Page 128 - Life & Land Use on the Bahrain Islands (Curtis E Larsen)

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imply monocausal explanations. Rather, it allows one to cope with multivariate
causes. Our examination of the effects of external trade on Bahrain fall within
this category of isolation but furnishes valuable constructs until more is known of
the other subsystems in operation.
Smith (1976) derives a variety of valuable and applicable insights from
extant populations in underdeveloped regions. She, building upon a base of
potential exogenous forces, notes:
Market exchange occurs sporadically in all kinds of societies,
but integrated marketing systems occur only in stratified
societies with a distinct class of non food producers who are
situated in urban or at least nucleated centers. Hie centers
and the elite class may arise as a result of either endogenous
or exogenous forces that transform the local social order, but
in any event the internal market system is instituted by an
elite class that requires regular and efficient food provisioning
. . . rural producers will intensify production and specialize
only if they have to—that is, if their "surpluses" are forcibly
withdrawn by an elite (Wolfe 1966). Adam Smith
notwithstanding, the main beneficiaries of rural intensified
production and specialization for the market are usually not
the rural producers. [Smith 1976:51]

Although this type of situation can occur as a result of either endogenous or
exogenous forces, it is hard to look solely at internal market development in the
case of Bahrain. Clearly a ruling elite exists on modern Bahrain and there is little
doubt that this was the case as early as the Barbar period. With this in mind, a
qualitative model may be constructed to better view and understand the major
peaks in land use noted for Bahrain.
Our model is developmental and relies strongly upon the observed patterns
of change from preurban to urban settlements in Mesopotamia by Adams and
Nissen (1972) and Wright and Johnson (1975). In general, the preurban
Mesopotamian settlement was small and undifferentiated, and had an uncertain
marketing status. Differentiation occurred with the formation of villages and
small and large towns. TTiese, in turn, gave way to one or more urban center. With
the attainment of urban proportions, Adams sees a concomitant abandonment of