The scale and extent of political economies of the Middle Bronze Age JazÄ"rah and the BilÄd al-Ć Äm (c. 1800-1600 BCE)
The present thesis investigates the material scale of six political economies distributed across the dry-farming plains and piedmonts of the Middle Bronze Age JazÄ"rah and the BilÄd al-Ć Äm. This is done using a comparative and interdisciplinary approach combining the large-scale analysis of administrative cuneiform texts with the compilation of relevant archaeological survey datasets. Drawing on theories and methods developed in landscape archaeology and historical sociology, the thesis builds a regional analysis of economic scale through a focus on three analytical units; the institutional household, the parent site, and the associated micro-region. Based on a dataset extracted from c. 1500 administrative cuneiform texts from the six study sites, the analytical chapters present a comprehensive discussion of the socio-economic and technological context of chief agricultural and animal resources and the material scale of their production, manipulation, circulation, and consumption. These investigations are undertaken focusing on three spheres of social action, namely the urban neighbourhood, agricultural regimes, and livestock management. The analysis concludes by drawing together quantitative data on various
Rattenborg, Rune
The scale and extent of political economies of the Middle Bronze Age JazÄ"rah and the BilÄd al-Ć Äm (c. 1800-1600 BCE). The present thesis investigates the material scale of six political economies distributed across the dry-farming plains and piedmonts of the Middle Bronze Age JazÄ"rah and the BilÄd al-Ć Äm. This is done using a comparative and interdisciplinary approach combining the large-scale analysis of administrative cuneiform texts with the compilation of relevant archaeological survey datasets. Drawing on theories and methods developed in landscape archaeology and historical sociology, the thesis builds a regional analysis of economic scale through a focus on three analytical units; the institutional household, the parent site, and the associated micro-region. Based on a dataset extracted from c. 1500 administrative cuneiform texts from the six study sites, the analytical chapters present a comprehensive discussion of the socio-economic and technological context of chief agricultural and animal resources and the material scale of their production, manipulation, circulation, and consumption. These investigations are undertaken focusing on three spheres of social action, namely the urban neighbourhood, agricultural regimes, and livestock management. The analysis concludes by drawing together quantitative data on various
scale extent political_economy middle_bronze_age present investigate material scale political_economy distribute_across dry farming plain middle_bronze_age use comparative interdisciplinary combine large_scale analysis administrative cuneiform text compilation relevant_archaeological survey datasets drawing theory_method develop landscape_archaeology historical sociology build regional analysis economic scale focus_three analytical unit institutional household parent site associate micro region based dataset extract administrative cuneiform text study site analytical present_comprehensive discussion socio_economic technological context chief agricultural animal resource material scale_production manipulation circulation consumption investigation undertake focus_three sphere social_action namely urban neighbourhood agricultural regime livestock management analysis conclude draw_together quantitative_data various