Early Iron Age Bronze Ornament, 700-300 BC
Ancient History of Mongolia Gallery, National Museum of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar. Complete indexed photo collection at WorldHistoryPics.com
In the Jordan Valley, around 8000 BC, the inhabitants of Jericho constructed a massive stone wall and tower, some of the earliest large-scale stone structures known. This was achieved without any evidence of a ruling bureaucracy or written orders, challenging traditional notions of what constitutes a city. The wall may have served as a defense against raiders or as protection from seasonal flooding, demonstrating the community's ability to organize labor for shared projects. Meanwhile, Çatalhöyük in central Anatolia grew into one of the largest Neolithic communities by 7000 BC. Its unique layout, with houses built wall to wall and no streets, required residents to move across rooftops. See our article on the Proto-Cities before Writing: Jericho, Çatalhöyük, and the Trypillia Mega-Sites.
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