| As part of the NWO-funded research project "The Impact of Migration" led by dr. J.G. Dercksen I am studying the Amorite migrations at the beginning of the Old Babylonian period (ca. 2000-1800 BC). The Amorites were originally a nomadic people from Syria. During the Ur III period (ca. 2100-2000 BC) people designated as "Amorite" are already found in Mesopotamia proper (southern Iraq). Around 1900 BC a group of Amorites took power in Northern Babylonia (roughly the middle part of Iraq), resulting in a patchwork of smaller kingdoms. Within one generation, around 1850 BC, most of these Amorite kingdoms had been conquered by Sumu-la-El of Babylon, forming the later heartland of the Babylonian state. Through the study of the many economic texts and letters from these kingdoms I will attempt to gain new insights into this formative period of Mesopotamian history. The focus lies on the "impact" the Amorite takeover had on land ownership, society, economy and political history. |
