AR-213:Human Settlements & L-02[ Evolution of Planning]

Part -1: Evolution of human

Settlement
Vernacular Architecture Date: 24-01-2019
Ar. Somi Sareen
 ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF HUMAN
SETTLEMENTS
Various Stages Man as Nomad and Cave Dweller (Up to 10,000
B. C.)
 Earth estimated to be formed about 4 billion years ago
Homo Sapiens (the one existing species of man) believe to date
from about 500,000 B. C.
Earliest man did not settle anywhere as they wandered around in
search of food
Did not know how to construct buildings so lived in the open
Occasionally took shelter on top of trees to protect themselves
from wild animals
 ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF HUMAN
SETTLEMENTS
Man as Nomad and Cave Dweller (Up to 10,000 B.C.)
Later man began to live in caves by the side of rivers,
lakes and springs
Sites protected by rivers, swamps or elevated terrain
preferred
Caves not used as places for fixed residence
When food gathering in the vicinity became difficult, early
man moved to another location
ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF HUMAN
SETTLEMENTS
Towards Settled Habitation (Up to 10,000 B. C. - 5,000
B. C.)
Man learned to practice cultivation
Could stay at one place and produce food
Began to settle down near the fields cultivated by them
Choose fertile lands and where water was available in
plenty
Learned to build huts and mud houses
 ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF HUMAN
SETTLEMENTS
The Common Habitat and Onset of
Civilization
Inhabitants organized as a community under a
recognized leader
Began to get the first lessons of civilized living
Started learning to provide for themselves the
three basic necessities of life - food, clothing
and shelter
Shifting Cultivation
 Shift to new location after experiencing
decrease in fertility after successive
cultivation
 Later learned that land regained
fertility if it is left uncultivated for few
years
 Began to cultivate fields by rotation
 Thus managed to stop shifting practice
and settled down at on place
 ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF HUMAN
SETTLEMENTS
Food Surplus
Learned to make manure out of night soil and
animal droppings
Greatly increased food production
As food became abundant, health of people
improved
Death rate dropped, birth rate increased and
population of many settlements began to
multiply rapidly through the natural process
Beginning of permanent settlement
Assured food supply through agriculture
encouraged man to permanently settle by the
side of the fields he cultivated.
 Compact settlement since agriculture could
support up to 35 persons per sq. km as
compared to 15 persons per sq. km applicable
to hunting and food gathering societies.
 ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF HUMAN
SETTLEMENTS
Favorable Locations for Settlements Why River Valleys
Favorable environment for human existence Land was fertile, water and food (fishes and
and survival prongs) extracted from rivers, and soft clay
Climate not very harsh good for constructing huts,
Epidemics not frequent River also used later as means of
transportation
Land fertile
First settlements in the river valleys of India,
Good quality of water available in plenty China, Egypt, and areas known as the Fertile
River Valleys as popular places for settled Crescent (modern Iraq, Syria, Jordan and
habitation Israel)
 COMMUNITY STRUCTURING
Division of Labour
As food became abundant, all the inhabitants were not required to work on the fields
Others thus began to practice various occupations
Working population got divided among farmers, cattle and poultry breeders, fishermen,
shepherds craftsmen(carpenters, potters, painters, engravers, makers of tools, weapons and
other implements), and weavers
Some engaged in taming and domestication of animals for bearing load, plough fields,
protecting property and as source of milk, meat and wool
 COMMUNITY STRUCTURING
Barter System
The most ancient form of trading
Those who were not farmers were supplied food in exchange of goods they produced
Shepherds got grains in exchange for milk, weavers for cloth, potters for utensils, and
craftsmen for tools and implements
Initially practiced within the community
Later as river and land routes developed for transportation, goods began to be exchanged
across communities
 COMMUNITY STRUCTURING
Trading
With transportation, reputation of some of the goods produced by craftsmen of particular
villages began to travel far and wide
 As the demand of goods increased, trading of such goods began to grow.
Traders emerged as a new class of people, trading as a new occupation and market place as
the new physical component of settlements
 COMMUNITY STRUCTURING
Social Stratification
 Early traders most probably belonged to the hunting tribe - people already used to traveling
They were also recognised as leaders as they provided protection to the community against
wild animals
After they began trading activity,they accumulated goods and became wealthy
They also accumulated knowledge as they traveled long distances and met many people
Their hold on the community increased and became quite powerful. One of them became a
chieftain
 COMMUNITY STRUCTURING
New Physical Features
The chieftain built for himself a castle which towered over the other buildings, more so
because it was built at the highest point in the village
