The Sumerian World (Routledge Worlds)

Mesopotamia, Meluhha, and those in between

Figure 31.8

Examples of third

millennium southeastern

Iranian pottery from the

site of Hili near Buraimi:

(a) Black-on-Red jar;

(b) Black-on-Red jar

rim; (c) Incised Grey

Ware; (d) Black-on-Grey

canister (adapted from

Vogt 1985)

II—III period and ends during or just after the early Akkadian period (c.2300-2200 BC).

Evidence of long-distance contact with Mesopotamia (perhaps through Elam) is well

attested in levels both before and during this great social transformation, while

evidence of interaction between southeastern Iran and the greater Indus Valley over the

same time period is notably sparser. How and why Meluhha maintained a more

dominant presence in Magan but not Marhashi, while the Mesopotamians continued

trade with Marhashi but not with Magan, are questions that should drive our research

over the next several decades.

CONCLUSION
To return to the initial focus of this chapter, relations between Mesopotamia and
Meluhha were always conducted at a distance, both physically and politically. Both
were extraordinarily organized and industrious societies who often influenced the
economic and cultural milieux of their neighbors. However, they were not quite the
imperial powers projected by “World Systems” and other Marxian theorists. Instead,
the region from Mesopotamia to Meluhha is better envisioned as a number of
overlapping economic and cultural spheres of influence emanating from distinct and
empowered polities of varying scales - a model called by Possehl (2007) the “Middle

a

b

c d

0 5 cm