- Near Eastern Archaeology, Early Dynastic Mesopotamia, Mesopotamian Archaeology, Ancient Near East (Archaeology), Mesopotamia History, Household Archaeology, and 102 moreAncient Near Eastern Glyptic, Conspicuous Consumption, Ancient Near Eastern Art, Near Eastern Studies, Assyriology Sumerology Akkadian Sumerian Sumerian & Akkadian literature Sumerian Religion Mesopotamia History Ancient Mesopotamian Religions Cuneiform Ancient Near East Ancient Near Estern Languages Religious Studies, Sumerian, Functional Analysis, archaeology in Iraq, Sacred spaces and conservation, Contextual Archaeology, The archaeology of death, Archaeology, Art History, Ancient economies (Archaeology), Early Dynastic Sumer, Mesoptamian archaeology, Digital design, Archaeological Database, Digital Archaeology, Funerary Archaeology, Archaeological Method & Theory, Social Complexity, Complex Societies, State Formation Process, Political Economy, Commodity Branding, Behavioral Archaeology, Economic archaeology, Evolutionary Game Theory, Evolution of cooperation (Evolutionary Biology), Collective Behavior, Comparative Civilizations (Archaeology), Archaeology of States, Development of complex societies, Collective Action, Collective Action Theory, Refuse disposal, Social Complexity (Archaeology), Social Stratification, Social Inequality, Chaos/Complexity Theory, Chaos Theory, Nonlinear dynamics, Peer-Polity Interaction, City-states, Economic Anthropology, Economic Sociology, Ancient Metals, Archeometallurgy, Ancient Metal Technology, Ancient Metallurgy, Behavioral Economics, Residue Analysis (Archaeology), Archaeology of Beer and Cereal Fermentation, Drinking practices (Anthropology), Anthropology Of Consumption, Commodification, Commodification (Anthropology), Commoditization, Ancient Administrative System and Cuniform Archives, Ancient Administration, Ancient Seals and Sealings, Sealing Systems, Economic History, Foodways (Anthropology), Ancient Near Eastern Economy, Early State Formation, The archaeology of state formation, Iranian Archaeology, Iran, Proto-Elamite Period, Proto Literate Archaeology (Uruk and Proto Elamite Periods), Digital Humanities, Digital Heritage, Archaeological Graphics & Illustration, Site Abandonment (Archaeology), Archaeological Site Formation Processes, Archaeological Soil Micromorphology, Photogrammetry, Moral Economy, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Agent-based modeling, Complexity Theory, Complex Adaptive Systems, Agent Based Simulation, Medieval Paris, History of Paris, Crop Processing and Storage, Silos, Gift Exchange, Gift Giving (Economic Anthropology), Consumption and Material Culture, Egyptian-south Levantine Interconnections, Naqada culture, state formation period, Egyptian Dynasty 0 presence in Southern Levant, Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt, Materiality (Anthropology), Network Analysis, Institutional Work, Organization Theory, Organizational Theory, State Formation, and Quantitative Historyedit
- I apply an interdisciplinary approach, bridging archaeology and economics, to the analysis of ancient societies, with... moreI apply an interdisciplinary approach, bridging archaeology and economics, to the analysis of ancient societies, with particular focus on the development of political institutions in Bronze Age Mesopotamia and on the nexus between cooperation, violence and state formation in the ancient worldedit
Despite its apparently obvious conclusion that adverse environmental conditions must produce economic and institutional crises, the "collapse archaeology" literature has been criticized for its lack of a formal theory, a credible... more
Despite its apparently obvious conclusion that adverse environmental conditions must produce economic and institutional crises, the "collapse archaeology" literature has been criticized for its lack of a formal theory, a credible measurement strategy and a proper understanding of the roles of environmental shocks. To tackle this issue, we propose to combine a time inconsistency theory of state formation and evolutiondi.e., state-building, institutional proxies based on this model and highly granular simulated climate data. To clarify our proposal, we apply it to the study of state-building in Bronze Age Mesopotamia, and we show that moderate droughts shaped these economies directly via deteriorated production conditions as well as indirectly via institutional resilience.
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We study the possible cooperation between nonelites exerting an unobservable effort and elites unable to commit to direct transfers and, thus, always assure the nonelites’ participation. The elites can, however, incentivize investment by... more
We study the possible cooperation between nonelites exerting an unobservable effort and elites unable to commit to direct transfers and, thus, always assure the nonelites’ participation. The elites can, however, incentivize investment by granting to the nonelites strong property rights to the input and a more inclusive political process, which entrusts them with control over fiscal policies. Adverse production conditions force the elites to enact strong nonelites’ political and property rights to convince them that a sufficient part of the returns on joint investments will be shared via public good provision. These reforms assure cooperation. When, instead, the expected investment return is large, the elites keep control over fiscal policies but refrain from weakening the nonelites’ property rights, while strengthening their own, if the production conditions are sufficiently opaque. Then, the expected cost of providing the extra public good guaranteeing the nonelites’ participation is too large. These predictions are consistent with novel data on 44 major Mesopotamian polities observed for each half-century from 3050 to 1750 BCE. While a lower growing season temperature favored a larger division of the decision-making power and stronger farmers’ use rights to land, only the latter are related to the diffusion of the very opaque viticulture. In addition, only the inclusiveness of the political process fostered the provision of public and ritual buildings as well as conscripted armies. Crucially, our results are robust to considering the trade potential, the severity of conflicts, and the degree of urbanization.