The rich traders and wealthy farmers built their houses near the castle - the new distinguishing
feature and a status symbol
Relatively poor artisans and ordinary peasants occupied quarters on the periphery
The community was divided between the rich and the poor and the two social classes occupied
different sections of the settlements.
The rich built a wall around their castle and thus created fortified castle
Man had originally learned to ward of danger from beasts and wild animals but now was
afraid of being attacked by fellow human beings
 COMMUNITY STRUCTURING
The Walled Settlements
The strife between the people of the same settlement later supplemented by that between the
people of different settlements
The rich settlements were exposed to the danger of being raided by outsiders
The wall around the settlement was built in addition to the one already existing around the
castle.This effectively curbed physical spread of settlements people living outside moved in
The density of population began to rise
 COMMUNITY STRUCTURING
Subjugation of Peasants
The external threat brought forth the necessity of
internal unity
Need for mutually defending themselves
But the new organization of the community was
such that it resulted in the subjugation and
exploitation of a large majority of peasants by a
small minority of the rich - the so called nobles
The Chieftain claimed a share in the agricultural
surplus in return for the protection provided by him
to the community, Initially it could be described as
the beginning of the taxation system that was
perhaps willingly done
Placing more resources at the disposal of the Chieftain
meant better equipped army and better protection for
the community
Soon the beneficent role of the Chieftain was
corrupted by his lust for power
As his resources increased and he became more
powerful, he began to demand a larger share of the
agricultural surplus
Ultimately leaving barely minimum for the survival of
the peasant and his family
Chieftain was supported in his exploitative pursuits by
a large number of military and army officers,
governors, viziers, tax-gatherers, and soldiers
 COMMUNITY STRUCTURING
Role of the Priests and New Physical Structuring
When use of physical power was not enough to ensure complete obedience, the same was
achieved by exploiting the religious sensibilities of the people
The shrine moved within the precincts of the citadel. Priests were begun to be identified with
the Chieftain
Often, the Chieftain even assumed the role of a priest. The Chieftain became all powerful and
people willingly obeyed whatever he commanded. He elevated himself to the status of the king
– on who commanded a territory recognized as his kingdom
The castle grew into a fort and the shrine into a temple
 COMMUNITY STRUCTURING
Caste Differentiation
 Members assumed or were assigned specific functions by the ruler
Persons assigned jobs such as scavenging and cobbling were assigned low status in the society,
paid minimal wages and remained poor
Whereas, people performing religious, administrative and intellectual functions were accorded
high status, were paid high salaries and became rich, they were considered to be belonging to
high caste categories
Community was not only divided into rich and poor but also amongst different castes
 COMMUNITY STRUCTURING
Advancements
Invention of new means of transport
Expansion of trade
Merchants organized themselves in the from of guilds
Development of art and literature
Acquisition of wealth and knowledge
A general sense of appreciation for civic concerns
Structural transformations continued over subsequent civilisations and cultural phases
 NEW PHYSICAL STRUCTURING
The Urban Settlement
The village evolved into its urban counterpart
Debate over the exact time when the first urban settlement existed
 According to some historians, first settled habitation existed as early as about 13,000 B. C.
First known settlement as claimed by archaeologists was Jericho in modern Israel and was
established in 7,800 B. C.
First indisputable permanent settlement inhabited by farming community was Jarmo in
Khurdistan area of Iraq during 7,000 and 6,500 B. C.
The first identifiable urban settlements are believed to have existed by 3,500 B. C
 NEW PHYSICAL STRUCTURING
Physical Form of Urban Settlement
A common core consisting of the castle, fortress, fort, the temple, and houses of the nobles and the priests .A
public square which generally formed part of the core
A market place and a school
Tombs, statues, rock sculptures, colonnades, obelisks, fountains, parks, gardens and canals
Protective inner and outer walls with moats and monumental gates
Dwellings of the common people
Theatre, government offices, gymnasiums, judicial courts and institutions of higher learning (added during the
Greek Period) , Networks of water supply, sewerage, drainage, transportation systems, bath houses, coliseums,
and circuses (added by the Romans)
Church became the central focus of medieval towns.
Monasteries became new centre of activity
Warehouses to store the wealth of the town, Guild halls and Town halls
EVOLUTION OF SETTLEMENT
TIMELINE AND MILESTONES
PREHISTORIC SETTLEMENT
 PALEOLITHIC – OLD STONE AGE
Dwelling type: Mouths of caves, huts, skin tents.
Nomadic; in groups of up to 50; tribal society;
hunters and gatherers
Major discovery Rough stone tools, fire.

