Jean Bottero
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748613878
- eISBN:
- 9780748653584
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748613878.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
The civilisation of Ancient Mesopotamia flourished between 3300 BC and 2000 BC in the southern half of the lands between and either side of the Tigris and Euphrates, where a vast grain harvest (about ...
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The civilisation of Ancient Mesopotamia flourished between 3300 BC and 2000 BC in the southern half of the lands between and either side of the Tigris and Euphrates, where a vast grain harvest (about equal to Canada's today) supported a large and well-ordered population. The early development of cuneiform writing, the world's first phonetic script, means that, for the first time in the history of humanity, it is possible to learn something of how people thought and felt. This book aims to do just that and, as the reader soon finds out, succeeds triumphantly. It takes the reader on a voyage of discovery into the public and private realms of the lives of our first civilised ancestors – their cooking and eating, feasts and festivals, wine and drinking, love and sex, what women could do and what they could not, magic and medicine, trial by ordeal, life in a palace above and below stairs, astrology and divination, gods and religion, and literature and myth.Less
The civilisation of Ancient Mesopotamia flourished between 3300 BC and 2000 BC in the southern half of the lands between and either side of the Tigris and Euphrates, where a vast grain harvest (about equal to Canada's today) supported a large and well-ordered population. The early development of cuneiform writing, the world's first phonetic script, means that, for the first time in the history of humanity, it is possible to learn something of how people thought and felt. This book aims to do just that and, as the reader soon finds out, succeeds triumphantly. It takes the reader on a voyage of discovery into the public and private realms of the lives of our first civilised ancestors – their cooking and eating, feasts and festivals, wine and drinking, love and sex, what women could do and what they could not, magic and medicine, trial by ordeal, life in a palace above and below stairs, astrology and divination, gods and religion, and literature and myth.
Guillermo Algaze
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226013770
- eISBN:
- 9780226013787
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226013787.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
The alluvial lowlands of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in southern Mesopotamia are widely known as the “cradle of civilization”; owing to the scale of the processes of urbanization that took place ...
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The alluvial lowlands of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in southern Mesopotamia are widely known as the “cradle of civilization”; owing to the scale of the processes of urbanization that took place in the area by the second half of the fourth millennium bc. This book draws on the work of modern economic geographers to explore how the unique river-based ecology and geography of the Tigris–Euphrates alluvium impacted the development of urban civilization in southern Mesopotamia. It argues that these natural conditions granted southern polities significant competitive advantages over their landlocked rivals elsewhere in Southwest Asia, most importantly the ability to transport easily commodities. In due course, this resulted in increased trade and economic activity and higher population densities in the south than were possible elsewhere. As southern polities grew in scale and complexity throughout the fourth millennium, revolutionary new forms of labor organization and record keeping were created, and it is these socially created innovations, the author argues, that ultimately account for why fully developed city-states emerged earlier in southern Mesopotamia than elsewhere in Southwest Asia or the world.Less
The alluvial lowlands of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in southern Mesopotamia are widely known as the “cradle of civilization”; owing to the scale of the processes of urbanization that took place in the area by the second half of the fourth millennium bc. This book draws on the work of modern economic geographers to explore how the unique river-based ecology and geography of the Tigris–Euphrates alluvium impacted the development of urban civilization in southern Mesopotamia. It argues that these natural conditions granted southern polities significant competitive advantages over their landlocked rivals elsewhere in Southwest Asia, most importantly the ability to transport easily commodities. In due course, this resulted in increased trade and economic activity and higher population densities in the south than were possible elsewhere. As southern polities grew in scale and complexity throughout the fourth millennium, revolutionary new forms of labor organization and record keeping were created, and it is these socially created innovations, the author argues, that ultimately account for why fully developed city-states emerged earlier in southern Mesopotamia than elsewhere in Southwest Asia or the world.
Mushirul Hasan
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- October 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198063117
- eISBN:
- 9780199080199
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198063117.003.0052
- Subject:
- History, Indian History
The author continues his pilgrimage to Nejif and presents an account of the camals of Husseiny and Assuffy. He praises the late Nabob Assuf ad Dowleh and describes the cities of Hilla and Nejif, the ...