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Research Interests:
Emergent institutions are considered pivotal in the shift from small-scale to urban, and politically- centralized societies in the ancient Near East. Despite the abundance of evidence on this phenomenon, a detailed definition of the... more
Emergent institutions are considered pivotal in the shift from small-scale to urban, and politically- centralized societies in the ancient Near East. Despite the abundance of evidence on this phenomenon, a detailed definition of the “structures and performances” of emergent political institutions is yet to be offered, making early Mesopotamian institutions as de facto black boxes. This paper focuses on the construction of large-scale networks by political institutions in Late Chalcolithic Mesopotamia with the aim of reframing narratives on their developmental traits. The article draws on archaeological, textual and anthropological evidence for attempting to define some determinants of institutional behaviors and political economies in early urban Mesopotamia.
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Abstract The focus of archaeologists on reconstructing exchange and communication networks in the past resulted in the enormous improvement of methods for analyzing material flows and detecting trade routes. However, our understanding of... more
Abstract The focus of archaeologists on reconstructing exchange and communication networks in the past resulted in the enormous improvement of methods for analyzing material flows and detecting trade routes. However, our understanding of the determinants of trade patterns over time and space is still limited. To help tackle this issue, we study through regression analysis the rich economic and institutional experience of Bronze Age Greater Mesopotamia. Our testable predictions originate from three main economic theories of trade expansion. First, because of trade costs, mutually beneficial exchanges are discouraged by distance and encouraged by the relative size of markets. Second, trade expands when more suitable farming conditions in neighboring polities allow consumption risk-sharing. Finally, trade develops when interlocking exchange circuits ease the canalization of goods from the outside by providing secure routes, a more certain resolution of legal disputes and credit provision. Ordinary Least Squares—OLS—estimates based on data on 44 major Mesopotamian polities observed for each half-century between 3050 and 1750 BCE are consistent with these predictions. Our approach provides a robust theory-based empirical strategy for integrating archaeological, environmental, and historical data and calls for a tighter interdisciplinary cooperation.
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Research Interests:
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ABSTRACT
Research Interests:
Despite the vast evidence on the short-run effects of adverse climate shocks on the economy, our understanding of their long-run impact on institutions is limited. To tackle such a key issue, a vast body of research has focused on ancient... more
Despite the vast evidence on the short-run effects of adverse climate shocks on the economy, our understanding of their long-run impact on institutions is limited. To tackle such a key issue, a vast body of research has focused on ancient societies because of the limited complexity of their economies and their unparalleled experience with environmental and institutional change. Notably, the “collapse archaeology” literature has reported countless correlations consistent with the mantra that severe droughts are bound to trigger institutional crises. This conclusion, however, has been recently challenged by a stream of papers that, building on more detailed data on Bronze Age Mesopotamia and a more credible theory-based empirical strategy, have yielded the following two results. First, severe droughts pushed the elites to grant strong political and property rights to the nonelites to convince them that a sufficient part of the returns on joint investments would be shared via public go...
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Research Interests:
This paper draws on the preliminary results of the QADIS survey project, conducted by the University of Bologna and the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage since 2016 in the Qadisiyah province. The project addresses phenomena... more
This paper draws on the preliminary results of the QADIS survey project, conducted by the University of Bologna and the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage since 2016 in the Qadisiyah province. The project addresses phenomena related to anthropogenic transformation of landscapes in a region that was at the core of the early Mesopotamian urbanization process. Building upon the seminal work conducted by R. McC. Adams in the 1960 s and 1970 s, we implemented an integrated documentation technique to reconstruct at regional levels the changes in the dense network of human settlements and artificial water infrastructures characterizing the evolution of this archaeological landscape over time. The aim of the article is that of providing a finer-grained regional picture of 4th and 3rd millennium BC urban developments which can be useful for better conceptualizing the scale and pace of early Mesopotamian urbanism.
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The 2009 and 2010 excavation campaigns conducted by the joint Turco-Italian expedition at Taslı Geçit Höyük (Gaziantep, Turkey) aimed at understating the urban layout of the site during the Bronze and Iron Ages. In the northernmost part... more
The 2009 and 2010 excavation campaigns conducted by the joint Turco-Italian expedition at Taslı Geçit Höyük (Gaziantep, Turkey) aimed at understating the urban layout of the site during the Bronze and Iron Ages. In the northernmost part of the acropolis, namely Area A, a monumental fortress building, dating to the Late Bronze I was uncovered. The purpose of this paper is to analyse stratigraphy, architecture, as well as the associated materials. Fortress A will also be discussed in the light of the defensive architecture tradition in Anatolia and Syro-Palestine during the Middle and Late Bronze Age periods.
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Research Interests:
Overwhelming evidence suggests that a “culture of cooperation,” which is the implicit reward from cooperating in any economic activity, represents one of the most successful humanly devised social structures. Yet, our understanding of its... more
Overwhelming evidence suggests that a “culture of cooperation,” which is the implicit reward from cooperating in any economic activity, represents one of the most successful humanly devised social structures. Yet, our understanding of its determinants and impact is still limited. To clarify these issues, we propose a time inconsistency theory of state-building and we document that, in the world's most agricultural countries, adverse climate shocks push the nonelites to accumulate strong norms of cooperation. To illustrate, a strong culture signals the nonelites’ commitment to cooperate with the elites in joint investment activities despite the small expected payoff and encourages the elites to reciprocate by granting a more inclusive political process. These reforms, in turn, help convince the nonelites that a sufficient part of the investment returns will be shared via public good provision. Our estimates imply that the severity of droughts has two short run effects on agricultural output, a negative impact due to worse farming conditions and a positive effect due to stronger norms of trust and respect. Accordingly, policymakers should consider the direct and indirect impacts of climate change and favor endogenous cultural formation. Moreover, environmental policies should be designed through a more credible interdisciplinary approach.
