SUBJECT – URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING UNIT- II
( SUBJECT CODE : 69653 )
Salient Features of Human Settlement during Prehistoric times and Towns in
Revier valley Civilization
Shashikant M. Phadtare
Assistant Professor,
D. Y. Patil College of Engineering and Technology, Department of Architecture, Kolhapur,
Maharashtra
Email: smphadtare@yahoo.com,
Syllabus
SUBJECT: URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING (Sub. Code:-69653)
Lectures – 02Hrs Theory - 100 Marks
Studio - 03 Studio Internal - 50 Marks
Paper - 01 External - -----
Duration - 03 Hrs Total Marks- 150 Marks
• This course in proposed to impart preliminary training for environmental and city planning. The process of
town planning factors affecting city planning and procedures involved, to understand bow farsighted city
planning will meet present as well as future social, cultural and economical requirements.
• A general understanding of Town Planning principles which have evolved through ages. Evolution of Town
Planning thought with special reference to India.
• Objects of planning, human settlements, Town Planning as an inter disciplinary process, Contemporary
planning concepts, Geddes, Howard, Doxiadis, Perry; Le Corbusier etc. Regional Plans, Development Plans,
Urban and Rural Housing Programmes, Legislative, Administrative and "fiscal measures, Zoning and other
regulations. Land-use maps topography, influences of climate on town planning. Infrastructure in city
planning traffic census, classification of roads, road layouts,widths, junctions, flyover bridges, and various
road patterns for vehicles and pedestrian traffic.
• Introduction of M. R. T.P. Act, 1966 and Town Planning Act, 1954.
• Planning for villages and Rural areas.
References Books
Sr. Name of the Book Author Publisher
No
1 Text Book of Town Planning Abir Bandopadhyay Aruna Ben
Books & Allied Privated
Ltd,8/1 Chintamani Das
Lane Kolkata 700009
2 Fundamentals of Town G.R. Hiraskar Dhanapat Rai,
Planning Publications New Delhi
110002
3 Human Settlement –Planning Dr. Thooyavan M.A. Publication
Guide to Beginners Amaravatinagar
(ISBN-81-7525-686-9) Arymbakkam Chennai
600106
4 Urban Pattern Arthur B. Gallion CBS Publishers &
(Reprinting 2000) Cop Right Simaon Eisner Distributor Darayaganj
1986 by Van Nos Trand New Delhi 110004
Reinhold Comp. Inc USA
5 History of World Civilization J. S. Swain Chand & Company
(ISBN-81-219-0543-5) Ramnagar New Delhi
110055
A}.Background: History is coherent account of significant past events. Time, Place,
Society and Individuals are four major pillars of history. The climate, Rainfall,
Agricultural produces flora and fauna are sources of our livelihood. The lifestyle and
culture of a region develop with there support. Human settlements have wherever
the means of living are plentiful.
Study of history is necessary as it helps to study what is and what is not favourebel
for progress of human society and provide guidelines to have today for good future
beginning of life on earth. Evolution is a process of gradual and continuous change.
We will be studding silent futures of human settlement during pre-historic time.
2.Paleolithic era: In the introductory chapter giving outline of the pre-historic period
information was stated as:-
A} Eolithic era- about 3 millon years
B} Palaeolithic era:- About 3 millions to 15,000 B.C.
C} Neolithic era:- 15,800 to 4,000 B.C.
However in her book-: ‘’Architecture- pre historic to pregothic’’(ISBN:978-81-8014-
214-7) published in 2014, Ar. Vedula VLN Murthy has given following sub
classification of politic period as:-
A}Erly Palaeolithic - ‘2000000 to 200000 B.P. NOTE:(B.P.=Before present )
B} Middle Palaeolithic- 150000 to 4000 B.P.
C} Upper Palaeolithic – 4000 to 12000 B.P.
A} EARLY PALEOLITHIC- Let us discuss from this available information the situation
existing then:- (Features)
1. Climate:- Set of glacial and Inter glacial periods
2. Tools:- Axes ,choppers, stones-flakes, Awls for punching hole in leather, chisels for
working in stone wood and drill, Knives for cutting meat/Vegetables.
3. Invention of fire:- a) Between 3 lakh years to 1.5 million years.
b) 2 stone struck together which gave off sparks.
B} MIDDLE PALEOLITHIC:- 150000 to 40000 B.P.
(Australia, Japan, China, Sibria, Alaska)
Feature:- 1]Language, invention of clothing, advanced tools appeared.
2] Harpoons to catch fish in human diet.
3] Societies consisted of bands ranging from 20 to 30 or 25 to 40.
4] dwellings made of using leg bones ,skulls.
5] Making boats for selling.
