Table Of ContentThe Uruk World System
The Uruk World System
The Dynamics of Expansion of
Early Mesopotamian Civilization
Guillermo Algaze
The University of Chicago Press
Chicago and London
Guillermo Algaze is associate professor of anthropology at
the University of California, San Diego.
The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637
The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London
© 1993 by The University of Chicago
All rights reserved. Published 1993
Printed in the United States of America
02 0100 99 98 97 96 95 94 93 54 3 2 1
ISBN (cloth): 0-226-01381-2
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Algaze, Guillermo, 1954-
The Uruk world system : the dynamics of early
Mesopotamian civilization / Guillermo Algaze.
p. cm.
Revision of thesis (Ph. D.)—University of Chicago, 1986.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-226-01381-2
1. Iraq—Civilization—To 634. 2. Middle East—
Civilization—To 622. I. Title.
DS73.1.A44 1993
935—dc20 92-27445
CIP
©The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements
of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—
Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials,
ANSI Z39.48-1984.
Contents
ILLUSTRATIONS / vii
PREFACE / ix
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS / xi
f
1 INTRODUCTION / 1
A Supraregional Perspective / 1
Resource Procurement Strategies and Their Impact / 2
“Momentum toward Empire” in the Uruk Period / 5
A Conceptual Framework for the Analysis of the Evidence / 6
2 URUK SITES IN THE SUSIANA PLAIN OF KHUZESTAN / 11
Geographical Framework / 11
Mesopotamian Colonization / 13
Chronology and Conclusions / 17
3 URUK SETTLEMENTS IN THE SYRO-MESOPOTAMIAN PLAINS
AND SURROUNDING HIGHLANDS / 19
Geographical Framework /19
Uruk Enclaves in Syro-Mesopotamia / 23
The Strategic Rationale of Uruk Settlement in Syro-Mesopotamia / 41
Uruk Outposts in the Periphery / 53
The Chronology of Uruk Settlement in the Periphery / 56
VI Contents
4 THE FUNCTION OF URUK SETTLEMENTS IN THE SYRO-MESOPOTAMIAN
PLAINS AND SURROUNDING HIGHLANDS / 61
Gateway Communities /61
Uruk Materials in the Surrounding Piedmont and Highlands / 63
Uruk Materials in the Syro-Mesopotamian Plains / 72
The Commodities Exchanged / 74
5 THE LATE CHALCOLITHIC PERIOD IN SYRO-MESOPOTAMIA / 85
Chronology / 85
Late Chalcolithic Culture and Social Integration / 92
Relations between Uruk Enclaves and Indigenous Communities / 96
6 SOCIAL CHANGE IN THE NORTHERN PERIPHERY AND THE
COLLAPSE OF THE URUK EXPANSION / 98
The Impact on Indigenous Societies / 98
The Collapse of the Uruk Enclave Network / 104
Early Bronze Age Sociopolitical Development in the Periphery / 107
7 CONCLUSIONS /110
The View from the Periphery: Informal Empire in the Uruk Period /110
The View from the Core: A World System of the Uruk Period /115
The Context of Expansion /117
Outstanding Problems and Suggestions for Further Research /119
Theoretical Reprise and Cross-cultural Parallels / 125
NOTES / 129
SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS / 137
REFERENCES / 139
INDEX / 157
Illustrations
1. Southwestern Iran: principal plains, rivers, 13. Tiladir Tepe: view from the northwest 34
and routes of communication 12 14. The high mound of Samsat: view from the
2. The northern Susiana plain at the peak of Uruk west 35
occupation 14 15. Southeastern Turkey, Atatiirk Dam area: Sam-
3. Selected parallels between the cultural assem sat, Hassek Hoyiik, and nearby sites 36
blages of the Susiana plain and the Mesopota 16. Plan of Uruk-period vaulted structure at
mian alluvium in the Late Uruk Period 15 Nineveh 38
4. Northern Syria, northern Mesopotamia, and 17. Selected parallels between the cultural assem
southeastern Anatolia: principal geographic blages of the Habuba/Qannas/Aruda cluster
features and subdivisions 21 and Uruk centers in southern Iraq and south
5. Plan of Habuba Kabira-sud and Tell western Iran in the Late Uruk period 39
Qannas 26 18. Selected elements of Uruk culture at Tell
6. Central Temenos and associated Uruk struc Brak 40
tures at Jebel Aruda 27 19. Selected elements of Uruk culture at
7. Northeastern Syria: sites in the Tabqa Dam Nineveh 41
area where Uruk materials have been recov 20. Major sites and routes in the Near East of the
ered or reported 28 Classical period 43
8. Southeastern Anatolia and northeastern Syria: 21. Major sites and routes discussed in text 47
sites in the Birecik-Jerablus area where Uruk 22. Possible Uruk stations along the Euphrates and
materials have been recovered or reported 30 Balikh rivers 49
9. Acropolis of Carchemish and nearby lower ter 23. Plan of Mittelsaal-style house from Habuba
race: view from the north 31 Kabira-siid and of Uruk settlement at Hassek
10. Selected Uruk ceramics from the acropolis Hoyiik 51
mound at Carchemish 31 24. Possible Uruk stations along the Khabur River
11. Uruk ceramics from Tiladir Tepe, Sadi Tepe, and Late Chalcolithic sites in the Upper Tigris
Komeqli Hoyiik, and Kum Ocagi 32 basin where Uruk materials have been
