The extent of the Uruk influence on its hinterland during the periods between Late Uruk and Early Dynastic I (late 4th - early 3rd millennia BCE) is marked by a belt void of settlements. The size of the area between the city and the belt is confronted with the size of the population during these periods, and it is suggested that it sufficed to feed both the city and the settlements within this area.
This abundantly illustrated volume explores the genesis and flourishing of Uruk, the first known metropolis in the history of humankind. More than one hundred years ago, discoveries from a German archaeological dig at Uruk, roughly two hundred miles south of present-day Baghdad, sent shock waves through the scholarly world. Founded at the end of the fifth millennium BCE, Uruk was the main force for urbanization in what has come to be called the Uruk period (4000–3200 BCE), during which small, agricultural villages gave way to a larger urban center with a stratified society, complex governmental bureaucracy, and monumental architecture and art. It was here that proto-cuneiform script—the earliest known form of writing—was developed around 3400 BCE. Uruk is known too for the epic tale of its hero-king Gilgamesh, among the earliest masterpieces of world literature. Containing 480 images, this volume represents the most comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the archaeological evidence gathered at Uruk. More than sixty essays by renowned scholars provide glimpses into the life, culture, and art of the first great city of the ancient world. This volume will be an indispensable reference for readers interested in the ancient Near East and the origins of urbanism.
Hans J. Nissen here provides a much-needed overview of 7000 years of development in the ancient Near East from the beginning of settled life to the formation of the first regional states. His approach to the study of Mesopotamian civilization differs markedly from conventional orientations, which impose a sharp division between prehistoric and historic, literate, periods. Nissen argues that this approach is too rigid to explain the actual development of that civilization. He deemphasizes the invention of writing as a turning point, viewing it as simply one more phase in the evolution of social complexity and as the result of specific social, economic, and political factors. With a unique combination of material culture analysis written data, Nissan traces the emergence of the earliest isolated settlements, the growth of a network of towns, the emergence of city states, and finally the appearance of territorial states. From his synthesis of the prehistoric and literate periods comes a unified picture of the development of Mesopotamian economy, society, and culture. Lavishly illustrated, The Early History of the Ancient Near East, 9000-2000 B.C. is an authoritative work by one of the most insightful observers of the evolution and character of Mesopotamian civilization.
The growth of Greek cities in the first millennium BC / Ian Morris -- Did the population of imperial Rome reproduce itself? / Elio Lo Cascio -- Epidemics, age at death, and mortality in ancient Rome / Richard R. Paine and Glenn R. Storey -- Seasonal mortality in imperial Rome and the Mediterranean : three problem cases / Brent D. Shaw -- Population relationships in and around medieval Danish towns / Hans Christian Petersen, Jesper L. Boldsen, and Richard R. Paine -- Colonial and postcolonial New York : issues of size, scale, and structure / Nan A. Rothschild -- An urban population from Roman Upper Egypt / Roger S. Bagnall -- Precolonial African cities : size and density / Chapurukha Kusimba, Sibel Barut Kusimba, and Babatunde Agbaje-Williams -- Urbanization in China : Erlitou and its hinterland / Li Liu -- Population growth and change in the ancient city of Kyongju / Sarah M. Nelson -- Population dynamics and urbanism in premodern island Southeast Asia / Laura Lee Junker -- Identifying Tiwanaku urban populations : style, identity, and ceremony in Andean cities / John Wayne Janusek and Deborah E. Blom -- Late classic Maya population : characteristics and implications / Don S. Rice -- Mortality through time in an impoverished residence of the Precolumbian city of Teotihuacan : a paleodemographic view / Rebecca Storey -- The evolution of regional demography and settlement in the prehispanic Basin of Mexico / L.J. Gorenflo -- Factoring the countryside into urban populations / David B. Small -- Shining stars and black holes : population and preindustrial cities / Deborah L. Nichols.
This substantial volume presents the results of the Mashkan-shapir project which surveyed the extensive remains of this Old Babylonian city to the north of Nippur in the deserts of Iraq.
The Sumerian World explores the archaeology, history and art of southern Mesopotamia and its relationships with its neighbours from c.3,000 - 2,000BC. Including material hitherto unpublished from recent excavations, the articles are organised thematically using evidence from archaeology, texts and the natural sciences. This broad treatment will also make the volume of interest to students looking for comparative data in allied subjects such as ancient literature and early religions. Providing an authoritative, comprehensive and up to date overview of the Sumerian period written by some of the best qualified scholars in the field, The Sumerian World will satisfy students, researchers, academics, and the knowledgeable layperson wishing to understand the world of southern Mesopotamia in the third millennium.
BLACKWELL HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT WORLD A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000–323 BC Fourth Edition “This marvelous book is a classic, and deservedly so. This new edition brings the history up to date with revelations from newly published cuneiform tablets and recent archaeological excavations.” —Amanda H. Podany, Professor of History, Cal Poly Pomona “An outstanding resource for studying the history of the ANE... It is remarkable to find a volume with this subject matter that is as clear and as engaging as what Van De Mieroop has offered here." —Kurtis Peters, RBECS Now in its fourth edition, A History of the Ancient Near East remains one of the most accessible introductions to the rich and complex history of the region available. Integrating original sources, up-to-date scholarship, and extensive supplementary materials, this popular textbook provides student-friendly coverage of the origins of the first cities in Mesopotamia, the growth of the Babylonian and Hittite kingdoms, and the rise of the Assyrian and Persian empires. With an easy-to-understand narrative style, noted historian and lecturer Marc Van De Mieroop guides students through the extraordinary multicultural civilizations of the ancient Near Eastern world. Clear and straightforward chapters describe a wide variety of political, social, and cultural developments, beginning from the invention of writing circa 3000 BC and ending with the conquests of Alexander the Great. This new edition is fully revised to reflect the latest developments in the field, including entirely new sections on recent archaeological discoveries and textual findings. Streamlined and improved chapters are complemented with detailed maps, historical timelines, images and illustrations, and an extensive and up-to-date bibliography. A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000–323 BC, Fourth Edition, is an ideal textbook for undergraduate and introductory graduate courses on archaeology or ancient Near Eastern history, as well as a valuable resource for general readers with an interest in the ancient world and the Bible.
This volume of essays dedicated to Robert McCormick Adams reflects both the breadth of his research and the select themes upon which he focused his attention. These essays written by his students and disciples focus on issues in Near Eastern archaeology but range as far afield as the Indus Valley and Mesoamerica. They are also concentrate on aspects of early complex society, but some refer back to the late Neolithic and others forward to Islamic times. The key foci of Adams' work are reflected in this collection: ecology, frontiers, urbanism, trade and technology are all explored. Yet in spite of the breadth of the scope of this volume, the various intellectual threads pioneered by Adams serve to tie the volume together. These include the use of multiple lines of evidence to attack problems, the use of a comparative approach - including the use of ethnographic analogy-as a means of understanding the development of early states, the importance of the continuum of settlement between city dwellers, farmers, marsh dwellers and pastoralists, and an overall appreciation of cultural ecology.