Despite the short run negative effect of adverse climate shocks on economic outcomes is undisputed, our understanding of their long run institutional impact is limited. To clarify this issue, we propose a time inconsistency theory of... more
Despite the short run negative effect of adverse climate shocks on economic outcomes is undisputed, our understanding of their long run institutional impact is limited. To clarify this issue, we propose a time inconsistency theory of state-building and we document that, in the world's most agricultural countries, severe droughts pushed the elites to grant a more inclusive political process. This reform convinced the nonelites that a sufficient part of the returns on joint farming investments would be shared via public good provision and, thus, to cooperate. To elaborate, the severity of droughts has a negative and short run direct effect on agricultural output, whereas its institutional impact is positive and persistent. Moreover, reforms towards more inclusive political institutions shift tax revenues from military to education expenditures and, thus, exert a positive and delayed impact on agricultural output. These results suggest that policymakers should: (a) consider short and long run effects of climate change; (b) calibrate climate-related policies according to the degree of complementarity of group-specific skills; (c) avoid the unfettered transplantation of strong political rights in all developing countries. From a methodological point of view, our analysis emphasizes the need of combining natural and social sciences to inform policy intervention.
The focus of archaeologists on reconstructing exchange and communication networks in the past resulted in the enormous improvement of methods for analyzing material flows and detecting trade routes. However, our understanding of the... more
The focus of archaeologists on reconstructing exchange and communication networks in the past resulted in the enormous improvement of methods for analyzing material flows and detecting trade routes. However, our understanding of the determinants of trade patterns over time and space is still limited. To help tackle this issue, we study through regression analysis the rich economic and institutional experience of Bronze Age Greater Mesopotamia. Our testable predictions originate from three main economic theories of trade expansion. First, because of trade costs, mutually beneficial exchanges are discouraged by distance and encouraged by the relative size of markets. Second, trade expands when more suitable farming conditions in neighboring polities allow consumption risk-sharing. Finally, trade develops when interlocking exchange circuits ease the canalization of goods from the outside by providing secure routes, a more certain resolution of legal disputes and credit provision. Ordinary Least Squares—OLS—estimates based on data on 44 major Mesopotamian polities observed for each half-century between 3050 and 1750 BCE are consistent with these predictions. Our approach provides a robust theory-based empirical strategy for integrating archaeological, environmental, and historical data and calls for a tighter interdisciplinary cooperation.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
:The two inscribed artifacts discussed in this article were excavated by C. L. Woolley during the seventh field campaign (1928–1929) at Tell al-Muqayyar, ancient Ur, Iraq. The objects were shipped to the British Museum of London in 1930... more
:The two inscribed artifacts discussed in this article were excavated by C. L. Woolley during the seventh field campaign (1928–1929) at Tell al-Muqayyar, ancient Ur, Iraq. The objects were shipped to the British Museum of London in 1930 and 1935 and have never been published in print. These items are presented and analysed here through a review of their textual information, archaeological context, and associated material culture, using unpublished data from the Ur collection kept in the British Museum. This paper is part of a collaborative research project aiming at re-contextualizing the archaic texts from Ur.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT
This article presents a reconsideration of the architecture, stratigraphy and finds from Building Level H, excavated in Trial Pit F at Ur. Analysis of Woolley's original excavation records, kept at the British Museum, provides the... more
This article presents a reconsideration of the architecture, stratigraphy and finds from Building Level H, excavated in Trial Pit F at Ur. Analysis of Woolley's original excavation records, kept at the British Museum, provides the basis for a contextual reconstruction. A new complete study of published and unpublished materials now housed at the British Museum and at the Penn Museum of Philadelphia is offered here. Distribution of in situ artefacts is examined here in order to provide insights on the function of the excavated loci. Finally, pottery and glyptic assemblages, considered from a regional perspective, are used to define the chronological horizon of Level H.
Research Interests:
Despite the vast evidence on the short-run effects of adverse climate shocks on the economy, our understanding of their long-run impact on institutions is limited. To tackle such a key issue, a vast body of research has focused on ancient... more
Despite the vast evidence on the short-run effects of adverse climate shocks on the economy, our understanding of their long-run impact on institutions is limited. To tackle such a key issue, a vast body of research has focused on ancient societies because of the limited complexity of their economies and their unparalleled experience with environmental and institutional change. Notably, the “collapse archaeology” literature has reported countless correlations consistent with the mantra that severe droughts are bound to trigger institutional crises. This conclusion, however, has been recently challenged by a stream of papers that, building on more detailed data on Bronze Age Mesopotamia and a more credible theory-based empirical strategy, have yielded the following two results. First, severe droughts pushed the elites to grant strong political and property rights to the nonelites to convince them that a sufficient part of the returns on joint investments would be shared via public good provision and, thus, to cooperate and accumulate a culture of cooperation. Second, a more favorable climate allowed the elites to elicit cooperation under less inclusive political regimes as well as a weaker culture of cooperation and, possibly, incomplete property rights. These patterns emphasize the importance of considering the asymmetric effect of droughts and, more generally, combining natural and social sciences for the evaluation of climate-related policies.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This report documents the recent “rediscovery” of a gold artifact from the site of Ur, Iraq. Although excavated in the late 1920s, this unique artifact still represents the earliest evidence for the use of gold in Southern Mesopotamia.... more
This report documents the recent “rediscovery” of a gold artifact from the site of Ur, Iraq. Although excavated in the late 1920s, this unique artifact still represents the earliest evidence for the use of gold in Southern Mesopotamia. The object was first reported by Sir Leonard Woolley, when it was identified in a stratum associated with al-‘Ubaid pottery at the lower levels of a test pit at Ur. Radiocarbon dates and parallels in the ceramic assemblage from the nearby site of ‘Oueili suggest this stratum at Ur dates to approximately 4800–4300 BCE. The gold artifact is a flat strip of twisted wire with a thickened and angular- shaped end. While the exact function of this artifact remains unclear, it was presumably used for decorative purposes.
