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List of oldest continuously inhabited cities

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Re: List of oldest continuously inhabited cities

#51

Post by mturmon »

Cyph0n wrote: post #36

As a Tunisian, I'm confused by why Carthage is not on the list. Yes, it was destroyed and rebuilt by the Romans, but the general vicinity has been continuously inhabited ever since. Actually, a few other Tunisian cities are missing that trace their origins back to late B.C./early A.D., such as Monastir, Mahdia, and El Jem. Any thoughts on this?

I wonder what their definition of "city" is ... it seems to differ from just "inhabited". They make a distinction somewhere between villages and cities.

Re: List of oldest continuously inhabited cities

#52

Post by InitialLastName »

egypturnash wrote: post #28
d_silin wrote: post #12

I happened to be born in one of those cities. AMA :)

Have you lived in much younger cities? How does the weight of history in the old city compare? Do you prefer to live in a younger city, or an elder one, and why? I grew up in New Orleans and every other US city I’ve lived in has felt kind of... unmoored... in a certain way, what history there is in much of the rest of the country has been thoroughly torn down, and it’s not like there’s much history in a 1940s buildin…

Have you lived in any of the older cities on the East Coast? The Philadelphia and Boston areas have an enormous amount of history still present and visible, especially in the outskirts that haven't faced as much commercial pressure. Even downtown in both cities there's quite a lot that's been maintained from the colonial era.

Re: List of oldest continuously inhabited cities

#53

Post by swimfar »

galfarragem wrote: post #37
HorkHunter wrote: post #29

So, Lisbon is older than Rome, TIL!

It is very common, in downtown Lisbon, when doing some escavations to renovate some building foundations to find traces/layers of older civilizations. A famous case was in the 90's when renovating the headquarters of Millenium Bank. The remains were preserved (under the building) and you can actually visit them nowadays[1]. [1] https://www.lisbonlux.com/lisbon/nucleo-arqueologico.html

I found it to be a really interesting tour. I think it's free, as well.

Re: List of oldest continuously inhabited cities

#54

Post by levosmetalo »

netsharc wrote: post #30
corebit wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes but when did it become a "city" versus just a caveman camp?

When do you have a handful of sand? If you take 1 grain of sand and put it in your hand, that's not a handful. Same with 2, 3. How many grains of sand constitutes a handful?

42

Re: List of oldest continuously inhabited cities

#55

Post by mytailorisrich »

owenversteeg wrote: post #34

What interests me the most is not so much the #1 oldest, but more those cities where the past is still visible, or the city is similar to the same one that stood there thousands of years ago. Specifically, I find Yerevan very interesting. If someone from 2,000 years ago stood there today, they'd certainly realize it was the same city: the same Mount Ararat towering over the city, the same river Hrazdan running by the…

Quite a few of the cities of Ancient Greece and its colonies have survived to this day. Obviously Athens and many places in Greece but not only.

For example in France, Marseille and Nice (both Greek colonies) are 2,600 and 2,300 years old, respectively. The first inhabitants would definitely recognise them immediately today from the unique landscape (like Yerevan).

As for Puning, it's not so much related to China's recent changes but to the landscape. Mountains are unique and don't change much or at all in 2,000 years. But in a plain there is nothing to distinguish the landscape apart from buildings.

Re: List of oldest continuously inhabited cities

#56

Post by mturmon »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #22
theandrewbailey wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nomads, practically by definition, do not continuously inhabit cities for long periods.

...and because they don't have a pin on the map, are ignored. As was my point. No worries; being ignored and marginalized is among the least troubles they have.

(Dons owly mask) Wikipedia has you covered:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nomadic_peoples

Re: List of oldest continuously inhabited cities

#57

Post by smitty1e »

machello13 wrote: post #9
smitty1e wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Best estimate, until the next archaeological discovery. As long as we don't equate estimates with facts, we're good.

If you're suggesting that the 753 BC date is archaeological, you're incorrect. 753 BC is the legendary date. There's archaeological evidence of habitation on the hills of Rome earlier than that.

My actual point is that archaeological estimates are like epidemiological models: smart folks offering a snapshot of what they know.

Until that knowledge is over-written.

Re: List of oldest continuously inhabited cities

#58

Post by netcan »

owenversteeg wrote: post #34

What interests me the most is not so much the #1 oldest, but more those cities where the past is still visible, or the city is similar to the same one that stood there thousands of years ago. Specifically, I find Yerevan very interesting. If someone from 2,000 years ago stood there today, they'd certainly realize it was the same city: the same Mount Ararat towering over the city, the same river Hrazdan running by the…

Jericho might interest you then. It's an oasis city, with a very distinctive view of surrounding hills.

The most ancient structures are from 9kya, and the city existed in a lot of forms since that point. I believe the current city streets are from the Roman period, and probably date to the iron age or older.

What fascinates me about the site is the architectural similarity between the oldest city (the 9kya, neolithic city) and Çatalhöyük of the same period. These are the oldest known cities, and predate the oldest known "empires" by a lot.

This hints at a neolithic (and perhaps even ice age) cultural exchange over very large distances.

Re: List of oldest continuously inhabited cities

#60

Post by AdmiralAsshat »

Since Damascus is on the list, it's worth noting that some of the building techniques that possibly originated thousands of years ago are still in use in some remote Syrian villages.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_roof_shapes#/media/Fil...

https://syrianvoicesmediationandart.wordpress.com/2016/04/04...

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