Ancient Cities

I am interested in compiling a list of extremely ancient settlements, for the purpose of cross analysis. So far my list consists of:

Jarmo
Jericho
Catal Hyuk

All of these center on the middle east. I would like to add some other areas to this list as well. I have read up on several others before, but do not remember the names of them, and I hope perhaps some of you will, so that I may compare all of them. The similarities and differences should suggest some points of interest, which I will post as they become apparent.

Damascus is now the capital of Syria and is an estimated 8,000 years old being the oldest continually populated city in the world.

Jerf el-Ahmar is in Syria and supposedly 11,000 years old.
However, it is under water now because the government build a dam or something over the site.

Some links:

timelines.ws...

www.peak.org...

What's the age limit (3,000 years or older?)

What's the size limit (cities, or tribal features such as rock shelters and so forth?)

www.turkishnews.com...
In neolithic Anatolia (turkey) there were smaller towns along with Catal Hyuk. Tarsus, Hacilar, Urfa, etc. The oldest date for these is 7000 BC.

Cannanites, the ancestors of the Pheonecians and ancient cousins to the Hebrewes, from memory I think they go back just over 5,000 years to the founding of Beer-Sheeba and other sites, many in Syria. Similarities are tremendous in this area between religions, languages, and cultures. It is a very likely place to find common ground between cultures and plot out a proto-civilization for them all.

Thanks for all the additions! As for how ancient I am looking for, 5000 years old or older, and size to be at least villiage. Keep them coming! What is there in asia in that range? Africa? There are a few in britian too, grooved ware people sites. Does anyone remember the names for those settlements?

[Edited on 30-5-2004 by saturnine_sweet]

here you go this link has so many civilizations:
www.crystalinks.com...

Babylon
encarta.msn.com...(ancient_city).html

Edit: wanted to add another website
there are no city names, but it looked like a good article and might help a little.
www.vnn.org...


[Edited on 30-5-2004 by IKnowNothing]

Three magic words: Google, Yahoo, ATS. Im sure you'll find youre information.

Until recently, the oldest city was believed to be 4,000 years old. Now however, another has been recovered that is about 6,000 years old. located in a remote part of Syria located between the Tigris and Euphrates ...
www.meme.essortment.com...