Technology: Triumph & Tragedy,
64-85
a. economic, social, environmental history of urbanization
Major differences:
1. community vs. society
2. stone/bricks vs. concrete/steel
3. firewood/charcoal vs. coal/oil/gas
4. crafts vs. industry
5. carts, coaches, boats vs. trains, automobiles
6. locally produced food vs. globally supplied food
7. open drains/cesspits vs. sewage systems
8. solid waste recycled/reused vs. solid waste dumped in landfills
a. industrial city started in Britain in the 18th century
b. closure movement forced millions off the land
c. canals were dug, railways were installed
d. cities had to obtain food/energy from their immediate hinterland
e. Rome/Beijing: got food from canal barges/merchant vessels
f. until 18th century: muscle, water, wind, firewood, charcoal-only energy sources
g. modern cities came out of new energy
h. major innovation: coking coal in the 18th century!
i. the production/availability of iron/steel increased dramatically
j. 1712, Thomas Newcomen built the 1st steam engine
k. 1781, James Watt produced rotary-motion steam engines
l. steel > construction, production, transportation changed!
m. small producers couldn’t afford large/expensive engines
n. large factories were mostly in cities
o. repetitive labor!
p. labor was organized tightly, managers were strict
q. great riches for the few, great misery for many
r. 14 kilo to 3 kilo to 1 kilo to generate 1 horsepower-much less energy
s. 1830: Stephenson-built trains, effective way of bulk transport (though slow)
t. every town wanted a rain connection to increase its prosperity
u. 1898: New York City’s new subway station was built-huge electric generators ran it
v. steam engines > steam turbines/diesel engines
w. Spinning Jenny/Power Loom were steam powered-Britain
y. American slave labor produced most of Britain’s cotton
z. NW England (Manchester), Midlands (Nottingham), Clyde Valley (Scotland)
a. people’s livelihoods depended on cotton
b. 1/2 of Britain’s exports were textiles
c. awful environmental/housing conditions
d. Friedrich Engels commented on awful housing in Manchester in 1844
e. High Miller commented on it in 1862
f. the poor would beg for water
g. Bradford, most polluted town-black sulphurous smoke
h. Sheffield: molton-pig iron was made into steel
i. Henry Bessemer lowered the cost of steel making
j. cheap steel> iron warships/railways
k. the poor needed to be near work
l. the trade union movement was born
m. Lunar Society: discussed science, technology, health, literature & art
n. London: awful air pollution, overcrowding
o. 1836, London & Greenwich lines
p. 1848: Waterloo station was opened
q. 1863, world’s first underground, steam powered railway
r. 1800, London was 1,000,000
s. 1850, 4,000,000 in London
t. 1939, 8,600,000 in London
u. 1790, London was a port city with 14,000 ships coming in
v. London became the world’s leading financial center
w. Calcutta, Bombay, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, New York, Toronto, Nairobi, Lagos became accessible with steamships
y. London’s Corn Laws were abolished which hurt England’s farmers-cheap grain flowed in from Canada & USA
Imports
1. North America/Russia: cornfields
2. Chicago/Odessa: granaries
3. Canada/Baltic: timber
4. Australia: sheep farms
5. Argentina/western prairies: oxen
6. Peru: silver
7. South Africa/Australia: gold
8. Indies: coffee, sugar, spice
9. Hindu/Chinese: tea
10. Spain/France: vineyards
11. Mediterranean: fruit gardens
Problems:
1. severe air pollution in London
2. smog from coal fires
3. heavy metals/chemicals ended up in soil
4. had to get water from Thames because groundwater was polluted
5. the Thames River became contaminated
6. flush toilets were connected to cesspits not sewers
7. a recycling scheme was needed for sewage!
8. land had to be kept productive
Advantages:
1. complex water supply system with steam-powered pumps
2. man made manures are good for soil-Victor Hugo advocated it
Waste Disposal:
a. London decided to dispose of the sewage in the North Sea
b. Joseph Bazalgette was put in charge of the huge project
c. 1866 Sanitary Act-Balzalgette’s project
d. Liebig decided to develop artificial fertilizers
e. artificial fertilizers contained: phosphates, nitrates & potash
f. we need a revolution in sewage recycling!
Germany’s Industrialization
a. Krupp & Thyssen built great industries based on coal mining & steel
b. farmers & craftsman became miners
c. German, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia, Italy-people came from all of these regions to work the mines
d. the Ruhrgebiet: small farms, villages, towns, forests> mines, steelworks, slag heaps, tenement buildings, railway lines
e. Berlin became Germany’s administrative center
f. Borsig & Siemens: headquarters in Berlin
g. Potsdam, first railway line (1838)
h. Siemens: electricity generation & communications systems
i. 1914: 3,700,000 in Berlin
j. The German wastewater system recycled sewage, fertilized orchards
USA
a. Andrew Carnegie, immigrant from Scotland, set up Bessemer converter in Pittsburgh
b. Pittsburgh: rich in coal, had abundant forests, & near Great Lakes-could ship to Detroit
c. Pittsburgh: Smokey city
d. 1892, Carnegie defeated a strike
e. US Steel, monopoly!
