Historical Archaeology of Cities: Unearthing Complexity in Urban Landscapes

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Historical Archaeology of Cities: Unearthing Complexity in Urban Landscapes," at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Cities are complex places that pose many challenges and opportunities for archaeologists. These characteristically large, dense, and permanent settlements contain layers of occupation that bear traces of the diversity of people and activities that they attract and cultivate. Since 1500 C.E., innovations in transportation technology and industrialization have made urban centers even more complicated, heterogeneous, and, at the same time, global and interconnected. This session brings together archaeologists working in cities on at least four continents to discuss and compare their approaches and insights. Papers will center on urban ecosystems and landscapes—defined broadly to include the social, cultural, political, economic, and physical—and on how attention to material remains reveals important information and generates meaningful questions about urban life in the past, especially about marginalized groups or individuals, that would not be possible using documents alone.