| Abstract | Nastanak gradova na prostoru Sirije i Palestine značajan je civilizacijski doseg, koji je zahvatio mnogo širi prostor od spomenutoga na početku RBr razdoblja, a može se objasniti i usporediti sa sličnim regijama u sličnim uvjetima. Iako se prostor Levanta odlikuje specifičnim uvjetima pod kojima se urbanizacija razvijala početkom brončanog doba, ono što ovaj prostor uistinu čini specifičnim, jest činjenica da su ti gradovi u relativno kratko doba nakon svog nastanka većinom bili uništeni. Zato je naglasak istraživanja u ovome radu stavljen upravo na pronalaženje uzroka i pokušaj rekonstrukcije događaja u svrhu stvaranja što jasnije slike o povijesti tih gradova. Na odabranim primjerima proces urbanizacije opisan je kroz svoje razvojne faze, od ustanovljenja malih sjedilačkih zajednica koje su na početku RBr doba osnivale naselja ruralnog tipa, te uspostave urbanih središta, s naglaskom na opis obrambenih sustava, gradskih zidina i vrata, kao vrlo važnih faktora koji određuju urbana središta, te kroz prikaze stambenih jedinica, radi boljeg razumijevanja djelatnosti i načina života stanovnika. Uz komparativnu analizu međusobnog odnosa društva i procesa urbanizacije na prostoru Sirije i Palestine u razdoblju brončanog i željeznog doba opisana je interakcija polunomadskog, nomadskog i ruralnog stanovništva sa urbanim stanovništvom, odnosno uloga složenog društveno političkog konteksta na proces formiranja urbanih zajednica, njihov razvoj i održanje. U svrhu što kvalitetnijeg ostvarenja postavljenog cilja istraživanja, metodologija rada zasniva se na komparativnoj analizi građe iz područja povijesti, urbanizma, geografije, ekologije, sociologije i arheoloških izvještaja dosad istraženih lokaliteta, s temeljem u proučavanju relevantne literature i radu na neposrednim izvorima. |
| Abstract (english) | Historical and archaeological research has demonstrated that the process of nomadization as well as sedentarization is a reoccurring phenomenon upon the ancient landscape of the Levant. The processes of sedentarization and settlement can, but not always, lead to the establishment of urban entities. While ancient cities are known from both ancient literature and archaeological remains, the actual process of how cities form has been a subject of intense interest and scrutiny. This thesis focusses on urbanization processes in Syria and Palestine during the Bronze and Iron ages, providing a description of the urbanization processes on several cities, and describing their urban characteristics, and more importantly how and when they were build, and how and why they have been destroyed. While archaeological reports are critical, by themselves, they are not enough. Modern archaeology requires an interdisciplinary approach such as this paper has povided, including architectural analysis (monumental architecture can be important for reconstructing levels of social complexity), settlement planning (which also provides insights into social structure), ecology (human interactions with environment can provide insight into social complexity), and anthropology (which provides many models for integrating data from the previous disciplines into viable reconstructions of social organizations that are necessary for understanding the rise of cities). The main goal of the research is comparative analysis of the problem of social-cultural interactions between society and the process of urbanization in Syria and Palestine during the Bronze and Iron Ages. The key methodological element is a “comparative analysis” which enabled me to find common elements in different sites that can possibly provide explanatory models for III urbanization. Focusing on the interactions between the different societal components (nomadic, semi-nomadic, rural sedentary) was essential for reconstructing the processes that led to urbanization. Also, the use of comparative analysis on historic, geographic, ecological, sociological and archaeological data were entirely appropriate and necessary for a complete understanding of the interactions of the societal components that led to urbanization. The stage was properly set in the early part of the dissertation with a description and analysis of the geographic, climatic and ecological elements of Syria and Palestine. These environmental elements inevitably played a key role in the social evolution of peoples in this region, including the process of urbanization. This is reasonably followed by a discussion of the proto-urban settlements in the Early Bronze Age I that would evolve into full-blown urban entities of EB II and III. It is appropriate to compare this process in Syro-Palestine with those of Mesopotamia and Egypt, but it also important to realize that the processes were not identical and to identify those elements that made the process in Syro-Palestine unique. Factors such as environment, geographical location, economy, and scale represent the key to understanding those differences. The value of this study is two-fold, it does not only help understand key societal elements of the earliest era of history in the region, but the processes that were explored have validity in that same region even today. Understanding these processes can help lead to a greater understanding of the culture, behavior and goals of similar peoples living in this area today |
