International Social Science Journal (Chinese Edition)

No.1, 2026

Reconstructing the Pastoral Economies of Early Mesopotamian Societies

(Abstract)

Magnus Widell

Traditional archaeological models have been applied to interpret the pastoral economies of early Mesopotamian societies. Based on a critical reevaluation of these models, an examination of the complementarity between cuneiform texts, and archaeozoological evidence from the third millennium to the early second millennium BCE can verify the kill-off patterns and herd management modes reflected in sheep and goat bone assemblages. Sumerian cuneiform documents, particularly administrative and economic records, provide valuable perspectives on the complex relationships between humans and animals. These documents shed light on herd management strategies, economic priorities, and institutional control over livestock, aspects that are rarely discernible from archaeological records alone. The integration of textual data and archaeozoological findings provides a more comprehensive understanding of pastoral economies from the Ur III dynasty to the early Babylonian society.