C} UPPER PALEOLITHIC:- 32000 TO 12800
Feature:-
1. Use of bowe and Arrow, Spear Thrower.
2. Domesticated animals, Dogs, cats etc.
3. settling down at selected location parentally in the proximity of Agricultural
fields.
4. Men and Women appeared, Men- Participated in gathering plant, firewood.
Women- Procured small animals and helped men in driving herds of large
animals like deers and wooly animals- Enjoyed high status
5. Process of socialisation- Beginning of social bonding through spiritual believes
and rituals.
6. Art and Music, cave paintings, animals carving rock paintings, use of flute like
bone pipe, beginning of music.
7. Food- Meat, fish, shellfish, leafy vegas. Fruits, Nuts, Insects.
8. Shelters- a) In initial stage began to live in open air near food and water.
b) No traces of roof caves with wood, Straw, rock, Bones etc. In
some cases roof was made of Traces of mammoth hides (skin/leather).
9. Languages- Was bring developed, Creation of words govering tongue and
lips.
10. Emergence of Ice age at the end of Palaeolithic era.
3} Neolithic Era (New stone age)- 10000 B.C. to 3000/4000 B.C.
Features:-
1. Wildlife and humans migrated north.
2. In habitabel due to extreme cold-Plains transformed into densed forest frome
melting glaciers- change in human behaviour
3. Food- Wild plant food.
4. Man-Hunter& Gatherer. Relied on farming. Started thinking & efforts for settling
permanently at one place E.g. Sumerians -9500 B. C., India & Peru-7000B.C.,
South west Europe 7000 B.C., North Europe 4500 B.C.
5. Tools- Started acquiring skill in farming, Manufactured range of tools ,Stone,
Ornaments, Stone axe to clear forest.
6. Clothing of animals Skins, Pottery making, Airtight containers to preserve foods.
7. Shelters- Mud bricks houses with plaster, Growth of agriculture, Shipping on
mats or skins, Normal variety of Thatches roofs.
8. Bronze Age(3300 B.C. to 1200 B.C.)- Bronze was invented by smelting copper
& Tin ore.
9. Iron Age- (1300 B.C.) After bronze age-High Stratified Societies emerged.
4} Main features of Human settlemnt at the end of Pre Historic Period .(Above
25 to 30 Million years BC to 4000 BC)
Features:-
1. Dwelling too primitive, temporary materials for living in winters, Hut, Lean to &
Pit Houses used to build annually on same site by nomadic hunters Content of
fawilies with belongings .
2. Shielings – huts or group of houses.
3. Beginning of the human culture go back to old stone age. Remain of old stone
age found from Kashmir to Tamilaidu old stone age woman were found on the
bank of Narmada in the vicinity of harthnora village near hoshingabad ,
Madhya Pradesh , skill of child from stone age found near village puducherry.
Gangapur near Nasik, Chirki nevasa well known old stone ae site in
Maharashtra.
4. Domestication of animals like dog sheep a goat harvesting of food grains at
Bagon village in Rajasthan, Patane in jalgon (Maharashtra).
5. New stone age (Neolithic age) Stone tools were polished to give s smooth of
shing finish – new technique agri and domestication of animals – Routine way
of life hunting because secondary to agriculture a animal husbandry.
6. Evidence of first beinning of Agriculture about 1100 years ago in Israel and
Araq. Woman have started cuntivation with pointed stick and perforated stone .
7. Gradually community life based on mutual cooperation people living in village
sttelement belongs to single clan related to one anothe village become
extended family and also in some cases formation of friendly group.
5} Major & main characteristic features of selected towens in River valley
civilisation era ( 3000BC to 5000Bc)
A] Indus River valley civilization (3000 Bc)
1. Located on the bank of river indus with about (Now in Pakistans and Ravi.
2. British Archeologist while carring out excavation in Indo Gangatic region
mohenjo town was found meaning hill of Deads.
3. The town covered an area of about 260 hectares with harappa on bed of River
Ravi) other towns found during 3000 to 4000 BC were kalibangan (Rajasthan),
Lothal, Sukortada and Dholavira (Gujarat) , Rakhigadi (Haryana)
4. Three broad divisions of settlement –
1. Religious, Institutional and cultural areas –around monastry and grat bath
including temple in western part.
2. Nor them part principally for production of agriculture and industries.
3. Southern part principally for administration trade & commerce at meeting
point of first street and east street.
5. Regular arid-Iron patern of roads was Principally followed.
6. Major roads –First street (N-S direction and Eas street (E-W Directionn) less
pone to natural calamities 9 meter wide streets divided the city in 12 blocks
(365m x 244m. Streets witin
7. Built up area were narrow lanes network.
8. Residential houses as (ground + Stones ) in series were applied dwellings
compactly built. Height of buildings proportion to width of the road which were
paved. Buildings ranged from 2 rooms to mansions with many rooms.
