JOHN WILLY M.

DIOLA
BSED-Social Studies
Urban Geography

LET’S ANALYZE
Activity 1. In this part, you are going to elaborate your answers by providing at least two
paragraphs in each question.

1. What role did agriculture play in the development of the first urban settlements?

The discovery of agriculture fundamentally changed human societies. In the early

times of human history people lived in nomadic ways, where people move from one place
to another place in search for food. They primarily rely on hunting wild animals, gathering
wild fruits, berries, nuts and vegetables in order to feed their empty stomach. These were
groups of people who don’t have permanent settled societies. Until something started to
change, where various people around the world discovered that they can control the growth
of wild plants, thus ensuring enough production of food without having them to move. The
discovery of it starts the rise of farming, that changes the patterns of society that led to the
agricultural revolution. Basically, the development of urban life starts when period of
humankind transformed from hunters and gatherers to city dwellers.

The discovery of Agriculture played a vital role in the development of the urban
settlements. When agriculture emerged, it spread from different places as varied as
Mesopotamia in Tigris and Euphrates rivers, China in Yellow river, India in Indus river
valley and some places in the world where humans began to mold nature to their needs.
When early humans began farming, they were able to produce enough food that they no
longer had to migrate in search for their foods. Thus, this meant they could build permanent
settlements, and develop villages, towns, and even cities. It is closely connected to the rise
of settled societies was an increase in population. Their ability to farm also meant a greater
ability for them to control the amount of food they will produced. The rise of civilization
 depends on the ability of agricultural settlements to continuously produce surplus food,
which will allow some people to specialize in non-agricultural, like to invent new tools,
construct buildings, create a writing system, produce art, write philosophy, develop
mathematics, etc. This is called the division of labor and is really made possible by
agriculture, which in turn allowed for increased production, trade, population, and social
stratification.

Up until now, the role of agriculture well plays a vital role in the society.
Agriculture is the backbone of our economy, providing food and raw material, agriculture
also provides employment opportunities to a very large percentage of the population. Since
agriculture will employs many people, it will also contribute to economic development. As
a result, the national income level, as well as people’s standard of living, is improved.

2. How were the cities and social organization of Athens and Rome similar and how did
they differ?

The history of city can also be seen in the Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.
Where social organization and the use of technology played a vital role in order to lessen
the environmental factors. City of Athens is well known as the top of ancient western
urbanism during that time. Meanwhile, the city of Rome is also at its peak under the Roman
Caesars. Since both of these cities are at the peak of their population during the ancient
times. These cities might differ on the social organization.

The city of Athens, achieved its population over 250,000 inhabitants that includes
slaves and non-citizens. The greatest achievement of the Greeks is not in technology but in
social organization where they invented the polis or they are being called, city states. This
social invention enabled families, Phratries or group of clans, and tribes to organize for
mutual aid and protection as citizens of the state. On the other hand, city of Rome has
reached 1 million inhabitants at its peak. As Greece represented philosophy, the city of
 Rome represented power and technology. Where Romans were able to organize,
administer, and govern an empire because of their Expertise in the areas of technology and
social organization. In order to clearly elaborate the similarities and differences of social
organization of the city of Athens and Rome, Venn Diagram will be shown below.

Athens Rome
• Early Greeks are ship • Rome's domination
builders as they’re resulted in centuries of
surrounded by the Bothe economies urban imperialism.
Mediterranean Sea. rely on the • They not only build roads,
• Citizenship was at production of food. also brought Roman law
its basis a religious and Roman concepts of
status. Both were located in
government.
• Women are not the Mediterranean
• Rome was an exporter of
Allowed to be a Both have slaves and goods also of ideas on
Citizen. freedman social Roman law, government,
• Greeks used slaves to classes and etc.
build their infrastructu- • Woman are allowed to
res, to mine, agriculture, become a citizen.
and other labor works.

3. How the medieval city was spatially organized and how did its organization change
during the Renaissance?

A feudal system existed with lords and peasants. Very local and not too much
communication stayed within its walls. Apparently, the Medieval feudal system led to its
fall, over time cities began to revive and became more or less autonomous and self-
governing. As a result, medieval cities attracted the more skilled and the more population.
 These cities were considered to be a smallest city, where it had only 10,000 to 30,000
inhabitants. The growing population led to the increased of trading activities and political
stability which also led to a more constant food supply, which in turn resulted in lower
death rates and improvement in the rate of natural increase of the population. However,
due to the increase of trading activities it led to the outbreak of the plague.

When Europe had recovered from the plague, the city eventually began to
developed. It was during the Renaissance period when there was more open expression of
ideas. This was led to the revival of some interest in the field of classical style and in
classical symmetry, perspective, and proportion had a profound effect on the design of both
public and private structures. During this time also, the city flourished economic and
cultural dominance on the rural areas. The creation of roads made more easier for
merchants and traders to transport foods and goods. Renaissance period indeed made a
great transition from the dark age until it rebirths.

4. How did the 14th century plague, the Black Death, change the social organization in
Europe?

It was during 14th century, when Europe experienced big pestilence or ‘Black
Death’. This was due to trades where comes from India and followed in the Middle East
and due to trading routes, that reaches until Europe were most of the affected area are in
the caravan centers.
It was a devastating global pandemic especially in Europe that almost wiped out
the one fourth of their population. Due to Black Death, Europe’s social organization was
also affected. Many institutions like church changed because of the plague. A lot of elders
are already dead; those who survived were often more concerned with taking care of
themselves than their flocks. While some ministry did far more than their duties, others
abandoned their parishes when plague threatened. Also, the economy declined. There are
no workers to produce products for the people because they are dead and people are hiding
 inside their home to avoid the deadly virus. The demand for workers is high on that time
because they have less manpower and it became also an opportunity to other people. That’s
how Black Death changed the social organization in Europe.

6. Create a timeline showing the evolution of cities. Provide brief details in every even
in your timeline.