Home Region: Mesopotamia (Southwest Asia)

Amorite Babylonia

2000 BCE 1600 BCE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 iq_babylonia_1 / IqBabAm

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

[elite migration; Isin] [elite replacement] Update here

Succeeding Entity:

No Polity found. Add one here.

Displayed:

Learn more about polity border choices. Map Modern Map only Opacity Year Play rate (y/s)
Hit enter after changing the year or setting the play rate.

General Description

The Amorites were a tribal group from the Levant area of Semitic descent. They migrated towards Mesopotamia and Amorite names can be seen in Mesopotamian literature throughout the 3rd millennium BCE. By the 2nd millennium BCE a number of Amorites had managed to gain control of Mesopotamian city-states in the power vacuum created by the collapse of the Ur III period. ^[1] Very early descriptions suggest they were nomadic, eating raw meat and "careless even of burying their dead", but at least part of the population settled into a sedentary lifestyle and took up the western Semetic language of Akkadian. The city and kingdom of Mari was an Amorite establishment. ^[2]
One problem encountered when considering the Amorites as a polity is that they are frequently identified by their Amorite name, but it cannot be certain whether this corresponds to an individual who is actually an Amorite or if Amorite names are in general use. For example, the Isin-Larsa period is considered a separate polity from the Old Babylonian, Amorite Dynasty, yet the kings of both cities used Amorite names and titles. ^[3]
The Babylonian king Sumu-la-el started to assert control over other towns in northern Babylonia and in the first few centuries of the 2nd Millennium Babylon became one of several city-states with a limited and fluctuating control over surrounding areas. This was the situation when Hammurabi came to the throne in 1792. By the end of his reign, he had conquered the whole of Babylon and briefly Assyria. He titled himself "King of the Four Quarters of the World" and "King of Sumer and Akkad" ^[4]

[1]: Goddeeris, A. 2002. Economy and Society in Northern Babylonia in the Early Old Babylonian Period (ca.2000-1800 BC). Leuven: Peeters Publishers. p.8

[2]: Oates, J. Babylon. Revised Edition. London: Thames and Hudson. p.55

[3]: Goddeeris, A. 2002. Economy and Society in Northern Babylonia in the Early Old Babylonian Period (ca.2000-1800 BC). Leuven: Peeters Publishers. p.8-9

[4]: Oates, J. Babylon. Revised Edition. London: Thames and Hudson. p.65-66

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

2 Original Name

1 Capital

1 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

1 Polity Succession

2 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

2 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Polity Territory

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

Bureaucracy Characteristics

Law

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Port

1 Canal

Special-purpose Sites

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Religious Literature

1 Lists Tables and Classification

Information / Money

1 Precious Metal

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

Military use of Metals

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

Handheld weapons

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

Armor

1 Shield

1 Helmet

Naval technology

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

Instability Events

16 Instability Event

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1) was in:
(1894 BCE 1596 BCE)	Southern Mesopotamia

Home NGA: Southern Mesopotamia

General Variables

Identity and Location Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	38 S	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Original Name	Old Babylonian	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Original Name	Amorite Dynasty	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Capital	Babylon	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Alternative Name	Amurru	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Temporal Bounds Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	[1792 BCE ➜ 1750 BCE]
Loading...

Duration	[2000 BCE ➜ 1600 BCE]
Loading...

Political and Cultural Relations Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Supracultural Entity	Mesopotamia	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Succeeding Entity	Sealand	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Relationship to Preceding Entity	elite migration	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Preceding Entity	elite migration; Isin [elite replacement] Update here
Loading...

Degree of Centralization	nominal	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Degree of Centralization	confederated state	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Language Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	West Semetic	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Language	Amorite	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Language	Old Babylonian	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Religion Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Polity Territory	[400,000 to 500,000] km²	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Hierarchical Complexity Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	4	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Religious Level	- Undecided	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Administrative Level	6	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Professions Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Bureaucracy Characteristics Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Law Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Judge	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Formal Legal Code	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Specialized Buildings: polity owned Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Irrigation System	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Food Storage Site	Present Inferred	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Drinking Water Supply System	Present Inferred	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Transport Infrastructure Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Port	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Canal	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Special-purpose Sites Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Information / Writing System Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Script	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Information / Kinds of Written Documents Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Religious Literature	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Lists Tables and Classification	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Information / Money Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Precious Metal	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Article	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Information / Postal System Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Courier	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Information / Measurement System Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Present Inferred	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Stone Walls Non Mortared	Present Inferred	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Stone Walls Mortared	Unknown Suspected	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Settlements in a Defensive Position	Unknown Suspected	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Modern Fortification	Absent	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Moat	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Earth Rampart	Present Inferred	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Ditch	Unknown Suspected	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Complex Fortification	Unknown Suspected	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Military use of Metals Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Bronze	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Projectiles Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Self Bow	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Javelin	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Handheld Firearm	Absent Inferred	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent Inferred	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Crossbow	Absent Inferred	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Composite Bow	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Handheld weapons Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Sword	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Spear	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Dagger	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Battle Axe	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Animals used in warfare Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Unknown Suspected	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Armor Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Shield	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Helmet	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Naval technology Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Absent	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Present	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent	2000 BCE 1600 BCE
Loading...

Human Sacrifice Amorite Babylonia (iq_babylonia_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More