Historical urban community sizes


This article lists historical urban community sizes based on the estimated populations of selected human settlements from 7000 BC – AD 2000, organized by archaeological periods.
Many of the figures are uncertain, especially in ancient times. Estimating population sizes before censuses were conducted is a difficult task.

Neolithic settlements

TownLocation7000 BC6000 BC5000 BC4000 BC3800 BC3700 BC
'Ain GhazalJordan2,000-2,500
BeidhaJordan1,000
ÇatalhöyükTurkey1,000–10,000
ÇayönüTurkey8630-7680
ChoirokoitiaCyprus300–6002,000
Lepenski VirSerbia150–1,000
Nea NikomedeiaGreece500–700
OkolisteBosnia and Herzegovina1,000–3,000
Vinča-Belo BrdoSerbia2,000–2,500
SeskloGreece1,000–5,000
DobrovodyUkraine16,00010,000–16,000
FedorovkaUkraine6,000
MehrgarhPakistan1,000–10,000
MaydanetsUkraine10,00010,000–46,000
NebelivkaUkraine17,000
TaliankiUkraine15,000–25,000–30,00010,000–15,000
Tell BrakSyria4,0005,000
UrukIraq5,000

Bronze Age

CityLocation3700 BC3400 BC3100 BC2800 BC2600 BC
AdabIraq11,000
AnshanIran10,00010,000
Bad-tibiraIraq16,000
EriduIraq6,000–10,000
Habuba KabiraSyria6,000–8,000
HarappaPakistan35,000
KishIraq40,000
LagashIraq40,000
Larak/LarsaIraq10,00010,000
Manika, GreeceGreece6,000–15,0006,000–15,000
MemphisEgypt30,000
Mohenjo-daroPakistan41,250
NekhenEgypt5,000–10,000
NippurIraq13,000
Shahr-i SokhtaIran20,000
ShuruppakIraq20,000
Suheri13,00010,000
SusaIran8,000
Tell BrakSyria8,00022,00020,000
Thebes, GreeceGreece4,000–6,000
UmmaIraq26,000
UrIraq6,000
UrukIraq8,000
14,000		20,00040,000–50,00080,00080,000

CityLocation2500 BC2300 BC2000 BC1800 BC1600 BC1360 BC1200 BC
AthensGreece10,00010,000–15,000
Akrotiri Greece8,000–30,000
AdabIraq13,00010,00010,00010,000
AkkadIraq36,000
AmarnaEgypt
AnshanIran10,00010,00010,00010,000
Avaris/Pi-RamsesEgypt100,000160,000
BabylonIraq65,00080,000
Dur-KurigalzuIraq
EblaSyria30,000
ErlitouChina24,000–35,000
HarappaPakistan10,000
HattusaTurkey40,00040,000
HazorIsrael
HeliopolisEgypt
HeracleopolisEgypt
IsinIraq40,00020,000
KermaSudan
KeshIraq11,000
KishIraq25,00010,00040,000
KnossosGreece1,300–2,00018,00020,00030,000
LagashIraq40,00010,00030,00010,000
Larak/LarsaIraq10,00040,00020,000
Manika, GreeceGreece6,000–15,0006,000–15,000
MaliaGreece5,000–10,000–12,500
MariSyria
MemphisEgypt30,000–35,00060,00030,00022,00032,00050,000
Mohenjo-daroPakistan20,00020,00010,000
Mozah15,00015,000
MycenaeGreece20,00030,000–35,00030,000
Namazga-TepeTurkmenistan14,00014,000
NekhenEgypt21,000
NinivehIraq23,00033,000
NippurIraq20,00010,00010,000
PalaikastroGreece18,000
San Lorenzo TenochtitlánMexico7,500
Shahr-i SokhtaIran20,00020,000
ShuruppakIraq17,000
Suheri10,00010,00010,000
SusaIran25,00025,000
TaosiChina10,00014,000
Tell BrakSyria15,00015,000
Tell Churra20,000
Tell LeilanSyria20,00020,000
ThebesEgypt40,00040,00080,00080,000
Thebes, GreeceGreece4,000–6,0008,000
TirynsGreece1,200–1,80010,00010,000–15,000
UmmaIraq34,00020,00010,00020,000
UrIraq60,000
65,000
UrukIraq50,00075,000
Yin China50,000–120,000
ZabalaIraq10,00010,00010,000
ZhengzhouChina35,000