9. Great public bath and monstry were the building observed during excavation.
dimension of great bath – 7m x 12 m length x 2.4m and provision of water
proofing by laying layers of bitumen part of ritualistc bathing forming part of
Hindu temple.
10. High tech under ground drainage system provided with individual drainage
connection to every house and manholes at regular intervals. Excellent way
adjustment made contours adv-Town planning principal & preaches followed.
11. Water supply -1 well per 10 houses provided.
12. Design of Residential house” – Central courtyard concept “surrounded by no of
rooms around open space of central courtyard . External walls were heavily
wide with narrow entrance and no windows in external walls for protection &
Defence pts of view is an exemplary nothing of Design and Planning of
Residential housing unit.
B] Tigris & Euphrates River vaelly – Mesopotamian Civilization
Greek names Meso middle paramours river land between the rivers. Cradle of
civilization hosted the legendry garden of Eden (area of modern Iraq and part of
Syria.) Example of Babylonia (Gate of God)Civilization 2000 BC by Herodotus.
Features :-
1. Location - East of Euphrates river , 90 km south of Baghdad, Iraq surrounded
by villages and hamlets.
2. Economy base - Agriculture
3. City divided by river.
4. Remarkable collection of laws – Code of Hammurabi.
5. Protection to all classes of Babylonian society – Family unit against injustice
due to rich & powerful.
6. Nebuchadenezzar rules for 43 years – constructed Babylonian – restored
temples, hanging garden (604-562)- symbol of Art & Culture.
7. Population ranged from 10,000 to 50,000 generally one story house well to do
reach person’s house – to stored of dozen rooms plastered and white washed
in side and out . Mud bricks used .
8. Streets were narrow, irregular and winding, unpaved, untrained generally.
9. King hammurabi of Babylon (1800 BC) setup system of laws Hammurabi code
–building regulation for building & structures.
10. Summerian technology adoption in irrigation and agriculture- cnals, diks,weirs &
resevoirs constructed with engineering knowlegde and skill.
11. Artisans skilled in metalluragy and bleaching and dyeing, prepration of
perfumes, paints & cosmetics. Knowledge of Art & Specilaization . Art of
C] Nile River valley civilization (3000BC)
Salient Features:-
1. Lives of the people dedicated to and dictated by pharaoh king.
2. Towns were built for slaves artisans and workers
3. Huge barracles, cells of sundried bricks crowded about common court yards.
4. Narrow lanes serving as passages as well as open drainage sources.
5. Wall surrounded the towns protection of seasonal floods. Also to serve
protection against invading armies.
6. Climates hot dry desert sand on west and east hill on the east & south.
7. Recourses -Principally agricultural and land found to fertile.
*Study town Kahun (2650 to 3000BC)
1. Location on the bank & river Nile
2. Grid iron patterned network of roads
3. Ordinary workmen’s house were built – Elorgated streets – Italic chess board
pattern .
4. ¾ part of town occupied by noble men
5. Wall surrounded the tomb to protect against flood and escape of slaves.
6. Noble men house fifty rooms four halls for high officials. Mansion for nobles.
Workers house was with faculty 3 rooms, cottages for labour.
7. About ¼ part of town occupied by ¾ of population- workers engaed in near by
construction pyramid.
8. Narrow lines and passages even for drains.
Towns were mainly built for workers & slaves and also artisan engaged in
near by construction of pyramid. Dwellings were of different types of sizes.
Roofs were made of reeds covered with mud plaster. Ventilating device muguf
was used on the roofs (3000 BC). System was – warm air is pass through a
wind catcher placed at the roof to the basement which was filled with water.
Air pass through and get humidified was passed through perforated flooring of
ground floor to make rooms cool. Wind catcher was rotating to catch changing
direction of the wind. This is even now seen in some places e.g. In Iran –
Known Badgir.
D] Huang Ho, Yangtsekiyang (Yellow River) Vally Civilisation
Shang Dynasty (1700-1027 BC)
1. Civilisation Based on Agriculture, Hunting and animal husbandry.
2. Development of writing system on shells of tortoise and use of bronze
metallurgy .
3. Great city Shang was a capital city built by Chang Community on the bank of
Huang Ho River.
4. City surrounded by wall and houses oriented to north.
5. Houses built on elevated site. So that drainage became easier.
6. Houses with thatched Roof, Common houses of working class had mud walls &
thatched roof. Convenient palaces for higher officials of Kingdom. Houses of
Upper classes were constructed of Wood on raised platforms on beaten earth.
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