Mountain peoples in the ancient Near East

Mehr zum Buch

Since Prehistory, herding communities have inhabited the intermontane valleys and plains of the Zagros in Western Iran. Relations and cultural exchanges between these mountain inhabitants and the Mesopotamian plains date back to the Bronze Age, intensifying during the 1st millennium BCE. Sources from the Near East, followed by Greek and Latin texts, introduce numerous names of peoples from the Zagros. This volume explores the social organization and lifestyle of these mountain peoples, examining their interactions with the environment and political authorities in the plains. Among them were the fierce Medes, known for their fine horses; the Manneans, situated between Assyria and Urartu; and the warlike Cosseans, who resisted Alexander the Great's army. The Southern Zagros, home to a mix of Elamite and Iranian farmers and pastoralists, was crucial as the birthplace of the Persians, who established the largest empire in the ancient Near East from Fars before Alexander's conquests. The study employs an interdisciplinary approach, integrating historical records with archaeological, zooarchaeological, palaeobotanical, and ethnographic data, offering a comprehensive view of this lesser-known aspect of ancient history.