New York City
a. located at the mouth of the Hudson
b. originated as a Native American settlement
c. 5 boroughs: Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Manhatten, the Bronx
d. 363 mile Erie Canal made NY prosperous
e. 1870, NY lit up by Edison
f. 1883: 1,600 ft. Brooklyn suspension bridge became the longest
g. 1904: start of subway system
h. Central Park: 337 hectares
i. 1800: 79,000 people
j. 1850: 700,000
k. 1900: 3,400,000
l. 1950: 7,900,000 people
m. skyscrapers depended on elevator technology
n. Woolworth building, “Cathedral of Commerce”
o. top floors: desirable, expensive
p. New York rivaled London’s finance
q. Wall Street became a world power in its own right
r. Wall Street depends on information based industry
Problems with modern cities
a. pollution
b. traffic congestion
c. overcrowding
Good:
a. parks
b. public spaces
c. gardens
Clean up
a. regulations
b. moving factories away from city centers
There was a dramatic change between humans relationship with nature!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Ch. III, From Rome To Edo, p. 40 to 63
Chapter III, From Rome To Edo
a. Rome is the prototype for the large modern city (minus fossil fuels)
b. 1.2 million in population by 1,000 years
c. Rome had an empire about the size of USA
d. Latins, Sabines, Etruscans surrounded Rome
e. Rome was located on the banks of the Tiber
f. Tiber water supply got polluted, Rome built water-ways
g. road system allowed armies to move
h. First Punic War, won Sicily, rich farmland
i. farmers had to become full time soldiers
j. 100 BC, Rome conquered most of Europe
k. welfare state, 300,000 got grain rations
l. much $ was spent on entertainment of Rome
m. Circus Maximus, 200,000 seats
n. Forum Romanum: central hub: public buildings, palaces, temples, sacred sites, monuments of conquest
o. majority of Romans chose to live in the city
p. advantages: aqueducts, paved roads, schools, temples, libraries, markets, arenas, public baths
q. insulae, apartment blocks shared by several families
r. building codes regulated heights of apartments, some burned down.
s. naval transport routes & paved roads connected Rome to satellite cities
t. slaves produced food, timber & precious metals
u. Rome had to keep improving its water supply system
v. 9 separate aquaducts were built
w. conquests of armies created affluence/luxury back home
x. France: pottery and wine
y. Spain: copper, olives
z. Britain: Tunisia, tin, gold
Energy needs
a. deforestation led to soil erosion
b. a harbor had to be built in an inconvenient location
c. air pollution: hundreds of fires
d. dirt, animal excrement, and dead bodies in the street
e. open canals of sewage > cholera, typhoid
Recycling
a. bones/ivory into pins
b. hair/animal nerves in war machines
c. broken glass for fuel
d. firewood ran short, bricks were of lower quality
Conquest of Africa
a. 100s of 1000s of tons of grains consumed
b. North Africa/Sahara were conquered
c. wild animals were captured
d. lions, elephants, leopards, panthers, bears were shipped to kill Christians or fight gladiators
e. Tunisia: grapes, olives, dates, wool, leather goods
f. Carthage, 500,000 people
g. set up to collect taxes & protect Rome’s territory
h. 3rd century, Romans felt insecure
i. Hadrian’s Wall across Britain was constructed
j. Ad 306, Constantine became emperor & became a Christian
k. Constantine made December 25th: the holy day of Apollo, the Roman god of the sun, the arts, prophecy and healing into the official birthday of Jesus Christ
l. Constantinople became the capital of the Eastern Empire
m. 409: Visigoths occupied Rome for three days & looted
n. Vandals looted Rome, brought loot back to Carthage
o. many reasons for Rome’s decline & fall: invasions, punitive taxes in the colonies, civil wars, corruption, famines & plagues
p. malaria was high in Rome because of water storage
q. deforestation, soil erosion & salinisation played a major part in the demise of the Roman Empire
r. North Africa was permanently changed by Rome’s activities. It became hotter & drier.