12. §adi Tepe: view from the west 33 found 52
viii Illustrations
25. Plan of the Level V “Fort” at Godin Tepe 54 of Antioch and samples of Uruk seals from
26. Selected elements of Uruk culture at Godin northern Syria 73
Tepe 54 37. Stamp seals and stamp seal impressions from
27. Selected elements of southwest Iranian Uruk Uruk levels at Warka of possible northern or
culture at Tepe Sialk 55 highland origin 76
28. Plan of buttressed terrace and associated 38. Selected parallels in stone artifacts between
houses at Qalinj Agha 64 Uruk sites in the Susiana plain, the Mesopo
29. Selected elements of Uruk culture at sites in tamian alluvium, and Syro-Mesopotamia 81
the Transtigridian Plains and the Iraqi Kurdis 39. Selected Uruk ceramics from Hassek
tan sector of the Zagros piedmont 65 Hoyiik 87
30. Sites in the Transtigridian Plains and intermon- 40. Plan of Kurban Hoyuk showing location of ex
tane valleys of the northern and central Zagros cavated areas 88
in which Uruk materials have been found 66 41. Selected Uruk and indigenous chalf-tempered
31. Selected elements of southwest Iranian Uruk ceramics from Late Chalcolithic levels at Kur
culture in Fars Province 67 ban Hoyuk 89
32. Late Chalcolithic sites in the Syro-Meso- 42. Relative frequencies of indigenous chaff-
potamian plains and the southeastern Anato tempered and plain simple wares in Late Chal
lian highlands where Uruk materials have been colithic levels of Area A at Kurban
found 68 Hoyuk 90
33. Selected ceramics of Uruk origin or Uruk type 43. Plan of Late Chalcolithic tripartite public
from Period 6A levels at Arslan Tepe 69 building from Hammam et-Turkman 100
34. Selected ceramics of Uruk type at 44. Cylinder and stamp seal impressions from
Tepecik 70 Arslan Tepe 6A 103
35. Principal copper-bearing deposits in southeast 45. Plan of Period 6A architectural complex at
ern Anatolia, the Iranian plateau, and western Arslan Tepe 105
Afghanistan and indigenous sites in their vi 46. The expansion of Mesopotamian polities in the
cinity where Uruk materials have been Uruk period 112
found 71 47. The Supraregional interaction system of the
36. Selected ceramics of Uruk type from the plain Uruk period 116
Preface
Only recently has it become possible to conduct changes in the Mesopotamian core itself, I focus on
systematic research bearing on the archaeological the external manifestations and consequences of
development and early history of areas in the north that process. These include the colonization of the
ern and eastern periphery of the southern Mesopo neighboring Susiana plain of Khuzestan and the es
tamian alluvium. Numerous investigations are now tablishment of a variety of specialized settlements
underway in the plains of northern Syria, northern at strategic locations across the northern plains and
Mesopotamia, and southeastern Turkey as well as in the surrounding highlands. These phenomena are
in the nearby highlands. Combined with what infor analyzed from the perspective of models of cross-
mation was obtained from intensive research in the cultural interaction derived in great part from his
alluvial lowlands of Khuzestan in the 1970s, the torical literature on the penetration of relatively un
emerging corpus of data from the north and north developed peripheral areas by highly organized
east allows us for the first time to explore a number modem European societies. In spite of obvious
of questions of major import for the early historical temporal and geographic differences involved in the
development of ancient Near Eastern societies. One transference of eurocentric conceptual frameworks
of those questions constitutes the focus of this to an ancient Near Eastern context, the models are
study: that of the extent and magnitude of the pro relevant in that in each case interaction between so
cesses of external expansion that accompanied the cieties at significantly different levels of socioeco
crystallization of Sumero-Akkadian civilization in nomic development appears to have been the norm.
the Mesopotamian alluvium during the Uruk period More specifically, I explicitly assume (1) that for a
in the second half of the fourth millennium b.c. variety of endogenous reasons not yet fully under
The development of sociopolitical and eco stood, Uruk societies of southern Iraq had achieved
nomic complexity in communities in the alluvial levels of sociopolitical organization that were sig
lowlands of southern Iraq during the Uruk period nificantly more advanced than those of contempo
has been, of course, the object of considerable re rary communities on their periphery and (2) that
cent research, and in many ways this study should differences in the resource endowments of the low
be conceived as part of that ongoing effort. How lands of Mesopotamia and the surrounding high
ever, instead of examining the emergence of civili lands ensured that highly stratified societies such as
zation in the alluvium from the point of view of emerged in the alluvium during the Uruk period