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The author continues his pilgrimage to Nejif and presents an account of the camals of Husseiny and Assuffy. He praises the late Nabob Assuf ad Dowleh and describes the cities of Hilla and Nejif, the Mausoleum of Aly, religious contemplation, his return to Bagdad, reasons why he first went to live with the British Consul, Mr Jone's mode of living, and manner of travelling in Irac. The author embarks on the Tigris.Less
The author continues his pilgrimage to Nejif and presents an account of the camals of Husseiny and Assuffy. He praises the late Nabob Assuf ad Dowleh and describes the cities of Hilla and Nejif, the Mausoleum of Aly, religious contemplation, his return to Bagdad, reasons why he first went to live with the British Consul, Mr Jone's mode of living, and manner of travelling in Irac. The author embarks on the Tigris.
Bertrand Lafont
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748613878
- eISBN:
- 9780748653584
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748613878.003.0012
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
The origins of the ordeal go back a very long way in history, and research into its oldest traces takes one back some 5,000 years to the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates. What gave its unity to the ...
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The origins of the ordeal go back a very long way in history, and research into its oldest traces takes one back some 5,000 years to the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates. What gave its unity to the civilisation that flourished there for 3,000 years was the use of cuneiform writing. ‘Invented’ by the Sumerians around 3000 BC, that writing enabled a wealth of records to be made of many political, religious, economic, cultural and social features peculiar to ancient Mesopotamia. Two of these features are attributed very early on to law and justice. All this documentation is evidence of a juridical way of thinking imprinted with empiricism, and a strongly material view of the law and justice. The second characteristic of that civilisation is the very special way it had of expressing its deep religiousness.Less
The origins of the ordeal go back a very long way in history, and research into its oldest traces takes one back some 5,000 years to the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates. What gave its unity to the civilisation that flourished there for 3,000 years was the use of cuneiform writing. ‘Invented’ by the Sumerians around 3000 BC, that writing enabled a wealth of records to be made of many political, religious, economic, cultural and social features peculiar to ancient Mesopotamia. Two of these features are attributed very early on to law and justice. All this documentation is evidence of a juridical way of thinking imprinted with empiricism, and a strongly material view of the law and justice. The second characteristic of that civilisation is the very special way it had of expressing its deep religiousness.
Shlomi Dinar and Ariel Dinar
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780520283077
- eISBN:
- 9780520958906
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520283077.003.0005
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter assesses the mechanisms introduced in Chapter 4 by considering actual cases and evaluating how the mechanism or strategy used contributed to cooperation. In addition to mechanisms such ...
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This chapter assesses the mechanisms introduced in Chapter 4 by considering actual cases and evaluating how the mechanism or strategy used contributed to cooperation. In addition to mechanisms such as issue-linkage, side-payments and compensation as well as benefit-sharing, the chapter also examines foreign policy considerations and reciprocity as mechanisms or strategies for promoting cooperation. Mechanisms and strategies such as these aim to incentivize cooperation and shift the payoff structure so that it favors a mutually beneficial outcome.Less
This chapter assesses the mechanisms introduced in Chapter 4 by considering actual cases and evaluating how the mechanism or strategy used contributed to cooperation. In addition to mechanisms such as issue-linkage, side-payments and compensation as well as benefit-sharing, the chapter also examines foreign policy considerations and reciprocity as mechanisms or strategies for promoting cooperation. Mechanisms and strategies such as these aim to incentivize cooperation and shift the payoff structure so that it favors a mutually beneficial outcome.
Matthew P. Canepa
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780520290037
- eISBN:
- 9780520964365
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520290037.003.0003
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Asian and Middle Eastern History: BCE to 500CE
Chapter 3 offer a new approach to the evidence that takes into account not just continuities with Persian practice, but also the Seleucid Empire’s breaks with Achaemenid traditions. I argue that the ...
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Chapter 3 offer a new approach to the evidence that takes into account not just continuities with Persian practice, but also the Seleucid Empire’s breaks with Achaemenid traditions. I argue that the Seleucid Empire strategically introduced stark and deliberately instituted changes in the Iranian world’s topography of power, architecture and religious traditions to create a new vision of Iranian, though not necessarily Persian, kingship. The Seleucids’ new topography of power and visual and ritual expressions of Irano-Macedonian charismatic kingship subsumed and transcended the traditions of Persia and Babylon alike. Ultimately, they laid the groundwork for new Iranian kingship.Less
Chapter 3 offer a new approach to the evidence that takes into account not just continuities with Persian practice, but also the Seleucid Empire’s breaks with Achaemenid traditions. I argue that the Seleucid Empire strategically introduced stark and deliberately instituted changes in the Iranian world’s topography of power, architecture and religious traditions to create a new vision of Iranian, though not necessarily Persian, kingship. The Seleucids’ new topography of power and visual and ritual expressions of Irano-Macedonian charismatic kingship subsumed and transcended the traditions of Persia and Babylon alike. Ultimately, they laid the groundwork for new Iranian kingship.