Paleolithic Cave, Lascaux France

MESOLITHIC – MEDIEVEL STONE AGE
The Mesolithic Age was a transitional phase between the Paleolithic Age
and the Neolithic Age.
Dwelling type: Isolated hamlet in form of huts built using mammoth bones,
followed by houses of stone, wood etc.
Nomadic; in groups of up to 50; tribal society; hunters and gatherers

Mezhirich, Ukraine
NEOLITHIC AGE: NEW STONE AGE
 Neolithic humans discovered agriculture
and animal husbandry, which allowed
them to settle down in one area
Dwelling type: Mud bricks supported by
timber, roof from timber beams and reed
thatch
Hearth for cooking inside house
The concept of private property and
ownership emerged for things such as
land, livestock and tools
NEOLITHIC AGE: NEW STONE AGE
Established permanent dwellings and settlements – Catal Huyuk, Jericho
Improvement in house form including change to rectangular rooms
Introduction of multi-room houses
Introduction of non-residential buildings-for work, storage & rituals
Funerary and religious buildings were introduced during new Stone Age
Structures such as tombs used for rituals and burial for the dead
Evidence of the first practices of religion e.g Catal Huyuk
Ritual buildings of certain type like stonehenge
 Stonehenge, England
Prototypical house - hearth

Neolithic house, Netherlands

Ruins of Hagar Qim, Malta

CATAL HUYUK :A NEOLITHIC SETTLEMENT
 CATAL HUYUK
Catal Huyuk is an example of an early city
(located in modern Turkey).
The population ranged from 3,000 to 8,000
people.
People lived in densely packed homes and moved
about on rooftops (no streets).
It existed for roughly 1,200 years
 CATAL HUYUK
Had extensive economy based on specialized craft
and commerce
The city was a trading center
The size of the city and its wealth are a product of
its status as a trading center
Catal Huyuk is Regarded as the First City in History.
o One of the earliest known farming villages
discovered
The inhabitants of Catal Huyuk possessed an
understanding of urban life, were capable of
planning, design and calculation, and that their
artistic understanding was far more advanced.
CATAL HUYUK
Each house in Catal Huyuk has its own oven for the baking of bread.
The walls and the floors of the houses are covered in plaster, renewed annually, and
the walls in most houses are decorated with panels of red.
Rush matting is used on the floors. The furniture is built in with brick platforms for
sitting on, working on and sleeping on.
Under these platforms the bones of the dead are buried, to remain part of the
family. Many of the houses excavated in Catal Huyuk are shrines (so many that the
small section of the site so far revealed is thought to be the religious quarter).
Their walls are painted with a wide range of subjects. These include hunting scenes,
a picture of vultures setting about human corpses, and even an elementary
landscape.
JERICHO: A BRONZE AGE SETTLEMENT
JERICHO
Jericho is frequently identified in ancient texts by its famed
walls and palm trees.
The city of Jericho is located west of the Jordan River and
northwest of the Dead Sea.
The area around Jericho is semi-arid desert. The city itself,
however, is by a spring-fed oasis, giving it the title “the city of
palms
JERICHO
The ancient city, called “Tell es-Sultan,” is less
than 2 miles to the northwest of the modern city of
Jericho.
Tell means Mound in Arabic and in Hebrew.
Excavations at Tell es Sultan have uncovered
layered remains of 23 ancient civilizations, the
earliest from about 9000 BC, just after the end of
the last ice age.s
 JERICHO
The ancient city, called “Tell es-Sultan,” is less
than 2 miles to the northwest of the modern city
of Jericho.
Tell means Mound in Arabic and in Hebrew.
Excavations at Tell es Sultan have uncovered
layered remains of 23 ancient civilizations, the
earliest from about 9000 BC, just after the end
of the last ice age.
 JERICHO
Circular houses with stone foundations each with
one or a few storage pits for grain and nuts,
They left a lot of grinding stones ("querns")
grinding stones indicate heavy use of grains
Each house had its own storage pits and grinding
stones
Rather than having shared storage or grinding
areas that would serve multiple houses or the whole
settlement
This suggests that each family harvested, stored,
and processed its own grain and looked after its
own needs rather than working in larger units where
more people would depend on each other
 JERICHO
He people at jericho built a wall around part or all of the town,
Inside the wall, they built a circular stone tower,
 Doorway at the base leads to an internal corridor and a stairway of 20 steps that led towards the top of the
tower (the top is no longer there)
The step stones and roof stones of the passage are up to a meter long (about 3 feet) and almost as wide,
hammered to shape
The interior was roughly plastered with mud; the outside might originally have been plastered
a,.probably defense
b.tower may have had some ceremonial/religious function?
c.possibly flood control
5 HEARTH OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATION
 TIMELINE OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATION
Mesopotamia, 3500 BCE
Nile River Valley, 3200
BCE
Indus River Valley, 2200
BCE
Huang He and Wei River
Valleys, 1500 BCE
Mesoamerica, 200 BCE