Abstract
By the fourth millennium BC, developed cities had appeared in the Near East, the earliest cities in the world. This article focuses on daily life in selected cities in this and neighboring regions, with one New World example for comparison. Evidence for daily life in ancient cities comes from two sources: archaeology and, for historical periods, ancient texts. Archaeological evidence is variously preserved, depending on climatic, geological, and cultural conditions. Moreover, archaeologists weigh the evidence differently, depending on the questions they seek to answer. Daily life itself comprises many elements, but a basic distinction can be drawn between private and public. Private life centers around the house, its appearance and furnishings, its occupants (males and females of different ages), and household functions. Public life concerns such aspects as social relationships outside the family, political organization, the maintenance of order, economic matters, and religious practices. Such activities take place in a physical setting, both natural and built; understanding daily life in ancient cities includes analysis of what these elements looked like, individually and in relation with others.
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