ABSTRACT
The western and south-western parts of Asia Minor are traditionally considered to have been heavily urbanized in Roman Imperial times. Even if the majority of the population continued to reside in the countryside, the general judgement that the urbanization process resulted in aspects of progress and economic growth prevails. This chapter addresses whether these trends were translated in the physical urban landscape. Although some evidence is available, buildings or places finding their main purpose in servicing the urban economy are not so typical for Asia Minor. At the same time, a lack of systematic research into facilities linked to the production sector continues to characterize the agenda of classical archaeology as performed in these regions. However, the question goes deeper. Even if there are signs for productive specialization in the agricultural and artisanal sectors in Roman Imperial times, were most communities not hitting the limits of regional energy availability and agricultural carrying capacity? On the whole, the urbanization process in these pre-industrial times seems to have been limited. Growth was possible to some degree, from the integration of urbanization, exploited territories and production specialization but seems to have been restricted in most cases by structural brakes in the social–ecological context. The development of urban communities is generally expected to hit the limits of sustainability, even if the population enjoyed relative qualities of life and even if there were a few endowed urban exceptions.
