Urban Relations - Network for the Study of Cities in Ancient North Africa

在过去的20年里，出现了许多关于古代北非的新研究著作，最重要的是，使迄今为止被严重忽视的方面和时期成为焦点。然而，目前多元化的跨学科的个体研究大多局限于一个小的时间段或特定的主题或空间，缺乏综合性的研究。因此，拟议的网络为自己设定了一个目标，即利用目前存在的创新潜力，并首次尝试从长远角度审视古代北非城市从开始到伊斯兰扩张的各种发展。为此目的，该网络希望选择一种综合的方法，在这种方法中，城市被认为不是其单独的组成部分和其建成的中心，而是城市被理解为复杂的关系网络。与传统的方法相比，该网络打算改变视角，从城市的外部关系的角度来看待城市。从这一立场出发，城市的形成和发展将从城市与其近、远环境在各种紧密相连的层面上的相互交流关系来考察。在这个相互依存的关系系统中，重点特别放在（1）城市和景观，（2）城市及其周围环境，（3）城市和其他城市，（4）城市和其他形式的社区，（5）城市和oikumene之间的关系。这些不同层次的城市关系是密切相关的，并将在有针对性的纵向和横截面研究进行调查，以跟踪在古代北非城市生活的发展的多样性，通过城市的关系系统的分散视图从生活的城市形式的开始到伊斯兰扩张。通过这种方式，对北非城市生活的研究将被置于一个新的立足点上，并将解决在总体和比较研究中经常观察到的古代北非的边缘化问题。

In the last 20 years, numerous new research works on ancient North Africa have appeared and, above all, have brought hitherto strongly neglected aspects and periods into focus. However, the diverse interdisciplinary individual studies are mostly limited to a small period of time or specific topics or spaces; there has been a lack of comprehensive studies so far. The proposed network has therefore set itself the goal of taking up the innovative potential that currently exists and attempting, for the first time, to look at the diverse developments of cities in ancient North Africa from their beginnings to the Islamic expansion from a long-term perspective. For this purpose, the network wants to choose an integrative approach, with which the city is thought of less in terms of its individual components and its built-up centre, but rather the cities are understood as complex networks of relationships. In contrast to conventional approaches, the network intends to change the perspective and view the city from the perspective of its external relations. From this position, the formations and developments of urbanities are to be examined with regard to the communicative interrelationships between the city and its near and far surroundings on various closely interconnected levels. Within this interdependent system of relations, the focus is particularly on the relations between (1) cities and landscapes, (2) cities and their surroundings, (3) cities and other cities, (4) cities and other forms of communities, and (5) cities and the oikumene. These different levels of urban relations are closely interrelated and will be investigated in targeted longitudinal and cross-sectional studies in order to trace the diversity of developments in urban life in ancient North Africa through a decentralised view of the relational systems of cities from the beginnings of urban forms of life to the Islamic expansion. In this way, research on urban life in North Africa will be placed on a new footing and the often observed marginalisation of ancient North Africa in overarching and comparative studieswill be addressed.