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We develop a theory of state formation shedding light on the rise of the first stable state institutions in Bronze Age Mesopotamia. Our analysis suggests that the mix of adverse production conditions and unforeseen innovations pushed... more
We develop a theory of state formation shedding light on the rise of the first stable state institutions in Bronze Age Mesopotamia. Our analysis suggests that the mix of adverse production conditions and unforeseen innovations pushed groups favored by old technologies to establish the state by granting political and property rights to powerless individuals endowed with new and complementary skills. Through these reforms, the elite convinced the nonelite that a sufficient part of the returns on joint investments would be shared via public spending and, thus, to cooperate and accumulate a culture of cooperation. Different from the main alternative theories, we stress that: (1) group formation is heavily shaped by unforeseen shocks to the returns on both risk-sharing and innovation; (2) complementarity in group-specific skills, and not violence, is key determinant of state formation; (3) military, merchant and, especially, religious ranks favored state formation and culture accumulation.
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According to an ever-growing social scientific literature, the power of the state to raise revenues (levy taxes) is considered one of the pillars of state capacity, alongside the control of violence, rule of law, and public goods... more
According to an ever-growing social scientific literature, the power of the state to raise revenues (levy taxes) is considered one of the pillars of state capacity, alongside the control of violence, rule of law, and public goods provision. Although sporting the earliest recorded examples of states in human history, the link between state building and taxation remains an understudied topic in Ancient Near Eastern history. In this contribution we aim at filling this gap by using the case study of Early Bronze Age Ebla, in Syria. Indeed, the wealth of information stemming from the thousands of cuneiform tablets forming the Ebla Royal Archives (ca. 2390-2300 BC), and the almost 50 years of uninterrupted systematic archaeological exploration of the site of Tell Mardikh, provide truly unique data-sources for studying the mechanics of state building in this region. This contribution aims at proposing a general framework for conceptualizing Ebla’s fiscal structure within the phenomenon of the Upper Mesopotamian state formation process, that can also provide some general insights into the origin of the fiscal order and state capacity in premodern state-level societies.
Research Interests:
This paper draws on the preliminary results of the QADIS survey project, conducted by the University of Bologna and the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage since 2016 in the Qadisiyah province. The project addresses phenomena... more
This paper draws on the preliminary results of the QADIS survey project, conducted by the University of Bologna and the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage since 2016 in the Qadisiyah province. The project addresses phenomena related to anthropogenic transformation of landscapes in a region that was at the core of the early Mesopotamian urbanization process. Building upon the seminal work conducted by R. McC. Adams in the 1960 s and 1970 s, we implemented an integrated documentation technique to reconstruct at regional levels the changes in the dense network of human settlements and artificial water infrastructures characterizing the evolution of this archaeological landscape over time. The aim of the article is that of providing a finergrained regional picture of 4th and 3rd millennium BC urban developments which can be useful for better conceptualizing the scale and pace of early Mesopotamian urbanism.
Research Interests:
Emergent institutions are considered pivotal in the shift from small-scale to urban, and politically- centralized societies in the ancient Near East. Despite the abundance of evidence on this phenomenon, a detailed definition of the... more
Emergent institutions are considered pivotal in the shift from small-scale to urban, and politically- centralized societies in the ancient Near East. Despite the abundance of evidence on this phenomenon, a detailed definition of the “structures and performances” of emergent political institutions is yet to be offered, making early Mesopotamian institutions as de facto black boxes. This paper focuses on the construction of large-scale networks by political institutions in Late Chalcolithic Mesopotamia with the aim of reframing narratives on their developmental traits. The article draws on archaeological, textual and anthropological evidence for attempting to define some determinants of institutional behaviors and political economies in early urban Mesopotamia.
Research Interests:
The full release and circulation of excavation results often takes decades, thus slowing down progress in archaeology to a degree not in keeping with other scientific fields. The nonconformity of released data for digital processing also... more
The full release and circulation of excavation results often takes decades, thus slowing down progress in archaeology to a degree not in keeping with other scientific fields. The nonconformity of released data for digital processing also requires vast and costly data input and adaptation. Archaeology should face the cognitive challenges posed by digital environments, changing in scope and rhythm. We advocate the adoption of a synergy between recording techniques, field ana-lytics, and a collaborative approach to create a new epistemological perspective, one in which research questions are constantly redefined through real-time, collaborative analysis of data as they are collected and/or searched for in an excavation. Since new questions are defined in science discourse after previous results have been disseminated and discussed within the scientific community, sharing evidence in remote with colleagues, both in the process of field collection and subsequent study, will be a key innovative feature, allowing a complex and real-time distant interaction with the scholarly community and leading to more rapid improvements in research agendas and queries.
