Weavers, scribes, and kings : a new history of the ancient Near East / Amanda H Podany.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Podany, Amanda H., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Middle East--Civilization--To 622.

Middle East.

Middle East--Social life and customs.

Civilization.

Physical Description:

viii, 662 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm

Other Title:

New history of the ancient Near East

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2022]

Summary:

"This sweeping history of the ancient Near East (Mesopotamia, Syria, Anatolia, Iran) takes readers on a journey from the creation of the world's first cities to the conquest of Alexander the Great. The book is built around the life stories of many ancient men and women, from kings, priestesses, and merchants to bricklayers, musicians, and weavers. Their habits of daily life, beliefs, triumphs, and crises, and the changes that they faced over time are explored through their written words and the archaeological remains of the buildings, cities, and empires in which they lived. Rather than chronicling three thousand years of kingdoms, the book instead creates a tapestry of life stories through which readers come to know specific individuals from many walks of life, and to understand their places within the broad history of events and institutions in the ancient Near East. These life stories are preserved on ancient cuneiform tablets, which allow us to trace, for example, the career of a weaver as she advanced to became a supervisor of a workshop, listen to a king trying to persuade his generals to prepare for a siege, and feel the pain of a starving young couple who were driven to sell all four of their young children into slavery during a famine. What might seem at first glance to be a remote and inaccessible ancient culture proves to be a comprehensible world, one that bequeathed to us many of our institutions and beliefs, a truly fascinating place to visit"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: pt. I THE URUK PERIOD, 3500

2900 BCE

1. Builders and Organizers

2. Colonizers, Scribes, and the Gods

pt. II THE EARLY DYNASTIC PERIOD, 2900

2300 BCE

3. Kings and Subjects

4. A Queen, a Reformer, and Weavers

5. Royal Couples, Divine Couples, and Envoys

pt. III THE AKKADIAN AND UR III PERIODS, 2300

2000 BCE

6. A Conqueror and a Priestess

7. Brickmakers, Litigants, and Slaves

pt. IV THE EARLY SECOND MILLENNIUM, 2000

1750 BCE

8. Sparring Kings and Their Military Commanders

9. Merchants and Families

10. Princesses and Musicians

pt. V THE OLD BABYLONIAN PERIOD, 1792

1550 BCE

11. A Lawgiver, Land Overseers, and Soldiers

12. Naditums and Scribal Students

13. Barbers, Mercenaries, and Exiles

pt. VI THE LATE BRONZE AGE, 1550

1000 BCE

14. Businessmen, Charioteers, and Translators

15. Gift Recipients and Royal In-Laws

16. Negotiators, Sea Traders, and Famine Sufferers

pt. VII THE FIRST MILLENNIUM, 1000

323 BCE

17. Empire Builders, Sculptors, and Deportees

18. Conspirators, Diviners, and Officials

19. Gardeners, Artisans, and a Centenarian Priestess

20. Brewers, Rebels, and Exorcists.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Podany, Amanda H. Weavers, scribes, and kings

ISBN:

9780190059040

0190059044

OCLC:

1319835377