The rise and fall of great world cities: 5,700 years of #urbanisation – mapped | Cities | The Guardian
►https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/jun/27/rise-fall-great-world-cities-5700-years-urbanisation-mapped
The Sumerian city of Eridu marks the dawn of urbanisation in 3700BC, which trickles around Mesopotamia, Iran, India and China before eventually coming west to the Mediterranean. Mapping the data makes certain trends and patterns quite clear. For instance, it’s notable that the earliest cities from China to Mesoamerica can all be found in a similar latitudinal belt, suggesting a possible link between early phases of urbanisation and climate.