Abstract This paper explains that urbanization, the arrangement of the design of the private and public buildings of a city and that of the intra-city arteries of communication and fortifications, reflects the needs and aspirations of the community within the existing frame of the ecological and technological areas of the period. The author points out that during the last phase of the Assyrian empire, beginning with the reign of Ashur-Dan II (934-912 BC) and lasting until almost 600 BC, when the Assyrian empire dominated most of Mesopotamia and parts of Palestine, Egypt, Media and Anatolia, the Assyrian kings radically transformed the cultural, political and geographical landscape of Upper Mesopotamia by the implementation of the processes of urbanization. The paper stresses that the Chaldean tribal groups, a loosely connected with prominent chieftains opposing urbanization, shifted allegiance according to the distribution of military strength, refused to pay taxes or to render services to the government, waylaid caravans and to attack and plunder settlements and small cities.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Program of Urbanization
Administrative Restructuring
Capitals
Economic Foundation
Southern Societies
Uruk and Ur
Anti-Urban Bias
Citizenship
Conclusion
From the Paper "In these Mesopotamian cities, there grew a concept of citizenship that was the result of the driving force of the urbanization process. The old and important cities enjoyed certain privileges and exemptions with respect to the king and his power. They had a legal status that differentiated in essential points from that of any other community, In Babylonia, these cities were Nippur, Babylon, and Sippar, in Assria, the old capital Asur, and later, Harran in Upper Mesopotamia. In principle, the inhabitants of these free cities claimed freedom from work, freedom from military service, as well as a tax exemption. These privileges were neither new nor exception, Certain persons with restructed libery, in the Sumerian empire of Ur were said to be exempted from carrying earth, and inhabitants of Nippur were exempted from military service and paying tribute in silver and gold. This shows that the resistance against the claims of a central authority for services of its subjects is characteristics not only of a non urbanized group, but also one of the aspirations of city-dwellers."
Abstract This essay surveys the literature for opinions on the purpose of the mysterious and appealing marble figures of the Bronze Age in the Aegean islands of the Cyclades. Since the sculptors left no writing, scholars are left to speculate based on evidence from nearby cultures. Arguments from many scholars are compared to try to find the best solutions to the problem. The paper includes photographs of the figures.
From the Paper "Van Schaik points to the fact that too few of the figures were found outside of burial contexts for the figures to be a assigned to a cult of the Mother Goddess like the one in Anatolia. However, as stated earlier, the similarity in form of the Cycladic figures to those of Anatolia cannot be discounted, whether or not one believes that they serve the same purpose".
