This $106,623 Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) program (CFDA 47.075) supports a collaborative archaeological research project at the University of Illinois to study the relationship between neighborhood diversity, social investment, and urban development over time. The key objectives are to utilize non-invasive archaeological survey and targeted excavation to: 1) compare the material culture, infrastructure, and community engagement of neighborhoods at the geographic periphery of an ancient city to the central urban areas; and 2) assess whether peripheral neighborhoods were socially peripheral or fully integrated into the central city's activities and identity. The research aims to provide insights into how diversity in neighborhood-level participation may shape the historical trajectories of modern cities from a "bottom-up" perspective. This 3-year project will also provide opportunities for student training in archaeological field methods and community engagement.