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226013770
- eISBN:
- 9780226013787
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226013787.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
This chapter begins with a discussion of how natural and created landscapes determine, reinforce, and compound each other in modern cities and their surrounding areas, which are applicable to earlier ...
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This chapter begins with a discussion of how natural and created landscapes determine, reinforce, and compound each other in modern cities and their surrounding areas, which are applicable to earlier cases of urban transformation. A case in point appears to be the crystallization of early Sumerian civilization in the alluvial lowlands of the Tigris–Euphrates rivers of southern Mesopotamia during the Uruk period, which is radiocarbon-dated ca. 3900/3800 to ca. 3200/3100 bc. An overview of the subsequent chapters is also presented.Less
This chapter begins with a discussion of how natural and created landscapes determine, reinforce, and compound each other in modern cities and their surrounding areas, which are applicable to earlier cases of urban transformation. A case in point appears to be the crystallization of early Sumerian civilization in the alluvial lowlands of the Tigris–Euphrates rivers of southern Mesopotamia during the Uruk period, which is radiocarbon-dated ca. 3900/3800 to ca. 3200/3100 bc. An overview of the subsequent chapters is also presented.
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226013770
- eISBN:
- 9780226013787
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226013787.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
This chapter explores the unique ecology and geography of the alluvial lowlands of the Tigris–Euphrates rivers during the fifth and fourth millennia bc. The former gave early polities in the area ...
More
This chapter explores the unique ecology and geography of the alluvial lowlands of the Tigris–Euphrates rivers during the fifth and fourth millennia bc. The former gave early polities in the area important advantages in agricultural productivity and subsistence resource resilience not possessed by potential rivals on their periphery, while the latter gave them enduring cost advantages in the accumulation and distribution of resources, both local and foreign, as a result of water transport. Derived entirely from what Cronon refers to as the “natural landscape,” these advantages created opportunities and incentives that made it both possible and probable that early Mesopotamian elites would see trade as a particularly viable way to legitimize and expand their unequal access to resources and power.Less
This chapter explores the unique ecology and geography of the alluvial lowlands of the Tigris–Euphrates rivers during the fifth and fourth millennia bc. The former gave early polities in the area important advantages in agricultural productivity and subsistence resource resilience not possessed by potential rivals on their periphery, while the latter gave them enduring cost advantages in the accumulation and distribution of resources, both local and foreign, as a result of water transport. Derived entirely from what Cronon refers to as the “natural landscape,” these advantages created opportunities and incentives that made it both possible and probable that early Mesopotamian elites would see trade as a particularly viable way to legitimize and expand their unequal access to resources and power.
Hussein A. Amery
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- January 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780197552636
- eISBN:
- 9780197554616
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780197552636.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Middle Eastern Politics
Using a Malthusian framework, Chapter 3 draws parallels between political economy of the Southeast Anatolian (Güneydoğu Anadolu Projesi or GAP) dam project in Turkey that affects water flow to the ...
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Using a Malthusian framework, Chapter 3 draws parallels between political economy of the Southeast Anatolian (Güneydoğu Anadolu Projesi or GAP) dam project in Turkey that affects water flow to the downstream neighbors of Syria and Iraq on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) nearing completion on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia – a project that will impound waters destined for Egypt. It finds that in each case, geographical and hydropolitical positioning are the essential elements of downstream state insecurity and therefore a significant causes of deteriorating relations within the respective river basins. While noting that although the riparian states in question have long histories of tension and distrust, the historical record shows that the vast majority of global water disputes are settled peacefully. The chapter presents evidence that in the lower riparian states, rapid population growth, infrastructure development, and climate change present adverse and cumulative effects on water supplies and water management. The author concludes with the argument that the convergence of these factors points to a likely future of water scarcity-induced conflict absent the introduction of policies to boost irrigation efficiency and improve water governance.Less
Using a Malthusian framework, Chapter 3 draws parallels between political economy of the Southeast Anatolian (Güneydoğu Anadolu Projesi or GAP) dam project in Turkey that affects water flow to the downstream neighbors of Syria and Iraq on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) nearing completion on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia – a project that will impound waters destined for Egypt. It finds that in each case, geographical and hydropolitical positioning are the essential elements of downstream state insecurity and therefore a significant causes of deteriorating relations within the respective river basins. While noting that although the riparian states in question have long histories of tension and distrust, the historical record shows that the vast majority of global water disputes are settled peacefully. The chapter presents evidence that in the lower riparian states, rapid population growth, infrastructure development, and climate change present adverse and cumulative effects on water supplies and water management. The author concludes with the argument that the convergence of these factors points to a likely future of water scarcity-induced conflict absent the introduction of policies to boost irrigation efficiency and improve water governance.