s. Rome was the home of the pope & as Christianity spread across Europe, the religious power of Rome came to grow in a resurgence of its former glory
t. Middle Ages: local, autonomous lives with a much reduced scale of trade of goods
u. Charlemagne became emperor of the new Holy Roman Empire in AD 800
v. he spread education beyond a small social elite
w. Islam introduced a sense of order & religious fervor in the Middle East
x. North Africa, parts of Spain, Cairo, Baghdad, Damascus, Granada had magnificent mosques & palaces
y. cities were very freeing in the Middle Ages
z. prosperity led to social innovation
a. medieval cities were made for walking
b. many social interactions occurred
c. different workers had guilds
d. defensive walls were a prominent feature of medieval cities
e. the Gothic church was a great innovation of the 12th century
f. Suger, abbot of St. Denis near Paris
g. space & light needed to be used for worship in Christianity
h. Britain had a rich variety of Gothic cathedrals
i. cathedral windows told biblical stories/ about the salvation of Christ
j. Cistercians helped develop & improve farming and rural living
k. swampy areas were drained/cleared for agriculture
l. inadequate sanitation led to outbreaks of plagues
m. medieval towns were self-sufficient
n. organic waste went back to the soil
o. Chimneys appeared in the 13th century
p. widespread use of windmills
q. horse power was used in farming/transport
r. market gardens, forests, orchards, farmland, grazing land were in cities
s. innermost zone: horticulture, milk production
t. second zone: wood products, firewood/timber
u. third zone: intensive crop rotation
v. fourth zone: fallowing, dairying
w. medieval city state depended on the country-side for food supply
x. industrial/commercial goods were sent to the country-side
y. levels of agricultural production became more efficient
z. Venice, Milan, Florence, Siena, Pisa in N. Italy were born. Their economies were dominated by trade/banking.
Constantinople
a. a fortress city
b. fell to Sultan Mehmed II & his Ottoman armies
c. massive walls were destroyed by cannons
d. walls were taken down & used as building materials
e. Johannes Gutenberg began printing Luther’s German Bible in 1450
f. Greek/Roman classics were translated
g. architecture was the supreme art
h. idea of public space
i. Venice: traded salt, glass, manufactured goods
j. Venice was built on a swamp with oak piles
k. Venice had to increase its ship building
l. deforestation of the Alps caused massive soil erosion
m. Amsterdam became Europe’s leading shipbuilding center
n. Hanseatic League: Luebeck, Hamburg, Bremen, Danzig grew larger & more powerful, came to control the Baltic
o. after 1500, cities of Spain including Madrid grew on the back of colonial trade with America
p. Spain extracted 185 tons of gold & 16,000 tons of silver from its South American colonies
q. South America: Teotihuacan, Tikal, Tetnochtitlan
r. sophisticated food production/distribution schemes
s. city-region was self-sufficient, farmers worked communally & fed entire population
The Rise Of Beijing
a. the cities of the European Middle Ages were small compared to Far East
b. Chinese had a great tradition of city building
c. Xian, next to Silk Route, built during Tang Dynasty
d. Xian, one million people @ peak
e. Emperor Zhu Di: capital of China went from Nanjing to Beijing
f. China’s Grand Canal was repaired and enlarged
g. the Pearl River Delta produced most of Beijing’s rice
h. timber from Jianxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Annam, Vietnam
i. Beijing was burned by lightening, upset the emperor
The Story Of Edo
a. Edo dated back to the 10th century
b. Kyoto was more important than Edo
c. government was transferred to Edo, Kyoto became less important
d. Edo: well watered, fertile agricultural region-lots of fish/crustaceans
e. Edo period: ocean going ships were outlawed
f. kabuki, lively & highly stylized form of dance was developed
g. ukiyo-e, sensual form of painting became popular
h. porclein/lacquerware thrived
i. advances in printing/education led to a highly literate population
j. Neo-Confucianism: importance of morals, education and hierarchy
Hierarchy
a. samurai, top: became martial arts teachers, scholars, writers, poets, artists
b. merchants, artisans, peasants
Edo period
a. highly sustainable period
b. clean/hygienic
c. extensive reuse & recycling of waste materials
d. old kettles/pots/pans were repaired
e. ceramics were repaired
f. tubs, barrels, lanterns, locks, inkpads, pots, pans, wooden footwear, umbrellas, mirrors were fixed
g. 4,000 old clothes dealers
h. candle wax drippings were made into new-candles
i. wood ash was used as fertilizer
j. only one small trading post in Nagasaki
k. USA took serious interest in Pacific
l. Commodore Perry came in steam powered ships demanding trade
m. Japan began to trade commercially with other nations
n. “modernization,” western political, social and economic systems
o. 1872, railway between Tokyo and Yokohama
p. 1889, Japan’s constitution
q. Japan strengthened its military power & signed treaties with the West
r. Japan dominated Russia, China & Korea
Old Cities
a.quality of craftsmanship
b. beautifully detailed architecture
c. local identity
d. civic pride
e. compactness
f. muscle, wind, and water powered cities
g. a sense of continuity
h. stone and brick: lasting quality
i. Rome: unsustainable
j. Edo, sustainable
a. Rome is the prototype for the large modern city (minus fossil fuels)
b. 1.2 million in population by 1,000 years
c. Rome had an empire about the size of USA
d. Latins, Sabines, Etruscans surrounded Rome
e. Rome was located on the banks of the Tiber
f. Tiber water supply got polluted, Rome built water-ways
g. road system allowed armies to move
h. First Punic War, won Sicily, rich farmland
i. farmers had to become full time soldiers
j. 100 BC, Rome conquered most of Europe
k. welfare state, 300,000 got grain rations
l. much $ was spent on entertainment of Rome
m. Circus Maximus, 200,000 seats
n. Forum Romanum: central hub: public buildings, palaces, temples, sacred sites, monuments of conquest
o. majority of Romans chose to live in the city
p. advantages: aqueducts, paved roads, schools, temples, libraries, markets, arenas, public baths
q. insulae, apartment blocks shared by several families
r. building codes regulated heights of apartments, some burned down.
