ANADOLU'DA İLK ? KENTLER KENT OLGUSU ÜZERİNE BİR TARTIŞMA

Year 2007, Issue: 10, 63 - 72, 01.01.2007

Alev Erarslan

Abstract

Various ideas have been put forward by many scholars concerning the notions of urban and urba-nisation, and through these ideas some questions have been tended to be answered such as what is an urban, what are the criteria that distinguish the village and urban from another and what are the main traits and leading factors in the development of an urban? "Morphological Approach' seems to be the closest one to the archaeological view among the numerous urban theories. According to this hypothe­sis, the differences between the village and urban settlements have to be defined by some structural fea­tures in lieu of sociological definitions. It states some criteria in defining an urban such as size and den­sity, craft specialization, central management, social strafication and trade.Are there any misleading aspects of this idea? Are these criteria really adequate in defining urban that is the most complex habitation unit? Or do this idea comprise the qualitative and quantitative characteristics in explaining the real identites of the towns? In an effort to find answers to all the above questions and understand the early phases of the urbanization process in Anatolia by making use of these para­meters, this paper will be evaluating two important settlements, Çayönü and Aşıklı Höyük, both good examples of societal changes in the Neolithic period. The evaluation will thus attempt to arrive at a con­clusion about the controversial issue about whether these settlements were actually villages or towns.

Keywords

Kent ve kentleşme olguları, büyüklük ve yoğunluk, uzmanlaşma, merkezi yönetim, sosyal tabakalaşma, ticaret.

T HE EARL Y TOWNS ? IN ANATOLIA A DISCUSSION ON THE URBAN CONCEPT

Abstract

Are there any misieading aspects of this idea? Are these criteria really adequate in defining uñían thai is tire most complex habitation unit? Or do this idea comprise the qualitative and quantitative characteris­ tics in explaining the real rdenfiies of the towns? In an effort to find answeis to ail the alxive questions and understand the eady phases of ¡he uriianization process in Anatolia by making use oi these para­ meters, this paper w'tli IK- evaluating two imjarrtant settlements, Çayönü and Aştkh Höyük, Ixxh gixxl exampies of societal changes in the Neolithic ¡x-riod. The evaluation writ thus attempt to arrive at a con­ clusion aİKiUl the .onimveisiai issue alxnri whether these settlements were actually villages or towns

Keywords

Urban and urbanization concepts, size and density, craft specialization, central management, social st rati Heat i on, trade