Poner el cuerpo. Mujeres y política estatal en Mari (Siglo XVIII a.c.)

Women and men are subjects defined both by their physical-natural reality and their socio-cultural environment. In this way they are reified, and many such examples can be found throughout history. We are interested in the situation of women in Ancient Mesopotamia, particularly the daughters of Zimrî-Lîm, king of the city of Mari, the archaeological site of Tell Hariri, modern Syria, during the 18th century BC. Zimrî- Lîm made marriages a policy of the state. He himself married foreign women and married their joint daughters to other important kings as well. This marital policy was another, more extended, way of dominion where women were a nexus between Mari and other states. In this paper, we will analyze the roles which were assigned and developed by royal women from a political level via a comprehensive approach. These women are presented generally as political objects, though, in extreme cases also they were taking forward actions as subjects and by it they were visualized as “the other,” the foreigner and, in some cases, the enemy.

Local exchange in the southern levant during the early bronze age: a political economy viewpoint

Trade and relations between the southern Levant and other regions of the Near East (mainly Egypt) during the Early Bronze Age (ca. 3,600–2,300 BC) have been the subject of many studies. Research concerning the exchange of local commodities was almost ignored or was discussed in parochial studies, focusing on specific archaeological finds. It is the intention of this paper to present the results of recent research of the exchange of commodities provided by archaeological data from excavations in the Southern Levant with regard to economic theories on the exchange-value of goods and exchange networks. Conclusions regarding the type of society and the forms of government in the Southern Levant during the Early Bronze Age are also presented.