The bearded man and the pig-tailed women : hierarchy-enacting practices in Late Chalcolithic Mesopotamia
During the Middle to Late Uruk period (ca. 3800-3100 BC) in greater Mesopotamia and its surrounding regions, there emerged for the first time in human history a series of early complex polities. Within these polities human labour was harnessed and consolidated to serve the interests of the proto bureaucratic organisations that governed them. These organisations were controlled by elites who classified society in new hierarchical terms, which both reproduced and legitimated their dominance and power. This thesis examines this phenomenon in three sites in greater Mesopotamia where there was evidence of early complex polity formation: Uruk-Warka, Godin Tepe, and Arslantepe. It considers how the stratification of society in these sites was expressed through ~hierarchy-enacting practices~ associated with the administrative artefacts used by the proto bureaucratic organisations intent on legitimating elite power. It examines the iconographic representations placed upon the artefacts, the material practices undertaken with them, and the built environment in which they circulated. It asks who or what participated in organisational activities involving the artefacts and where these activities took place, and then situates
Beckman, Christopher
The bearded man and the pig-tailed women : hierarchy-enacting practices in Late Chalcolithic Mesopotamia. During the Middle to Late Uruk period (ca. 3800-3100 BC) in greater Mesopotamia and its surrounding regions, there emerged for the first time in human history a series of early complex polities. Within these polities human labour was harnessed and consolidated to serve the interests of the proto bureaucratic organisations that governed them. These organisations were controlled by elites who classified society in new hierarchical terms, which both reproduced and legitimated their dominance and power. This thesis examines this phenomenon in three sites in greater Mesopotamia where there was evidence of early complex polity formation: Uruk-Warka, Godin Tepe, and Arslantepe. It considers how the stratification of society in these sites was expressed through ~hierarchy-enacting practices~ associated with the administrative artefacts used by the proto bureaucratic organisations intent on legitimating elite power. It examines the iconographic representations placed upon the artefacts, the material practices undertaken with them, and the built environment in which they circulated. It asks who or what participated in organisational activities involving the artefacts and where these activities took place, and then situates
man pig woman hierarchy enacting practice late_chalcolithic mesopotamia middle_late uruk period great mesopotamia surround_region emerge first_time human_history series early complex polity within polity human labour harness consolidated serve interest proto bureaucratic organisation govern them organisation control elite classify society new hierarchical term reproduce legitimate dominance power examines phenomenon three_site great mesopotamia evidence early complex polity formation uruk considers stratification society site express hierarchy enacting practices associate administrative artefact use proto bureaucratic organisation intent legitimate elite power examines iconographic representation place_upon artefact material practice undertake build_environment circulate asks participate organisational activity_involve artefact activity_take_place situates