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The full release and circulation of excavation results often takes decades, thus slowing down progress in archaeology to a degree not in keeping with other scientific fields. The nonconformity of released data for digital processing also... more
The full release and circulation of excavation results often takes decades, thus slowing down progress in archaeology to a degree not in keeping with other scientific fields. The nonconformity of released data for digital processing also requires vast and costly data input and adaptation. Archaeology should face the cognitive challenges posed by digital environments, changing in scope and rhythm. We advocate the adoption of a synergy between recording techniques, field analytics, and a collaborative approach to create a new epistemological perspective, one in which research questions are constantly redefined through real-time, collaborative analysis of data as they are collected and/or searched for in an excavation. Since new questions are defined in science discourse after previous results have been disseminated and discussed within the scientific community, sharing evidence in remote with colleagues, both in the process of field collection and subsequent study, will be a key innovative feature, allowing a complex and real-time distant interaction with the scholarly community and leading to more rapid improvements in research agendas and queries.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Computer Science, Digital Archaeology, Archaeometry, and 7 moreOpen Source and Free Software Studies, Archaeological Excavation, Geosciences, Cyber Infrastructure, Data Sharing, Technology and 3D Visualisation for Scientific Research in Archaeology, and Computer Science and Engineering
The paper aims at proposing a new topographical analysis for the location of Woolley’s excavations on the upper terrace of the mound of Tell al-Muqayyar, ancient Ur (Iraq). The excavations in this sector of the mound brought to light... more
The paper aims at proposing a new topographical analysis for the location of Woolley’s excavations on the upper terrace of the mound of Tell al-Muqayyar, ancient Ur (Iraq). The excavations in this sector of the mound brought to light architectural and material remains from the 3rd millennium BC settlement. New aerial photos are combined with revised digital maps in order to produce a set of georeferenced vector maps that update and correct the datasets published in the final reports. In addition, remote sensing tools are used to provide a preliminary assessment of the changes occurred in the archaeological landscape surrounding Ur during the last decades.
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The present article aims at modeling patterns of storage and exchange of consumables in the first half of the 2nd millennium BC (Middle Bronze Age) in Northern Levant. For reconstructing collection and distribution of staple products at... more
The present article aims at modeling patterns of storage and exchange of consumables in the first half
of the 2nd millennium BC (Middle Bronze Age) in Northern Levant. For reconstructing collection
and distribution of staple products at intra- and inter-societal level, data are drawn from archaeological
case studies and administrative technologies. The goal of this investigation is that of shedding
more light on the economic integration between different sectors of the population in the Levantine
societies of the Middle Bronze Age, with a particular focus on the strategies used by political elites
for extracting capital from primary production and craft activities.
of the 2nd millennium BC (Middle Bronze Age) in Northern Levant. For reconstructing collection
and distribution of staple products at intra- and inter-societal level, data are drawn from archaeological
case studies and administrative technologies. The goal of this investigation is that of shedding
more light on the economic integration between different sectors of the population in the Levantine
societies of the Middle Bronze Age, with a particular focus on the strategies used by political elites
for extracting capital from primary production and craft activities.
Research Interests:
The two inscribed artifacts discussed in this article were excavated by C. L. Woolley during the seventh field campaign (1928–1929) at Tell al-Muqayyar, ancient Ur, Iraq. The objects were shipped to the British Museum of London in 1930... more
The two inscribed artifacts discussed in this article were excavated by C. L. Woolley during the seventh field campaign (1928–1929) at Tell al-Muqayyar, ancient Ur, Iraq. The objects were shipped to the British Museum of London in 1930 and 1935 and have never been published in print. These items are presented and analysed here through a review of their textual information, archaeological context, and associated material culture, using unpublished data from the Ur collection kept in the British Museum. This paper is part of a collaborative research project aiming at re-contextualizing the archaic texts from Ur
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This paper reconsiders a group of cuneiform tablets allegedly excavated in Seal-Impression Strata (SIS) 5-4 at Ur (Iraq). Analysis of unpublished records and texts kept in the British Museum of London revealed fresh information that is... more
This paper reconsiders a group of cuneiform tablets allegedly excavated in Seal-Impression Strata (SIS) 5-4 at Ur (Iraq). Analysis of unpublished records and texts kept in the British Museum of London revealed fresh information that is instrumental to re-discuss provenance and use of the tablets, analyzed here both as excavated artifacts and as economic accounts.
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Political economies of early Mesopotamia are traditionally modeled upon text-oriented research and unilinear schemes. These approaches are flawed in many ways and often over-emphasized the agency of élite groups. An integrated strategy... more
Political economies of early Mesopotamia are traditionally modeled upon text-oriented research and unilinear schemes. These approaches are flawed in many ways and often over-emphasized the agency of élite groups. An integrated strategy combining archaeological, textual and anthropological theories is used here to draw a more nuanced picture of social arrangements in early 3rd millennium BC Ur. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the changes of political organization and on the manifold economic strategies put in place by political powers in an early urban system in southern Mesopotamia
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This article presents a reconsideration of the architecture, stratigraphy and finds from Building Level H, excavated in Trial Pit F at Ur. Analysis of Woolley's original excavation records, kept at the British Museum, provides the basis... more
This article presents a reconsideration of the architecture, stratigraphy and finds from Building Level H, excavated in Trial Pit F at Ur. Analysis of Woolley's original excavation records, kept at the British Museum, provides the basis for a contextual reconstruction. A new complete study of published and unpublished materials now housed at the British Museum and at the Penn Museum of Philadelphia is offered here. Distribution of in situ artefacts is examined here in order to provide insights on the function of the excavated loci. Finally, pottery and glyptic assemblages, considered from a regional perspective, are used to define the chronological horizon of Level H.