Paul A. Williams
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- January 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780197552636
- eISBN:
- 9780197554616
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780197552636.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Middle Eastern Politics
Chapter 3 explores how Turkey, the beneficiary of nearly completed major dam projects, and situated at the headwaters of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, is nearly in a position as the upstream state ...
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Chapter 3 explores how Turkey, the beneficiary of nearly completed major dam projects, and situated at the headwaters of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, is nearly in a position as the upstream state to complete its long march to full hydro-hegemony – physical control over flow of water into Syria and Iraq and the Kurdish enclaves that is needed to meet much of their water requirements. Noting that the Turkish government has already used its control over water flow as leverage to pressure Syria to drop its support of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), a separatist militia, the chapter presents evidence that hydro-hegemony can actually be operationalized to create both positive and negative outcomes for the downstream entities. Turkey’s motivations to choose either path are based on a complicated and rapidly evolving regional security architecture surveyed in the chapter.Less
Chapter 3 explores how Turkey, the beneficiary of nearly completed major dam projects, and situated at the headwaters of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, is nearly in a position as the upstream state to complete its long march to full hydro-hegemony – physical control over flow of water into Syria and Iraq and the Kurdish enclaves that is needed to meet much of their water requirements. Noting that the Turkish government has already used its control over water flow as leverage to pressure Syria to drop its support of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), a separatist militia, the chapter presents evidence that hydro-hegemony can actually be operationalized to create both positive and negative outcomes for the downstream entities. Turkey’s motivations to choose either path are based on a complicated and rapidly evolving regional security architecture surveyed in the chapter.
Marcus DuBois King
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- January 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780197552636
- eISBN:
- 9780197554616
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780197552636.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, Middle Eastern Politics
Chapter 4 establishes Iraqi Kurdistan as a de-facto riparian actor the Tigris and Euphrates River System explaining that it is blessed with abundant water resources that are now under increasing ...
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Chapter 4 establishes Iraqi Kurdistan as a de-facto riparian actor the Tigris and Euphrates River System explaining that it is blessed with abundant water resources that are now under increasing stress. Changing demographics, dam building in neighbouring countries, and drought have brought Kurdish hydropolitics to a critical juncture where two distinct water futures of abundance or scarcity are possible depending in large part on policy decisions limited by regional security concerns. The chapter problematizes a spectrum of potential water conflict in this context and finds that outbreaks might be sparked by three historical realities: (1) systemic precedence for hydro-hegemonic behaviour—the monopolization of water by a single country—in the Tigris and Euphrates River Basin (2) a record of deployment of the water weapon during contemporary conflicts in Syria and Iraq and (3) conflicting views of ownership and rights to the Tigris and Euphrates river among the riparian countries. Ultimately, the chapter argues that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) must recognize these realities, and use this understanding to develop a comprehensive strategy that will guarantee sufficient water for Iraqi Kurdistan’s people while maintaining the ability to use water as political leverage in support of designs toward autonomy or, more altruistically, to improve the quality of life for all Iraqis.Less
Chapter 4 establishes Iraqi Kurdistan as a de-facto riparian actor the Tigris and Euphrates River System explaining that it is blessed with abundant water resources that are now under increasing stress. Changing demographics, dam building in neighbouring countries, and drought have brought Kurdish hydropolitics to a critical juncture where two distinct water futures of abundance or scarcity are possible depending in large part on policy decisions limited by regional security concerns. The chapter problematizes a spectrum of potential water conflict in this context and finds that outbreaks might be sparked by three historical realities: (1) systemic precedence for hydro-hegemonic behaviour—the monopolization of water by a single country—in the Tigris and Euphrates River Basin (2) a record of deployment of the water weapon during contemporary conflicts in Syria and Iraq and (3) conflicting views of ownership and rights to the Tigris and Euphrates river among the riparian countries. Ultimately, the chapter argues that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) must recognize these realities, and use this understanding to develop a comprehensive strategy that will guarantee sufficient water for Iraqi Kurdistan’s people while maintaining the ability to use water as political leverage in support of designs toward autonomy or, more altruistically, to improve the quality of life for all Iraqis.
