Mesopotamian Politics

II. The Record

Resources

Maps

Marco De Pietri – October 2023

Introduction
Map 1: Oro- and hydrography
Map 2: The three climatic zones
Map 3: The “Land of the Four River Banks”
Map 4: The great communication routes
Map 5: The three ecumene
Map 6: The ideological landscapes
Map 7: Nuclear and expanded states (3500-2500 BC)
Map 8: The Akkadian experiment: integration of heterogeneous elements (2300-2200 BC)
Map 9: The Sumerian unification: the reign of Ur III (2100-2000 BC)
Map 10: The first split: Isin and Larsa (2000-1800 BC)
Map 11: The first multi-regional state: Assur and Mari (1800 BC)
Map 12: The Babylonian unification: the kingdom of Hammurapi (1750 BC)
Map 13: Interpretive models of Amorite movements (2100-1600 BC)
Map 14: The Near East on the eve of cosmopolis (1600 B.C.)
Map 15: The expansion of the kingdom of Khana to the steppe (1750-1600 BC)
Map 16: Amurru, the first steppe kingdom (1500-1200 BC)
Map 17: The geographical basis of the cosmopolis
Map 18: The cosmopolis (1500-1400 BC)
Map 19: The cosmopolis (1400-1300 BC)
Map 20: The cosmopolis (1300-1200 BC)
Map 21: The re-establishment of the multi-region: the Assyrian ecumene (911-859 BC)
Map 22: The reconstitution of Syro-Mesopotamia: the Aramaic ecumene (745-681 BC)
Map 23: The reconstitution of the cosmopolis: the imperial ecumene (680-629 BC)
Map 24: The territorialization of the frontiers (612-539 BC)

[NB: to be left only if copyright will allow; otherwise to be changed with other versions (ZHy07 mDP)]

NOTE: click on maps to open them larger in a new tab

Introduction

This page displays the geographical maps published at the end of the volume At the Origins of Politics.

The function of maps is to give a basic geographical orientation to the reader by locating the main geo-political configurations of Syro-Mesopotamia in time and space.

But they are also intended to facilitate the understanding of the spatial realities that are central to the argument of this book. In this perspective, institutional development is closely related to the perception of the territory and the nature of the control that is exercised over it by people.

The choice of subjects as well as the captions accompanying the maps are conceived not only to identify the subject of each particular map, but also to provide a reminder of certain aspects from the argumentation that are particularly based on the more properly geo-political aspects.

The cartographic representation is deliberately impressionistic in nature, and is intended primarily to give a sense of the proportions of the territorial entities at issue. The nature of political boundaries is an important topic, which is discussed several times in the text (2.3, 3.2, 5.4).

The chosen representation style has the purpose to give a sense of geo-political realities, while maintaining at the same time the necessary nuances. Thus, the borders are dashed, and the inner area is indicated with a graphic gradient that becomes progressively more nuanced to the extent that one moves away from the center (political, not necessarily geographical).

The graphic realization of the maps is by Laerke Recht.

Map 1: Oro- and hydrography

The mountain chains of the Taurus to the North and the Zagros to the East condition the course of the two great rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates

Map 2: The three climatic zones

The landscape is also affected by rainfall and temperature. Three main climate zones result

Map 3: The “Land of the Four River Banks”

The two great rivers define the physiognomy of what is normally called "Mesopotamia." From a southern perspective, the productive part of the land is the irrigable part, thus close to the edges of the great rivers. The overlap with the profile of Italy gives a concrete idea of the size of the Mesopotamian territory

Map 4: The great communication routes

In a schematic manner, indicated here are the main routes that connected the major urban nodes of Syro-Mesopotamia

Map 5: The three ecumene

The configuration of the territory is distributed into three belts defined by particular cultural and geo-political factors

Map 6: The ideological landscapes

Sumerian imagery extends West, East, and South, but not North

Map 7: Nuclear and expanded states (3500-2500 BC)

The two main types of political structures, and expansionist developments

Map 8: The Akkadian experiment: integration of heterogeneous elements (2300-2200 BC)

The first properly imperial unification includes Sumerian and Akkadian populations, and adds dynastic alliances with foreign states

