. Small, Lehigh University

CONTENTS

Chapter 1
What Is a City?

Chapter 2
Do Ancient and Modern Cities Differ? Population Size and Densities

Chapter 3
A New Urban Typology: From Hyper-City to Hypo-City

Chapter 4
Case Studies of Ancient Cities I: Primary Cities

Chapter 5
Case Studies of Ancient Cities II: Secondary Cities

Chapter 6
Disputed Cases and Conclusions

Sources for Images

References

Readings

A volume in the series Principles of Archaeology

ISBN 978-1-7333769-0-7/paperback/176 pp./illus./September 2020/$32.95

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