s. naval transport routes & paved roads connected Rome to satellite cities
t. slaves produced food, timber & precious metals
u. Rome had to keep improving its water supply system
v. 9 separate aquaducts were built
w. conquests of armies created affluence/luxury back home
x. France: pottery and wine
y. Spain: copper, olives
z. Britain: Tunisia, tin, gold
Energy needs
a. deforestation led to soil erosion
b. a harbor had to be built in an inconvenient location
c. air pollution: hundreds of fires
d. dirt, animal excrement, and dead bodies in the street
e. open canals of sewage > cholera, typhoid
Recycling
a. bones/ivory into pins
b. hair/animal nerves in war machines
c. broken glass for fuel
d. firewood ran short, bricks were of lower quality
Conquest of Africa
a. 100s of 1000s of tons of grains consumed
b. North Africa/Sahara were conquered
c. wild animals were captured
d. lions, elephants, leopards, panthers, bears were shipped to kill Christians or fight gladiators
e. Tunisia: grapes, olives, dates, wool, leather goods
f. Carthage, 500,000 people
g. set up to collect taxes & protect Rome’s territory
h. 3rd century, Romans felt insecure
i. Hadrian’s Wall across Britain was constructed
j. Ad 306, Constantine became emperor & became a Christian
k. Constantine made December 25th: the holy day of Apollo, the Roman god of the sun, the arts, prophecy and healing into the official birthday of Jesus Christ
l. Constantinople became the capital of the Eastern Empire
m. 409: Visigoths occupied Rome for three days & looted
n. Vandals looted Rome, brought loot back to Carthage
o. many reasons for Rome’s decline & fall: invasions, punitive taxes in the colonies, civil wars, corruption, famines & plagues
p. malaria was high in Rome because of water storage
q. deforestation, soil erosion & salinisation played a major part in the demise of the Roman Empire
r. North Africa was permanently changed by Rome’s activities. It became hotter & drier.
s. Rome was the home of the pope & as Christianity spread across Europe, the religious power of Rome came to grow in a resurgence of its former glory
t. Middle Ages: local, autonomous lives with a much reduced scale of trade of goods
u. Charlemagne became emperor of the new Holy Roman Empire in AD 800
v. he spread education beyond a small social elite
w. Islam introduced a sense of order & religious fervor in the Middle East
x. North Africa, parts of Spain, Cairo, Baghdad, Damascus, Granada had magnificent mosques & palaces
y. cities were very freeing in the Middle Ages
z. prosperity led to social innovation
a. medieval cities were made for walking
b. many social interactions occurred
c. different workers had guilds
d. defensive walls were a prominent feature of medieval cities
e. the Gothic church was a great innovation of the 12th century
f. Suger, abbot of St. Denis near Paris
g. space & light needed to be used for worship in Christianity
h. Britain had a rich variety of Gothic cathedrals
i. cathedral windows told biblical stories/ about the salvation of Christ
j. Cistercians helped develop & improve farming and rural living
k. swampy areas were drained/cleared for agriculture
l. inadequate sanitation led to outbreaks of plagues
m. medieval towns were self-sufficient
n. organic waste went back to the soil
o. Chimneys appeared in the 13th century
p. widespread use of windmills
q. horse power was used in farming/transport
r. market gardens, forests, orchards, farmland, grazing land were in cities
s. innermost zone: horticulture, milk production
t. second zone: wood products, firewood/timber
u. third zone: intensive crop rotation
v. fourth zone: fallowing, dairying
w. medieval city state depended on the country-side for food supply
x. industrial/commercial goods were sent to the country-side
y. levels of agricultural production became more efficient
z. Venice, Milan, Florence, Siena, Pisa in N. Italy were born. Their economies were dominated by trade/banking.
