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Domination and Resilience in Bronze Age Mesopotamia
7.6. In the fields surrounding the modern village of Hamoukar in northeastern Syria,
sheep, goats, cows, horses, and donkeys are allowed to graze on piles of hay left in
the fields following the cereal harvest. The manure deposited by the animals during
grazing acts as a natural fertilizer for the fields. Like the related buffering strategy
whereby animals are allowed to consume failing crops (e.g., during times of drought),
this practice demonstrates the interdependence of agriculture and pastoralism in the
region. Photo by Tate Paulette.
1. Storage of agricultural surpluses (on the household and the institutional
levels) 6
2. Increased mobility (e.g., moving flocks to better-watered areas)
3. The transport of food to affected areas (especially in Southern
Mesopotamia, where riverine transport of high-bulk staple goods
is more efficient than the overland transport necessary in Northern
Mesopotamia)
4. Increased local and interregional exchange (e.g., exchanging high-value
items such as metals and textiles for cereals and animals)
5. Salvaging failing crops (e.g., harvesting green crops early or allowing
sheep and goats to graze on them; figure 7.6).
Severe Winters
Although the region was prone to drought and was beset by brutally hot
summers, severe winter weather could also wreak havoc on crops and on human
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