The Amorites and the Bronze Age Near East : the making of a regional identity / Aaron A. Burke, University of California, Los Angeles.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Burke, Aaron A., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Amorites.

Bronze age--Middle East.

Bronze age.

Middle East.

Middle East--Antiquities.

Antiquities.

Syria--History--To 333 B.C.

Syria.

History.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxiii, 432 pages) : digital, PDF file(s)

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2021.

System Details:

text file

PDF

Summary:

In this book, Aaron A. Burke explores the evolution of Amorite identity in the Near East from circa 2500-1500 BC. He sets the emergence of a collective identity for the Amorites, one of the most famous groups in Ancient Near Eastern history, against the backdrop of both Akkadian imperial intervention and declining environmental conditions during this period. Tracing the migration of Amorite refugees from agropastoral communities into nearby regions, he shows how mercenarism in both Mesopotamia and Egypt played a central role in the acquisition of economic and political power between 2100 and 1900 BC. Burke also examines how the establishment of Amorite kingdoms throughout the Near East relied on traditional means of legitimation, and how trade, warfare, and the exchange of personnel contributed to the establishment of an Amorite koiné. Offering a fresh approach to identity at different levels of social hierarchy over time and space, this volume contributes to broader questions related to identity for other ancient societies.

Contents:

1. Introduction : Amorites, their legacy, and the study of identity

Communities at the margins : the origins of Amorite identity, 2500-2200 BC

Beyond pastoralism : diaspora and opportunity, 2200-2000 BC

Mercenaries and merchants : networks of political and economic power, 2000-1800 BC

Competition and emulation : the Amorite koiné from Dilmun to Avaris, 1800-1550 BC

Conclusion : Amorite identity in the long durée.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 29 Jan 2021).

Other Format:

Print version:

ISBN:

9781108856461

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.