Early Dynastic Mesopotamia

expand_more Description

The Early Dynastic Mesopotamia tradition is found on the lower Tigris, Euphrates, and Diyala river valleys, ca. 4900-4334 BP. The region included some twenty to thirty city-states, each with a principle center linked to smaller towns and villages. Walled cities had a central temple surrounded by auxiliary religious and political buildings, and workshops. The economy was based on irrigation agriculture and animal husbandry. Powerful leaders, often referred to as kings, headed a complex hierarchical political system. Two distinctive artifacts of the period were cylinder seals and votive statues.

Identifier

Region

• Middle East

Subregion

• Middle East

Subsistence Type

• agro-pastoralists

Samples

• SRS

Countries

• Iran
• Iraq
• Syria