Constantinople
a. a fortress city
b. fell to Sultan Mehmed II & his Ottoman armies
c. massive walls were destroyed by cannons
d. walls were taken down & used as building materials
e. Johannes Gutenberg began printing Luther’s German Bible in 1450
f. Greek/Roman classics were translated
g. architecture was the supreme art
h. idea of public space
i. Venice: traded salt, glass, manufactured goods
j. Venice was built on a swamp with oak piles
k. Venice had to increase its ship building
l. deforestation of the Alps caused massive soil erosion
m. Amsterdam became Europe’s leading shipbuilding center
n. Hanseatic League: Luebeck, Hamburg, Bremen, Danzig grew larger & more powerful, came to control the Baltic
o. after 1500, cities of Spain including Madrid grew on the back of colonial trade with America
p. Spain extracted 185 tons of gold & 16,000 tons of silver from its South American colonies
q. South America: Teotihuacan, Tikal, Tetnochtitlan
r. sophisticated food production/distribution schemes
s. city-region was self-sufficient, farmers worked communally & fed entire population
The Rise Of Beijing
a. the cities of the European Middle Ages were small compared to Far East
b. Chinese had a great tradition of city building
c. Xian, next to Silk Route, built during Tang Dynasty
d. Xian, one million people @ peak
e. Emperor Zhu Di: capital of China went from Nanjing to Beijing
f. China’s Grand Canal was repaired and enlarged
g. the Pearl River Delta produced most of Beijing’s rice
h. timber from Jianxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Annam, Vietnam
i. Beijing was burned by lightening, upset the emperor
The Story Of Edo
a. Edo dated back to the 10th century
b. Kyoto was more important than Edo
c. government was transferred to Edo, Kyoto became less important
d. Edo: well watered, fertile agricultural region-lots of fish/crustaceans
e. Edo period: ocean going ships were outlawed
f. kabuki, lively & highly stylized form of dance was developed
g. ukiyo-e, sensual form of painting became popular
h. porclein/lacquerware thrived
i. advances in printing/education led to a highly literate population
j. Neo-Confucianism: importance of morals, education and hierarchy
Hierarchy
a. samurai, top: became martial arts teachers, scholars, writers, poets, artists
b. merchants, artisans, peasants
Edo period
a. highly sustainable period
b. clean/hygienic
c. extensive reuse & recycling of waste materials
d. old kettles/pots/pans were repaired
e. ceramics were repaired
f. tubs, barrels, lanterns, locks, inkpads, pots, pans, wooden footwear, umbrellas, mirrors were fixed
g. 4,000 old clothes dealers
h. candle wax drippings were made into new-candles
i. wood ash was used as fertilizer
j. only one small trading post in Nagasaki
k. USA took serious interest in Pacific
l. Commodore Perry came in steam powered ships demanding trade
m. Japan began to trade commercially with other nations
n. “modernization,” western political, social and economic systems
o. 1872, railway between Tokyo and Yokohama
p. 1889, Japan’s constitution
q. Japan strengthened its military power & signed treaties with the West
r. Japan dominated Russia, China & Korea
Old Cities
a.quality of craftsmanship
b. beautifully detailed architecture
c. local identity
d. civic pride
e. compactness
f. muscle, wind, and water powered cities
g. a sense of continuity
h. stone and brick: lasting quality
i. Rome: unsustainable
j. Edo, sustainable
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
In The Beginning, Ch. II, p. 20-39.
Chapter 2, In The Beginning
a. the historic nature of the city!
