Lecture 6: Legitimacy & Monumentality: Kingship, Law, & Society (2000–1600 BC)

Flashcards covering political legitimation, kingship, trade colonies, monumentality, military tactics, royal inscriptions, legal codes, and the fall of the Old Babylonian Empire (ca. 2000–1600 BC).

What was the dominant spoken language across the ancient Near East from Babylonia to the Egyptian Delta during the Old Babylonian period, and which language remained in use for literature and education?

Akkadian (specifically the Old Babylonian dialect) was the common spoken language, while Sumerian remained the language of literature and education.

What alternative name is commonly given to the Old Babylonian period in southern Mesopotamia, and what is the equivalent period called in northern Assyria?

In the south, it is often called the "Age of the Amorites"; in the north, it is designated as the Old Assyrian period.

What was a karum in the context of Old Assyrian trade networks?

A karum literally meant a "harbor," but functioned as an extraterritorial trade enclave or merchant colony, such as the one established at Kültepe-Kanesh.

What specific counsel did the senior firm member Itur-ili write from Assur to his junior partner Ennam-Ashur stationed at Kanesh?

“This is important; no dishonest man must cheat you, so do not succumb to drink!”

What standard iconographic composition, common on cylinder seals from Ur III through the Old Babylonian period, shows an individual being guided into the presence of an enthroned ruler or divinity?

A presentation scene.

According to an 18th-century BC letter excavated at Mari, what political reality demonstrated that "no king is strong on his own"?

Kings depended on coalitions of allies: 10 to 15 kings followed Hammurapi of Babylon, Rim-Sin of Larsa, Ibalpiel of Eshnunna, and Amutpiel of Qatna, while 20 kings followed Yarim-Lim of Yamhad.

Which Amorite rulers held power in Assyria and Yamhad during the early second millennium BC?

Shamshi-Adad ruled Assyria (ca. 1813–1781 BC), and Yarim-Lim ruled Yamhad (centered at Aleppo).

What historical monument from ca. 2300 BC is shown here, serving as an ancient example of political monumentality and commemoration?

The Victory Stele of Naram-Sin (Old Akkadian period).

From which Latin verb does the word "monument" derive, and what does it literally mean?

It derives from the Latin verb monēre, meaning "to remind."

How does James F. Osborne (2014) define the active social agency of monuments?

He defines monuments as "things that do, motionless objects that nevertheless possess an active force, accomplishing real work among those surrounding them" within the context of their community.

What inscribed object is shown here, and what major royal deeds are commemorated in its text?

A stone foundation disc from Mari inscribed by Yaḫdun-Lim, king of Mari, Tuttul, and Hana, recording his defeat of seven kings of Hana, the digging of canals, and the construction of Dūr-Yaḫdun-Lim as well as the defensive walls of Mari and Terqa.

What were the regnal dates of Shamshi-Adad, and when did his northern Mesopotamian kingdom reach its approximate territorial peak?

Shamshi-Adad reigned ca. 1813–1781 BC, with his kingdom reaching its peak extent ca. 1790 BC.

How many clay tablets were uncovered in the royal archives of Mari, and what historical event led to their preservation?

More than 20,000 tablets were uncovered, preserved after the palace was burned and destroyed by Hammurapi of Babylon (ca. 1760–1755 BC).

Which siege tactics and apparatuses were documented in Bronze Age Mesopotamian and Levantine warfare around the 18th century BC?

Slings, composite bows, flame arrows, siege towers, undermining (sapping), siege ladders, and battering rams.

What famous wall painting depicting a bull-leaper against a geometric background was recovered from an Egyptian site with strong Aegean-Levantine artistic connections?

The Minoan-style bull-leaping fresco from Avaris (Tell ed-Dab‘a), Egypt.

What renowned wall painting discovered in Court 106 of the royal palace at Mari illustrates royal legitimacy and divine investiture?

The Investiture of Zimri-Lim.

Where were residential and royal burials typically located in Middle Bronze Age cities such as Ebla, Qatna, and Megiddo, and what social structure did they emphasize?

They were situated beneath domestic house floors or palace rooms (using stone chambers, pits, and jars), emphasizing the centrality of patrilineal descent and ancestor veneration.

What three social classes are recognized and distinguished in the Laws of Hammurapi?

1. awilum (free person / upper class)
2. mushkenum (dependent / commoner)
3. wardum (slave)

In the epilogue to his law code, what name does Hammurapi give to the statue before which an aggrieved citizen should present his case?

“King of Justice.”

Which major legal codes, edicts, or legal tablet fragments date to the Old Babylonian period alongside the Laws of Hammurapi?

The Laws of Eshnunna (ca. 1770 BC), the Edict of Ammisaduqa (ca. 1640 BC), and the Laws of Hazor (Hazor 18 tablet).

How did patterns of land tenure and settlement change in southern Mesopotamia during the period ca. 2000–1600 BC?

Amorite-named settlements appeared (such as Sippar-Amnanum), agricultural land was distributed in return for military service, agropastoralism surged after ca. 1900 BC, and individuals increasingly held properties across non-contiguous territories.

What external power brought an end to the First Dynasty of Babylon, which ruler led the campaign, and in what year did it occur?

The nascent Hittite Empire led by King Murshili I marched from Anatolia through the northern Levant to sack and destroy Babylon ca. 1595 BC.