The Late
Bronze Age period in the ancient Near East was marked by a level of
international diplomacy and trade that had never occurred previously in the
region. Between 1500 BCE and 1200 BCE, the entire region from Iran to the
Mediterranean Sea joined in a complex system of trade that saw goods flow
across the area.[1]
Characteristic of this trade network was a system of diplomacy exhibited
between the largest kingdoms that dominated the region. These kingdoms included
Egypt, Kassite Babylonia, the Hittites, and the Mittani, who would later be
replaced by the Assyrians.[2] Luckily for historians,
the period is abundant in textual and archaeological records which shed light
into the complex world of trade and diplomatic protocol that developed. Sources
from the period include royal inscriptions, legal and administrative documents,
literary texts, as well as diplomatic correspondence and international
treaties.[3] In addition to the textual
corpus, additional sources come from the abundance of building activity and
artistic creation during the period, a direct result of the relative wealth
that the elite procured.[4]
One of the
greatest sources for historical information comes from the site of Amarna in
Egypt. This is the site where the Pharaoh Akhenaten moved his capital to during
his reign in the fourteenth century BCE. Here, an archive of correspondence
between Egypt and the kings of the other great powers, as well as those of the
smaller vassal states have been found that shed much light into the
relationships between these rulers. These documents are collectively referred
to as the “Amarna letters.”[5] Many of these letters
demonstrate outwardly a bond of friendship and acknowledgement of the “Great
Kings” as equals. A common greeting expressing brotherly affection is found in
most, as evidenced in Amarna letter EA17: “Sa[y] to Nibmuareya, the k[ing of
Egypt], my brother: Thus Tuiseratta, the king of [M]ittani, your brother.”[6] Other cities, though
smaller in number, also contained archives of texts, many of them of
international treaties, such as found in Ugarit and Qatna.[7]
The
archaeological record of the period confirms the large trade network and abundance
of wealth as well. A flow of goods across the Near East brought exotic and
desired materials from one region to another. Many cities served as trade hubs
and ports in this system that included regions as far as the Aegean, Italy, and
Spain. In Ugarit, archaeologists have uncovered a workshop for bronze
production near the harbor as well as areas for working purple textiles.[8] Excavations at Qatna, in
central Syria, uncovered a mausoleum beneath the palace that included the
burials of 19-23 individuals. Within the chambers, the bodies were laid to rest
with large amounts of gold, ivory, and semi-precious stones.[9] According to Van De
Mieroop, cylinder seals made in Babylonia have been found in the Greek city of
Thebes.[10] Perhaps one of the
greatest archaeological finds that corroborates the extent of the trade network
was a shipwreck discovered off the coast of southern Anatolia, near the city of
Uluburun. The ship dates to the fourteenth century BCE and amongst many other
valuable items contained ten tons of copper from Cyprus, one ton of tin of
unknown origin, ebony logs from Africa, and cedar logs from Lebanon.[11]
In addition
to archaeological records of trade, Van De Mieroop notes that the period was
characterized by the building of substantial monumental architecture. He points
out that, except for the “Great Pyramids,” almost all of the most famous of
Egypt’s tombs and temples date from the Late Bronze Age. Many of these tombs
are filled with large amounts of treasure.[12] Art from the period
flourished, and one such example denotes the importance of a new mechanism for
war: the chariot. A carved relief discovered in Thebes, Egypt, depicts the
Battle of Qadesh between Egypt and the Hittite nation. At the forefront are
several war chariots, each pulled by two horses and holding three men,
indicated as a driver, a shield bearer, and a warrior.[13] Many luxury goods
exchanged hands between the “Great Kings” as part of their formal gift-giving
process. Typically, gold was sent from Egypt to the other kingdoms as Egypt was
the main region where this precious metal was found. In return, the other
nations gave to Egypt horses, precious and semi-precious stones, fine oils, and
other crafts.[14]
In another letter from the Amarna archive (EA15), Assur-ubalit of Assyria
writes to the king of Egypt saying that he has sent to him “a beautiful
chariot, 2 horses, and a date-stone of genuine lapis-lazuli.”[15]
[1]
Van De Mieroop, Marc. A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC.
3rd Ed. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2016, 137.
[2]
Ibid.
[3]
Ibid, 138.
[4]
Ibid.
[5]
Ibid, 143.
[6]
The Amarna Letters. Ed. And Trans. By William L. Moran. Baltimore: The
Johns Hopkins University Press. 41.
[7]
Van De Mieroop, Marc. A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC.
3rd Ed. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2016, 144.
[8]
Ibid, 150.
[9]
Ibid, 153.
[10]
Ibid, 148.
[11]
Ibid.
[12]
Van De Mieroop, Marc. A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC.
3rd Ed. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2016, 153.
[13]
Ibid, 152.
[14]
Ibid, 148.
[15]
The Amarna Letters. Ed. And Trans. By William L. Moran. Baltimore: The
Johns Hopkins University Press. 38.
[16]
Van De Mieroop, Marc. A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC.
3rd Ed. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2016, 138.
[17]
The Amarna Letters. Ed. And Trans. By William L. Moran. Baltimore: The
Johns Hopkins University Press. 18.