b. many historic cities continue to thrive after thousands of years
c. hunter-gatherer tribes set up temporary camps & occupied caves where fruits, nuts, fish & game were plentiful
d. stone-age: material security, even affluence
e. little evidence is left of our hunter-gatherer ancestors
f. charcoal deposits were left
g. caves: secure place
h. Pont du Arc: oldest cave paintings
i. most cave paintings (1/2) were found in France
j. beginnings of farming: 10,000 BC
k. agriculture: allows a sedentary lifestyle
l. soil fertility must be manipulated, crops must be stored
m. 9,000 BC: wheat, barley, oats, millet, rice, pulses, potatoes, maize: staples
n. hoes, sickles, ploughs, threshing devices were used
o. trade spread: land/sea/river travel expanded
p. Tutsi, Dinka, Nuer, Masai live off the milk of their cattle which they mix with blood
q. herding cultures: semi-permanent settlements, circular layouts, circular buildings
r. women are sedentary, children are sedentary, men move
s. Levant, 8500 BC, sedentary farming villages emerged
t. formalized political/spiritual hierarchies developed
u. writing and military power began to be used
v. 23,000 to 12,000 BC, last ice age
w. Jericho was one of first towns to be excavated. Jericho was founded in 8,000BC
x. Jericho used irrigation from the Jordan River
y. Jericho installed massive defense towers around 7,000BC
z. Jericho was a difficult place for outsiders to conquer
a. Joshua led the Israelites to sack Jericho
b. Ahab repaired Jericho, Jericho was never taken over by the Israelites
Catal Huyuk, Anatolian Supernova
a. located on a fertile, well-watered plateau in Anatolia
b. dates back to 7,100BC
c. thriving farming region & obsidian industry
d. laid out according to a beehive pattern
e. leopard’s spots was a favorite motif
f. cowrie shells from the Mediterranean, manganese copper & turquoise from eastern Anatolia & the Sinai
g. mercury was imported from Sizmar
h. tabular flint was imported from the Taurus Mountains
i. Catal Huyuk: spiritual center
j. how did Catal Huyuk come to an abrupt end?
k. Iraq, Greece, Italty: developed agricultural and trading settlements between 6,400 and 5,800 BC.
l. the Harrappans occupied the Indus Valley from 3,500 & built Mohenjo-daro & Harappa
m. The Canaanites (Phoenicians) p. 28
n. Sumer: region in southern Mesopotamia, between lower Tigris & Euphrates rivers (Southern Iraq)
o. inventions: development of writing, bronze, gold, silver metallurgy, first use of the wheel
p. large libraries of clay tablets
q. highly stratified societies: kings/priests represented the divine powers
r. upper class: kings, priests, nobles
s. middle class: artisans, craftsmen, businessmen, teachers, scribes
t. lower class: slaves who had to perform a variety of physical tasks
Uruk & The Story Of Gilgamesh
a. Uruk was in Genesis 10
b. large zigurats, schools, family houses, sarcophagi were discovered
c. wheels were found
d. 50,000 people in Uruk
e. Uruk was ruled by a powerful king
f. Enmerkar, man who built Uruk
g. Gilgamesh, built a defensive wall
h. Gilgamesh, 2/3 god, 1/3 human
Summary of Gilgamesh:
Gilgamesh is the greatest king on earth, > Gilgamesh is oppressive > people pray to Anu> Anu creates Enkidu with the strength of many animals > Shamhat a harlot is brought to Enkidu, Enkidnu makes love and loses his wildness, the harlot takes Enkidnu to meet Gilgamesh > Enkidnu becomes lazy from the opulence > Gilgamesh cuts off monster’s head, deforestation occurs!
lesson: forest are cut for urban construction & for creating more farmland. Great cities are vulnerable to decline & decay.
Ur
a. grew even bigger than Uruk
b. temporary home of Abraham & the Israelites
c. clay tablets kept records of events
d. floods & mudslides plagued those cities
e. trees were used for timber & baking clay bricks
f. deforestation > soil was washed downhill
g. the soil became too salty, couldn’t grow as many crops
h. salinisation of soil is a major problem
i. 1,600 BC: Hittites attacked Sumerian cities
j. Egypt’s farmland was productive for 7,000 years
k. Greeks developed the alphabet, oratory, democracy, mathematics, theatre, aesthetics, arts
l. bioproductivity of forests/farmland outside of cities made city-life possible
m. Greeks were a highly expansionist civilization
n. Athens-most Athenians lived in modest houses
o. 43,000 of 317,000 (13%) were citizens in 431 BC
p. the community should have priority over the individual
q. Athens was more of an aristocracy than a democracy
r. civilization & deforestation: two sides of the same coin
a. the historic nature of the city!
