The Ancient Mesopotamian City

Front Cover
Clarendon Press, Nov 13, 1997 - 284 pages
Urban history starts in ancient Mesopotamia. In this volume Marc Van De Mieroop examines the evolution of the very earliest cities which, for millennia, inspired the rest of the ancient world. The city determined every aspect of Mesopotamian civilization, and the political and social structure, economy, literature, and arts of Mesopotamian culture cannot be understood without acknowledging their urban background. - ;Urban history starts in ancient Mesopotamia: the earliest known cities developed there as the result of long indigenous processes, and, for millennia, the city determined every aspect of Mesopotamian civilization. Marc Van De Mieroop examines urban life in the historical period, investigating urban topography, the role of cities as centres of culture, their political and social structures, economy, literature, and the arts. He draws on material from the entirety of Mesopotamian history, from c. 3000 to 300 BC, and from both Babylonia and Assyria, arguing that the Mesopotamian city can be regarded as a prototype that inspired the rest of the ancient world and shared characteristics with the European cities of antiquity. -
 

Contents

City and Society in Ancient Mesopotamia
1
The Origins and Character of the Mesopotamian City
23
The Mesopotamian View
42
The Urban Landscape
63
Social Organization
101
King Citizens and Officials
118
Feeding the Citizens
142
Crafts and Commerce
176
Credit and Management
197
Cities as Centres of Religion and Learning
215
The Eclipse of the Ancient Mesopotamian City
229
The Ancient Mesopotamian City
248
Index
265
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