The process of urbanisation was important during the Late Middle Ages in Europe. Traditionally, the rise of urban centres has been associated with unhealthier living conditions, compared to the...Show moreThe process of urbanisation was important during the Late Middle Ages in Europe. Traditionally, the rise of urban centres has been associated with unhealthier living conditions, compared to the countryside. However, this so-called ‘urban graveyard effect´ has been challenged by more recent historical and osteological research. Particularly, osteoarchaeologists have assessed the possible difference in living conditions between urban and rural areas through physiological stress markers, such as linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH). In the Netherlands, up to date, a specific and detailed osteoarchaeological analysis of the effect of urbanisation in children has not been done. To address this question, this thesis has studied the individuals from the Late Medieval urban centre of Alkmaar and rural village of Klaaskinderkerke, focusing on the prevalence, number of episodes, and age distribution of LEH in canines. The results show a lack of difference between Alkmaar and Klaaskinderkerke. High levels of prevalence and number of episodes are present in both populations; in addition, the defects followed a similar age distribution. Therefore, as historical sources also point out, these socioeconomic changes did not only affect the city but also the countryside. In the Netherlands, both spaces changed during the Late Middle Ages, and both had great importance in the rising Dutch economy. The high levels of physiological stress in the city and the countryside support the idea that this Dutch economic development did not mean an improvement in living conditions for people. In summary, living in the countryside was as physiologically stressful as living in the city.Show less
As in many large cities, rapid urbanisation in Santiago (Chile) has been accompanied by problems of urban sprawl, inequality, and issues with transportation. Since the late nineties social an...Show moreAs in many large cities, rapid urbanisation in Santiago (Chile) has been accompanied by problems of urban sprawl, inequality, and issues with transportation. Since the late nineties social an increasing amount of social movements have emerged that advocate the bicycle as a healthier, more efficient, and non-polluting transport alternative for that city. This thesis investigates the first of these new social movements, the Movimiento Furiosos Ciclistas (MFC), using the concept of the right to the city, introduced by the French sociologist and philosopher Henri Lefebvre, and which has undergone a revival over the last decade as a critical approach to the effects of urbanisation under neoliberalism on societies and their cities. The applicability of Lefebvre’s right to the city as a citizen’s demand for inclusion to their city and a greater control over its space is tested on the MFC in Santiago in the period spanning its emergence in 1994 up to the present year of 2015.The study analyses, firstly, the history, actions, and the organisation of the Movimiento Furiosos Ciclistas as a response to problems of Santiago’s urbanisation; secondly, the movement’s success in making such a demand and the obstacles that hinder; and finally, it tests the right to the city’s unifying potential in analyzing the relationship of the MFC to similar New Social Movements.Show less
This paper seeks to give a plausible range of population figures for second century A.D. Antioch in Roman Syria. The first chapter estimates the physical extent of the city and its suburbs. The...Show moreThis paper seeks to give a plausible range of population figures for second century A.D. Antioch in Roman Syria. The first chapter estimates the physical extent of the city and its suburbs. The second chapter studies the size and productivity of Antioch’s territory. On the basis of urbanisation rates, urban and rural population densities and ‘carrying capacity’ various scenarios are sketched to determine more and less likely figures. In the final chapter several ideas are considered towards explaining the population of Antioch and its hinterland.Show less