b. many historic cities continue to thrive after thousands of years
c. hunter-gatherer tribes set up temporary camps & occupied caves where fruits, nuts, fish & game were plentiful
d. stone-age: material security, even affluence
e. little evidence is left of our hunter-gatherer ancestors
f. charcoal deposits were left
g. caves: secure place
h. Pont du Arc: oldest cave paintings
i. most cave paintings (1/2) were found in France
j. beginnings of farming: 10,000 BC
k. agriculture: allows a sedentary lifestyle
l. soil fertility must be manipulated, crops must be stored
m. 9,000 BC: wheat, barley, oats, millet, rice, pulses, potatoes, maize: staples
n. hoes, sickles, ploughs, threshing devices were used
o. trade spread: land/sea/river travel expanded
p. Tutsi, Dinka, Nuer, Masai live off the milk of their cattle which they mix with blood
q. herding cultures: semi-permanent settlements, circular layouts, circular buildings
r. women are sedentary, children are sedentary, men move
s. Levant, 8500 BC, sedentary farming villages emerged
t. formalized political/spiritual hierarchies developed
u. writing and military power began to be used
v. 23,000 to 12,000 BC, last ice age
w. Jericho was one of first towns to be excavated. Jericho was founded in 8,000BC
x. Jericho used irrigation from the Jordan River
y. Jericho installed massive defense towers around 7,000BC
z. Jericho was a difficult place for outsiders to conquer
a. Joshua led the Israelites to sack Jericho
b. Ahab repaired Jericho, Jericho was never taken over by the Israelites
Catal Huyuk, Anatolian Supernova
a. located on a fertile, well-watered plateau in Anatolia
b. dates back to 7,100BC
c. thriving farming region & obsidian industry
d. laid out according to a beehive pattern
e. leopard’s spots was a favorite motif
f. cowrie shells from the Mediterranean, manganese copper & turquoise from eastern Anatolia & the Sinai
g. mercury was imported from Sizmar
h. tabular flint was imported from the Taurus Mountains
i. Catal Huyuk: spiritual center
j. how did Catal Huyuk come to an abrupt end?
k. Iraq, Greece, Italty: developed agricultural and trading settlements between 6,400 and 5,800 BC.
l. the Harrappans occupied the Indus Valley from 3,500 & built Mohenjo-daro & Harappa
m. The Canaanites (Phoenicians) p. 28
n. Sumer: region in southern Mesopotamia, between lower Tigris & Euphrates rivers (Southern Iraq)
o. inventions: development of writing, bronze, gold, silver metallurgy, first use of the wheel
p. large libraries of clay tablets
q. highly stratified societies: kings/priests represented the divine powers
r. upper class: kings, priests, nobles
s. middle class: artisans, craftsmen, businessmen, teachers, scribes
t. lower class: slaves who had to perform a variety of physical tasks
Uruk & The Story Of Gilgamesh
a. Uruk was in Genesis 10
b. large zigurats, schools, family houses, sarcophagi were discovered
c. wheels were found
d. 50,000 people in Uruk
e. Uruk was ruled by a powerful king
f. Enmerkar, man who built Uruk
g. Gilgamesh, built a defensive wall
h. Gilgamesh, 2/3 god, 1/3 human
Summary of Gilgamesh:
Gilgamesh is the greatest king on earth, > Gilgamesh is oppressive > people pray to Anu> Anu creates Enkidu with the strength of many animals > Shamhat a harlot is brought to Enkidu, Enkidnu makes love and loses his wildness, the harlot takes Enkidnu to meet Gilgamesh > Enkidnu becomes lazy from the opulence > Gilgamesh cuts off monster’s head, deforestation occurs!
lesson: forest are cut for urban construction & for creating more farmland. Great cities are vulnerable to decline & decay.
Ur
a. grew even bigger than Uruk
b. temporary home of Abraham & the Israelites
c. clay tablets kept records of events
d. floods & mudslides plagued those cities
e. trees were used for timber & baking clay bricks
f. deforestation > soil was washed downhill
g. the soil became too salty, couldn’t grow as many crops
h. salinisation of soil is a major problem
i. 1,600 BC: Hittites attacked Sumerian cities
j. Egypt’s farmland was productive for 7,000 years
k. Greeks developed the alphabet, oratory, democracy, mathematics, theatre, aesthetics, arts
l. bioproductivity of forests/farmland outside of cities made city-life possible
m. Greeks were a highly expansionist civilization
n. Athens-most Athenians lived in modest houses
o. 43,000 of 317,000 (13%) were citizens in 431 BC
p. the community should have priority over the individual
q. Athens was more of an aristocracy than a democracy
r. civilization & deforestation: two sides of the same coin
Monday, September 21, 2009
Cities For People & The Planet, pages 1-19.
Chapter One, Cities, People, Planet, p. 1-19.
a. design cities to meet the needs of people
b. cities depend on land around
c. want to be able to move around efficiently
d. fossil fuel powered industrial/farming/transportation hurts the environment
e. in 30 years, 1/3 of the natural world was destroyed (1980-1990, 1990-2000, 2000-2009)
f. modern living needs to be in harmony with the planet
g. science, technology, individual action, and government policies can be harnessed to restore the health of the planet
:
a. Can a world of ever-larger cities be environmentally sustainable?
b. Can cities continue to prosper if they significantly reduce their use of resources?
c. How can cities mimic natural ecosystems?
d. How can cities become circular, not linear systems?
