essay
Cultural and political networks in the ancient Near East during the fourth and third millennia B.C.
uruk mesopotamia & its neighbors : cross-cultural interactions in the era of state formation • Sante Fe, Nm • Published In 2001 • Pages: 149-179
By: Nissen, Hans Jörg.
Abstract
In this article Nissen describes one of the greatest problems in the interpretation of events and trends in the Greater Mesopotamian region during the fourth millennium BC - the Uruk period. Despite a century of excavation work at Uruk-Warka, the collected data from the site is surprisingly mute on chronological issues, although it does convey the information that the city was of amazing size and internal complexity containing a society that was extremely formalized in its hierarchical organization. This hierarchy, built upon control of the city's hinterland and its labor potential, was unparalleled in the Uruk period. In order to understand the long-term trends at work in this region Nissen focuses on the entanglements of southern Mesopotamia and its neighbors in temporal and spatial contexts, even though much of his data remains hypothetical he presents it with the hope that future research will fill in the blanks and possibly correct the statements made in the study.
- HRAF PubDate
- 2000
- Region
- Middle East
- Sub Region
- Middle East
- Document Type
- essay
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Archaeologist
- Document Rating
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- John Beierle; 2006
- Field Date
- no date
- Coverage Date
- 6000-5000 BP (4000-3000 BC)
- Coverage Place
- Uruk-Warka, Iraq
- Notes
- Hans J. Nissen
- For bibliographical references see document 17:Rothman
- LCCN
- 2001049321
- LCSH
- Middle East--Civilization--To 622/Erech (Extinct city)