Map 9: The Sumerian unification: the reign of Ur III (2100-2000 BC)

The kingdom of Ur III follows in the footsteps of the Akkad empire, but with a greater homogeneity of Sumero-Akkadian elements

Map 10: The first split: Isin and Larsa (2000-1800 BC)

The southern part (corresponding to the ancient territory of Sumerian cities) consolidates the unity Sumero-Akkadian as a geographically homogeneous macro-region. In the North, the city-state of Assur develops important trade relations with the North-West

Map 11: The first multi-regional state: Assur and Mari (1800 BC)

In an asymmetrical key to the southern territories, the kingdom of Shamshi-Adad includes the steppe, riverbanks, and foothills plains

Map 12: The Babylonian unification: the kingdom of Hammurapi (1750 BC)

Less extensive than Sumerian unification, and narrower in time, the kingdom of Hammurapi I of Babylon is the last attempt at unification between north and South

Map 13: Interpretive models of Amorite movements (2100-1600 BC)

The model adopted in this book (4) sees the Middle Euphrates valley as the point of origin of the Amorite movements, instead of an independent origin from the steppe (1-3)

Map 14: The Near East on the eve of cosmopolis (1600 B.C.)

On the eve of the "cosmopolitan" period, a series of macro-regional states defined the area as a whole

Map 15: The expansion of the kingdom of Khana to the steppe (1750-1600 BC)

After the fall of the kingdom of Mari, the steppe area becomes even more important in defining the size of the kingdom of Khana

Map 16: Amurru, the first steppe kingdom (1500-1200 BC)

Following the process of de-urbanization of the Middle Euphrates, a part of the Amurru tribes established themselves as a state in Tadmor (Palmyra) as a new urban center. The territory expands westward, reaching as far as the sea

Map 17: The geographical basis of the cosmopolis

Cosmopolis consists of macro-regional states that are based on well-defined geo-political areas. In the three centuries from 1500 to 1200 BC, alternating geo-political configurations depend on this basic situation. The de-urbanization of the middle Euphrates is a determining factor for the great divide between what are now the two countries of the four shores. In the South, Babylon remains essentially unchanged

Map 18: The cosmopolis (1500-1400 BC)

The first phase is characterized by Egypt's strong expansionist will, by the consolidation of Hatti, and by a settling of power zones in the foothills (Assyria and Mittani)

Map 19: The cosmopolis (1400-1300 BC)

The second phase is characterized by the territorial consolidation of the foothill area, which from now on will play a key role on the geo-political chessboard. In this phase the political configuration is that of Mittani, and the center is in the Khabur plain

Map 20: The cosmopolis (1300-1200 BC)

The third phase sees a shift eastward from the center of the foothills, from the Khabur to the Zab, with Assyria taking the place of Mittani. It will be from here that will develop the great imperialistic impulse of the centuries to come

Map 21: The re-establishment of the multi-region: the Assyrian ecumene (911-859 BC)

The beginning of the Assyrian imperial expansion lies in the consolidation of the multi-regional territoriality that had shrunk in the previous two centuries when Assur had returned to the limits of city-state status. As a result of the incursions of the "Sea Peoples," a great longitudinal split occurs in the West between coastal zone (the Phoenicians) and inland zone (the Arameans)

Map 22: The reconstitution of Syro-Mesopotamia: the Aramaic ecumene (745-681 BC)

With Tiglatpileser III, the imperialistic impulse in the proper sense takes hold, with the integration and provincialization of disparate territories. Aramaic provides a connective tissue at the base

Map 23: The reconstitution of the cosmopolis: the imperial ecumene (680-629 BC)

The extreme of territorial heterogeneity occurs with the annexation of Egypt: this is more ideological than properly administrative, but symbolically of great importance. But the imperial ecumene does not come to include external areas that are not perceived as properly territorialized, and from there the disruptive impulse will come

Map 24: The territorialization of the frontiers (612-539 BC)

The Neo-Babylonian empire returns to the territorial base of Syro-Mesopotamia, but pushing now southward to encompass the desert. Likewise the more distant frontiers become territorialized and will serve as stepping stones as components of what will be the Persian empire, from the Indus to the Nile and the Dardanelles