Settlement, Urbanization, and PopulationAlan Bowman, Andrew Wilson This volume presents a collection of studies focussing on population and settlement patterns in the Roman empire in the perspective of the economic development of the Mediterranean world between 100 BC and AD 350. The analyses offered here highlight the issues of regional and temporal variation in Italy, Spain, Britain, Egypt, Crete, and Asia Minor from classical Greece to the early Byzantine period. The chapters fall into two main groups, the first dealing with the evidence for rural settlement, as revealed by archaeological field surveys, and the attendant methodological problems of extrapolating from that evidence a view of population; and the second with city populations and the phenomenon of urbanization. They proceed to consider hierarchies of settlement in the characteristic classical pattern of city plus territory, and the way in which those entities are defined from the highest to the lowest level: the empire as 'city of Rome plus territory', then regional and local hierarchies, and, more precisely, the identity and the nature of the 'instruments' which enables them to function in economic cohesion. |
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agricultural analysis ancient applied approach archaeological Asia assume average Bagnall basis calculated cent central century chapter cities classical colony comparative consider considerable count demographic detailed discussed distribution early economic Egypt estimates evidence example farms field figures further given Greek growth hierarchy higher History houses imperial important increase indicate integration intensive interpretation issues Italy land landscape larger late less limited London lower major Mediterranean method million Minor North overall Oxford patterns perhaps period population density possible present production range rank rank-size recent recorded recovery rates region relatively remains result Roman Roman empire Rome rural rural population settlement significant sizes social sources suggest survey Table territories tion towns urban urban centres urban system Valley villages volume