Research Interests:
The 2009 and 2010 excavation campaigns conducted by the joint Turco-Italian expedition at Taslı Geçit Höyük (Gaziantep, Turkey) aimed at understating the urban layout of the site during the Bronze and Iron Ages. In the northernmost part... more
The 2009 and 2010 excavation campaigns conducted by the joint Turco-Italian expedition at Taslı Geçit Höyük (Gaziantep, Turkey) aimed at understating the urban layout of the site during the Bronze and Iron Ages. In the northernmost part of the acropolis, namely Area A, a monumental fortress building, dating to the Late Bronze I was uncovered. The purpose of this paper is to analyse stratigraphy, architecture, as well as the associated materials. Fortress A will also be discussed in the light of the defensive architecture tradition in Anatolia and Syro-Palestine during the Middle and Late Bronze Age periods.
Research Interests:
Between 1930 and 1932 C. L. Woolley and his staff investigated the so-called “archaic” levels of the Ziqqurat Terrace, namely the sanctuary of the moon-god Nanna at Ur. Two superimposed phases (Archaic II-I) of a large complex consisting... more
Between 1930 and 1932 C. L. Woolley and his staff investigated the so-called “archaic” levels of the Ziqqurat Terrace, namely the sanctuary of the moon-god Nanna at Ur. Two superimposed phases (Archaic II-I) of a large complex consisting of a rectangular boundary wall and domestic-like buildings were exposed. This paper aims at re-assessing the Archaic I phase evidence in the light of both the unpublished archives and the original materials of the Ur excavation kept in the British Museum (London) and in the Penn Museum (Philadelphia). The outcome of this paper is a new discussion of the use of space and the chronological framework of this phase, in order to throw more light on one of the most important sanctuaries of Early Dynastic Mesopotamia.
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Research Interests:
This paper is the preliminary report of an ongoing research on the Early Dynastic contexts uncovered by L. Woolley at Ur in 1920s-1930s. The aim of this study is to reconstruct the contexts of the ED levels, in order to provide an updated... more
This paper is the preliminary report of an ongoing research on the Early Dynastic contexts uncovered by L. Woolley at Ur in 1920s-1930s. The aim of this study is to reconstruct the contexts of the ED levels, in order to provide an updated archaeological sequence. To reconstruct each context, the excavated materials will be associated according to their stratigraphical and functional relationships. The sequence of the Pit will be discussed on the basis of the examination of the Ur excavations original records stored at the British Museum. In addition a series of unpublished objects kept at the British Museum and the University Museum of Philadelphia will be presented.
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Archaeological and textual data from Mesopotamia clearly indicate that, at least since the mid of the 4th millennium BC, temples were not only religious institutions, they also encompassed extensive economic activities and had an active... more
Archaeological and textual data from Mesopotamia clearly indicate that, at least since the mid of the 4th millennium BC, temples were not only religious institutions, they also encompassed extensive economic activities and had an active role in shaping the socio-political framework of early Mesopotamia.
Although the temple-state model, built during the 1950s on the basis of temple archives from Tello – the so-called archive of the é-mi – and often applied top-down to the whole Mesopotamian society, has been variously challenged and discredited; evidence at disposal suggests that temples were important power-nodes in Mesopotamian society.
Beside being methodologically flawed, the model lacks material applicability: if tested against archaeological evidence, the model very rarely checks out.
Today, I take the Temple of the Moon-god Nanna, at Ur, in southern Mesopotamia, as a case study in the attempt to: 1) contextualize these general considerations; 2) observe the development of an important religious institution through time.
The evidence at disposal to do so is twofold: 1) the temple of Nanna is mentioned several times in the archaic texts from Ur, dating to the first part of the ED period (ED I-II; 2900-2650 ca); 2) the excavations in the Ziqqurrat Terrace at Ur revealed the remains of a series of superimposed 3rd millennium (and perhaps 4th millennium) sanctuaries.
Therefore, I start this presentation discussing the role of the Nanna temple in Ur socio-economic and political fabric at the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC, as gleaned from written sources. Then I will explore the archaeological remains unearthed in the Ziqqurrat Terrace Area, focusing mainly on the structures that can be ascribed to the late 3rd millennium BC (ED III period and Ur III period).
Today’s presentation is based on a fresh analysis of excavation archives and original objects kept in the museums of London and Philadelphia, that I have carried out within the frame of a doctoral project at the University of Turin and Bologna. Also, the work on the archaic texts draws upon a collaborative research I am presently conducting together with Assyriologist Camille Lecompte, (CNRS-Nanterre), on the contextualization of the archaic texts from Ur.
Although the temple-state model, built during the 1950s on the basis of temple archives from Tello – the so-called archive of the é-mi – and often applied top-down to the whole Mesopotamian society, has been variously challenged and discredited; evidence at disposal suggests that temples were important power-nodes in Mesopotamian society.
