The study of the ancient economy is receiving renewed scholarly interest, but the rich documentation from ancient Mesopotamia is often absent from these discussions. In this volume, six scholars survey the evidence across three millennia of cuneiform archives to present a detailed picture of the economy and society of ancient Mesopotamian communities, from the city-states of the early Third Millennium to the empires of the First Millennium. These archives provide some of the earliest detailed information in the historical record on the origins of trade and commerce, the political economy, and the growth of complex agrarian societies. The authors place these developments in historical context and connect them to broader scholarly discussions of economic history. The study includes examinations of the earliest literate communities in ancient Sumer, the growth of powerful kingdoms in the region, and finally the mighty empires of the Babylonians and Assyrians. The authors assess the roles and economic agency of both the state and the individual to present a comprehensive view of these societies at the dawn of written history. This volume will be a necessary resource for scholars and students of the ancient world and economic history.
