article

The balance of trade in southwestern Asia in the mid-third millennium B.C.

Current anthropology • 19 (3) • Published In 1978 • Pages: 463-492

By: Kohl, Philip L..

Abstract

Kohl discusses a site in Iran called Tepe Yahya, one site where elaborate stone bowls were manufactured for export. These stone bowls were distributed from Uzbekistan and the Indus Valley to Syria. Some of these Tepe Yahya bowls have been found in the royal tombs at Ur. Kohl then uses the bowls to discuss possible foreign trade between Mesopotamia and Khuzistan and the Iranian plateau. Kohl points out that Mesopotamia had large surpluses of food and textiles and that these items could have been traded for metals, turquoise, lapis lazuli, and other materials that the alluvial plains lacked. Early Dynastic temples helped finace some of this foreign trade. Comments by 15 anthropologists follow the article along with Kohl's reply to them.

HRAF PubDate

2003

Region

Middle East

Sub Region

Middle East

Document Type

article

Evaluation

Creator Type

Archaeologist

Document Rating

4: Excellent Secondary Data

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Sarah Berry ; 2001

Field Date

not specified

Coverage Date

5th millenium BP or 5000 BP-4000 BP (3rd millennium B.C. or 3000 B.C.-2000 B.C.)

Coverage Place

Mesopotamia; Iran and Iraq

Notes

by Philip L. Kohl

Comments by Lucien R. Bäck, Henri J. M. Claessen, Antonio Gilman, Christopher L. Hamlin, Kensaku Hayashi, C.C. Lamberg-Karlovsky, Hans J. Niessen, Joan Oats, Akira Ono, Daniel Potts, H. D. Sankalia, Jim G. Shaffer, Wilhelm G. Solheim II, Mark V. Stark, Trevor Watkins

Includes bibliographical references (p. 489-492)

LCCN

a 63000576

LCSH

Iraq--Civilization--To 634