Beside being methodologically flawed, the model lacks material applicability: if tested against archaeological evidence, the model very rarely checks out.
Today, I take the Temple of the Moon-god Nanna, at Ur, in southern Mesopotamia, as a case study in the attempt to: 1) contextualize these general considerations; 2) observe the development of an important religious institution through time.
The evidence at disposal to do so is twofold: 1) the temple of Nanna is mentioned several times in the archaic texts from Ur, dating to the first part of the ED period (ED I-II; 2900-2650 ca); 2) the excavations in the Ziqqurrat Terrace at Ur revealed the remains of a series of superimposed 3rd millennium (and perhaps 4th millennium) sanctuaries.
Therefore, I start this presentation discussing the role of the Nanna temple in Ur socio-economic and political fabric at the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC, as gleaned from written sources. Then I will explore the archaeological remains unearthed in the Ziqqurrat Terrace Area, focusing mainly on the structures that can be ascribed to the late 3rd millennium BC (ED III period and Ur III period).
Today’s presentation is based on a fresh analysis of excavation archives and original objects kept in the museums of London and Philadelphia, that I have carried out within the frame of a doctoral project at the University of Turin and Bologna. Also, the work on the archaic texts draws upon a collaborative research I am presently conducting together with Assyriologist Camille Lecompte, (CNRS-Nanterre), on the contextualization of the archaic texts from Ur.
Research Interests:
This paper seeks to reconsider an archive of cuneiform tablets, allegedly excavated in the so-called Seal-Impression Strata (SIS) 5-4, at Ur in Mesopotamia. The in-depth analysis of the original excavation records kept in the British... more
This paper seeks to reconsider an archive of cuneiform tablets, allegedly excavated in the so-called Seal-Impression Strata (SIS) 5-4, at Ur in Mesopotamia. The in-depth analysis of the original excavation records kept in the British Museum (G. Benati) revealed a wealth of new stratigraphic and contextual data that can be used to better reconstruct the provenance of the tablets. In addition, a project consisting of both the re-analysis of the Archaic Texts and of the publication of a group of tablets, left unpublished by E. Burrows and kept in the British Museum, is actually underway (C. Lecompte). In this paper, fresh archaeological and textual data are used in the attempt of throwing more light on the administration and the main institutions of Early Dynastic Ur, as well as on the nature of the layers underlying the Royal Cemetery tombs.
Research Interests:
This presentation focuses on ongoing PhD research (due date 2014) that seeks to reconsider the Early Dynastic evidence from the Royal Cemetery and adjacent areas excavated by L. Woolley at Ur. This research aims to contribute to the... more
This presentation focuses on ongoing PhD research (due date 2014) that seeks to reconsider the Early Dynastic evidence from the Royal Cemetery and adjacent areas excavated by L. Woolley at Ur. This research aims to contribute to the reconstruction of the archaeological sequence of the ED period at the site. To do so, the stratigraphy of the soundings (Pits A–Z), the Ziggurat Area and the Royal Cemetery has been reviewed in the light of the original excavation archives kept at the British Museum. In addition, a large bulk of original materials housed in the museum collections (British Museum and University Museum of Philadelphia) has been restudied and documented afresh. Also a database, 2D and 3D models, and a GIS system have been created in order to manage the data better. The outcome of this work will be a better understanding of the archaeological features excavated at Ur, achieved through a more-detailed knowledge of the material horizons and better stratigraphic control. This study can therefore bring new dimensions to the discussion of the chronology of the ED period in southern Mesopotamia.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Between 1930-1932 C. L. Woolley and his staff investigated the so-called “archaic” levels of the Ziqqurat Terrace, the sanctuary of the moon god Nanna-Zu’en at Ur. Two superimposed phases (Archaic II-I) of a complex consisting of a large... more
Between 1930-1932 C. L. Woolley and his staff investigated the so-called “archaic” levels of the Ziqqurat Terrace, the sanctuary of the moon god Nanna-Zu’en at Ur. Two superimposed phases (Archaic II-I) of a complex consisting of a large rectangular boundary wall encompassing domestic-like buildings (kitchen temples), were extensively exposed. This paper aims at re-assessing the Archaic I phase evidence from a contextual point of view. In order to reconstruct the excavated loci, a thorough analysis of the unpublished archive of the Ur excavation kept at the British Museum of London was carried out, and the original materials, housed at the BM and the Penn Museum of Philadelphia, were taken into examination afresh. The outcome of this study would be a functional analysis of the Archaic I phase, completed by a new discussion of the finds. This would provide new element for the discussion of the chronological framework of this phase, as well as shed more light on the activities carried out in one of the most important sanctuaries of Early Dynastic Mesopotamia.