e. 1900: 15% of world in cities
f. 2000: 47% in cities
g. 2030: 60% will be in cities
h. farms, villages, small towns > urban species
i. nature’s local harvest > world food supplies (reliance)
j. purely local energy> reliance on world energy supplies
k. modern cities: complex manifestation of human activity
l. cities are 2% of the world’s land surface but 75% of resources
m. cities like to declare themselves independent of nature
n. ecosystem services are worth $33 trillion
o. global GNP: $18 trillion
p. governments, local authorities, urban communities, NGOs and the private sector can affect change positively
q. sustainability: not depleting natural capital
r. ecosystems have a “carrying capacity”
s. decentralized governments that are in touch with their citizens are needed
t. cities are engines of economic power
u. most production occurs
v. great wealth is created
w. most consumption occurs
x. cities are the control centers of economic, political & media activity
y. urban resource use is destroying the environment mostly
z. China: economic growth of 7%-9% yearly since the 1980s
Powering cities
a.coal, oil, gas fuel megacities
b. sea level has risen (global warming...?)
c. glaciers are melting...
d. fusion of technology & technology
e. city dwellers have much higher amounts of consumption
f. more fossil fuels, metals, timber, meat, foodstuffs
g. modern cities CAN use resources efficiently
h. available options: wind, solar power, fuel cell technology, sewage recycling systems
i. building insulation: highly efficient heating & cooling systems for buildings
j. livable cities: nature, clean, attractive public spaces, walkable city centers, diverse neighborhoods, diverse street culture
k. cities are for people, trees, plants, animals
l. London’s sewage system: healthier people, better land for crops
m. London’s power plants went outside the city: less pollution inside the city, more energy used
n. concrete buildings + cars: less livable!
o. cars: menace in the urban environment
p. cultural vigor, physical beauty, thriving natural habitats, opportunities for lively social encounters
q. poverty, pollution: negative attributes of cities
r. villages are losing out to cities
s. ecotourism helps village economies
t. Europe, America, Japan, Australia: least sustainable!
u. environmental sustainability can create jobs
v. sustainability requires grassroots participation
w. old cities are more sustainable because it was part of the culture
a. design cities to meet the needs of people
b. cities depend on land around
c. want to be able to move around efficiently
d. fossil fuel powered industrial/farming/transportation hurts the environment
e. in 30 years, 1/3 of the natural world was destroyed (1980-1990, 1990-2000, 2000-2009)
f. modern living needs to be in harmony with the planet
g. science, technology, individual action, and government policies can be harnessed to restore the health of the planet
:
a. Can a world of ever-larger cities be environmentally sustainable?
b. Can cities continue to prosper if they significantly reduce their use of resources?
c. How can cities mimic natural ecosystems?
d. How can cities become circular, not linear systems?
e. 1900: 15% of world in cities
f. 2000: 47% in cities
g. 2030: 60% will be in cities
h. farms, villages, small towns > urban species
i. nature’s local harvest > world food supplies (reliance)
j. purely local energy> reliance on world energy supplies
k. modern cities: complex manifestation of human activity
l. cities are 2% of the world’s land surface but 75% of resources
m. cities like to declare themselves independent of nature
n. ecosystem services are worth $33 trillion
o. global GNP: $18 trillion
p. governments, local authorities, urban communities, NGOs and the private sector can affect change positively
q. sustainability: not depleting natural capital
r. ecosystems have a “carrying capacity”
s. decentralized governments that are in touch with their citizens are needed
t. cities are engines of economic power
u. most production occurs
v. great wealth is created
w. most consumption occurs
x. cities are the control centers of economic, political & media activity
y. urban resource use is destroying the environment mostly
z. China: economic growth of 7%-9% yearly since the 1980s
Powering cities
a.coal, oil, gas fuel megacities
b. sea level has risen (global warming...?)
c. glaciers are melting...
d. fusion of technology & technology
e. city dwellers have much higher amounts of consumption
f. more fossil fuels, metals, timber, meat, foodstuffs
g. modern cities CAN use resources efficiently
h. available options: wind, solar power, fuel cell technology, sewage recycling systems
i. building insulation: highly efficient heating & cooling systems for buildings
j. livable cities: nature, clean, attractive public spaces, walkable city centers, diverse neighborhoods, diverse street culture
k. cities are for people, trees, plants, animals
l. London’s sewage system: healthier people, better land for crops
m. London’s power plants went outside the city: less pollution inside the city, more energy used
n. concrete buildings + cars: less livable!
o. cars: menace in the urban environment
p. cultural vigor, physical beauty, thriving natural habitats, opportunities for lively social encounters
q. poverty, pollution: negative attributes of cities
r. villages are losing out to cities
s. ecotourism helps village economies
t. Europe, America, Japan, Australia: least sustainable!
u. environmental sustainability can create jobs
v. sustainability requires grassroots participation
w. old cities are more sustainable because it was part of the culture
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)