Challenging Climate Change: Competition and Cooperation Among Pastoralists and Agriculturalists in Northern Mesopotamia (c. 3000-1600 BC)Throughout history, climate change has been an important driving force behind human behaviour. This archaeological study seeks to understand the complex interrelations between that behaviour and climatic fluctuations, focussing on how climate affected the social relations between neighbouring communities of occasionally differing nature. It is argued that developments in these relations will fall within a continuum between competition on one end and cooperation on the other. The adoption of a particular strategy depends on whether that strategy is advantageous to a community in terms of the maintenance of its well-being when faced with adverse climate change. This model will be applied to northern Mesopotamia between 3000 and 1600 BC. Local palaeoclimate proxy records demonstrate that aridity increased significantly during this period. Within this geographical, chronological, and climatic framework, this study looks at changes in settlement patterns as an indication of competition among sedentary agriculturalist communities, and the development of the Amorite ethnic identity as reflecting cooperation among sedentary and more mobile pastoralist communities. |
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activities agricultural Amorite analysis animals archaeological argued associated B-EDS Balikh cal bc carried chronology clear climate change communities continuous correlation cultural dated discussed distribution early second millennium emergence environmental estimates et al ethnic Euphrates evidence excavations exchange existed fact groups growth historical houses Höyük human identified identity important increased indicate interpreted Jezirah Khabur land late Leilan located Mari material Middle names nature networks northern Mesopotamia observed occupation occurred pastoral pastoralists period phase population possible present probably production range rank-size recent reconstructed records region relations relatively remains represent resource responses resulting second millennium bc seems settlement showing similar social social units society strategies stress structures subsistence suggested survey Table Tell term texts third millennium Upper urban Valley values Wadi wall whereas Wilkinson