Research Interests:
This presentation focuses on an ongoing PhD research that seeks to reconsider the Early Dynastic evidence from the so-called Royal Cemetery and adjacent excavated areas at Ur. This research aims to contribute to the reconstruction of the... more
This presentation focuses on an ongoing PhD research that seeks to reconsider the Early Dynastic evidence from the so-called Royal Cemetery and adjacent excavated areas at Ur. This research aims to contribute to the reconstruction of the archaeological sequence of the ED period at the site, in order to provide further information on the development of the ED horizon in Southern Mesopotamia. To do so the original excavation records stored at the British Museum and a large number of artifacts kept at the British Museum and at the Penn Museum have been analyzed afresh. So far, this approach allowed a thorough reconstruction of Pit F buildings sequence, completed by a new contextual and functional analysis of the excavated phases, as well as by the discussion of unpublished materials. Similarly, the Ziqqurat Area underwent a contextual reconstruction and re-analysis of the finds. The last part of this doctoral research will focus on the reconstruction of the Royal Cemetery area. The sloping layers underlying the cemetery – the so-called Seal-Impression Strata (SIS), investigated by means of deep sondages (Trial Pits) – and the stratigraphy of a bulk of important burials will be taken into consideration afresh in the light of the dataset from the BM archive. In addition, a large number of original administrative materials from the SIS layers will be studied and documented. In order to manage this tremendous array of information, a GIS system and a 3D model of the cemetery will be created. The outcome of this work would be a better understanding of the archaeological features excavated in the abovementioned areas at Ur, achieved through a more detailed knowledge of the material horizons and a better stratigraphic control of the operations.
Research Interests:
This paper is the preliminary report of an ongoing research on the reconsideration of the Early Dynastic contexts uncovered by L. Woolley at Ur in 1920s-1930s. The aim of this study is to reconstruct the contexts of the ED levels, in... more
This paper is the preliminary report of an ongoing research on the reconsideration of the Early Dynastic contexts uncovered by L. Woolley at Ur in 1920s-1930s. The aim of this study is to reconstruct the contexts of the ED levels, in order to provide an updated archaeological sequence. In order to identify each context, the excavated materials will be compared and associated according to their chronological and functional relationships. The different typologies of artifacts will be considered referring to their specific features, but subordinating their study to the stratigraphic criterion, which is fundamental to provide a clear indication of the horizontal and vertical relationships between artifacts. The relative sequence of the Pit will be discussed on the basis of the examination of the Ur archives stored at the British Museum, consisting of the original field notes, the inventory cards, and the original photographs. In addition a series of unpublished, or partially published objects from Trial Pit F coming from the British Museum and the Penn Museum of Philadelphia will be presented.
Research Interests:
This PhD research seeks to reconsider the Early Dynastic evidence from the Royal Cemetery and adjacent areas excavated by C. L. Woolley at Ur. This research aims to contribute to the reconstruction of the archaeological sequence of the ED... more
This PhD research seeks to reconsider the Early Dynastic evidence from the Royal Cemetery and adjacent areas excavated by C. L. Woolley at Ur. This research aims to contribute to the reconstruction of the archaeological sequence of the ED period at the site. To do so, the stratigraphy of the soundings (Pits A–Z), the Ziggurat Area and the Royal Cemetery has been reviewed in the light of the original excavation archives kept in the British Museum that revealed a rich array of fresh data. In addition, a large bulk of original materials housed in the museum collections (British Museum and Penn Museum of Philadelphia) has been restudied and documented afresh. Also, a database, 2D and 3D digital models have been created to better manage the information from both published and unpublished sources. The outcome of this work is a better understanding of the archaeological features excavated at Ur, achieved through a more-detailed knowledge of the material horizons and a better stratigraphic control.
Research Interests:
The spread of cuneiform writing from its Mesopotamian heartland to the peripheries during the second half of the third, and especially in the second millennium BC, represents an important historical and cultural phenomenon. From the... more
The spread of cuneiform writing from its Mesopotamian heartland to the peripheries during the second half of the third, and especially in the second millennium BC, represents an important historical and cultural phenomenon. From the beginning of the second millennium BC cuneiform writing became the privileged means through which the administrations of these “peripheral” centers recorded economic transactions. These documents (taxes, rations, sales, etc.) shed a fascinating light on the economic system in these regions. Thousands of administrative documents allow us to follow the process of the development of economic thought that, starting from Mesopotamia, was taken and adapted to specific administrative realities throughout the wider regions of the Ancient Near East. The 19 essays collected here elucidate the emergence, transmission, and interaction of economic structures and the management of resources in time and space. Through a diachronic study, the volume identifies similarities, differences, and adaptations in the economic management of resources and taxation in the Ancient Near East (third – second millennium BC)
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Vikings – the Scandinavian seafaring populations that dominated the North Seas between the eighth and eleventh centuries CE – are usually described as pirates and warriors living in a highly aggressive society. But was this really the... more
Vikings – the Scandinavian seafaring populations that dominated the North Seas between the eighth and eleventh centuries CE – are usually described as pirates and warriors living in a highly aggressive society. But was this really the case? How violent were the Vikings among themselves? In this study, we compare the share of cranial trauma and weapon wounds that we can observe for several skeletal samples of Scandinavian societies with other European medieval populations (excluding military and warrior populations). This is the first time that Viking violence can be empirically compared with a standardised European sample of 2,379 skeletons. We find that Scandinavian rural and urban communities were characterised by remarkably low levels of interpersonal violence, relative to other Europeans. Given the lack of strong centralisation of states, police deterrence mechanisms and low literacy, the best possible explanation for this pattern may be found in the relatively high gender equality that characterised Viking rural communities – as attested by significant health levels of female skeletal remains, relative to males. Low population density, specialisation in cattle farming and extensive grazing entailed a more significant role for women in household economies. This, in turn, may have had an ameliorative effect reducing the motivation for violence in general. This discovery adds empirical evidence to recent literature in criminology and gender economics, indicating a nexus between gender inequality and homicide rates. We provide new explanations on how societies have solved the problem of violence and open new avenues of research on the use of archaeological proxies for addressing important topics in societies today.