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Key research themes
1. How do theoretical frameworks explain the nature and timing of early urbanization globally and regionally?
This research area focuses on conceptualizing urbanization through divergent theoretical lenses, highlighting how early urbanization is understood either as a universal, planetary process rooted in capitalist development or as a set of diverse, context-specific social and political processes influenced by postcolonial and feminist perspectives. Understanding the intellectual genealogies and political implications of these frameworks is crucial to deconstruct Eurocentric urban theories and incorporate the timing and conditions of urbanization across different regions.
Key finding: This paper articulates two divergent strands of urban theory: 'Urbanization 1', which frames urbanization as a planetary-scale, capitalist development resulting in complete urbanization, and 'Urbanization 2', which pluralizes... Read more
Key finding: This work emphasizes the importance of temporal heterogeneity in urban transitions globally, distinguishing between early and late urbanizers and arguing that late urbanization occurs under unique conditions such as... Read more
Key finding: Building on previous work, this paper further disentangles spatial and temporal contexts of urbanization, arguing that many contemporary urbanization processes must be analyzed with sensitivity to their late temporality... Read more
2. What empirical regularities and theoretical models link ancient and contemporary urban systems?
This theme investigates measurable properties of settlements across different eras and cultures, focusing on the quantifiable scaling relations of urban form and function, such as population size versus area, and social interaction densities. It leverages Settlement Scaling Theory (SST) and complex systems approaches to provide predictive models grounded in first principles, facilitating cross-temporal comparison of urbanization patterns and the emergence of generalized urban science paradigms.
Key finding: The authors propose that cities are complex systems characterized by emergent properties that vary non-linearly with population size. By adopting a historical and comparative lens, they argue for general frameworks capable of... Read more
Key finding: This paper advances Settlement Scaling Theory (SST) as a general framework that mathematically relates measurable urban attributes to population size, demonstrating that aggregate properties like area and infrastructure scale... Read more
Key finding: Utilizing excavation, remote sensing, and environmental data, this research quantifies urban density and economic specialization at the Early Dynastic city of Lagash, revealing dense occupation patterns with distinct... Read more
3. How do regional and archaeological case studies inform our understanding of early urbanization’s socio-political complexity and infrastructural systems?
This theme focuses on empirical investigations of early urban settlements through archaeological, historiographical, and scientific methods, providing local contextualization of urban forms, state formation, technological innovations, and demographic processes. Studies explore the spatial organization of ancient cities, the socio-political heterogeneity underpinning urban development, water management infrastructure, and the interactions between environmental conditions and urban sustainability, thereby enriching theoretical insights with concrete data.
Key finding: Through a critical archaeological commentary, the paper distinguishes the urban settlement type from state political formations, arguing against conflated conceptions deriving from traditional models like Childe’s 'Urban... Read more
Key finding: Excavations reveal a sophisticated water management system at Dhaskalio, including underground drainage and terracotta piping for roof runoff, suggesting advanced environmental adaptations in Early Bronze Age Cycladic... Read more
Key finding: This study synthesizes archaeological and theoretical indicators of urbanization—such as fortifications, specialized production zones, trade networks, and ritual spaces—in the Eastern European forest-steppe during the Late... Read more
Key finding: Employing XRF, XRD, and petrography analyses on pottery assemblages across Banesh and Kaftari cultural phases, this study identifies continuity in ceramic composition and local raw material provenance, challenging prior... Read more