The Administration of Minor Centers in the Early Dynastic Umma Region

Abstract

After a brief introduction to the concept of historical geography and to its application to Ancient Near Eastern Studies, this article presents some thoughts on the historical geography of minor centers in the Early Dynastic Umma region. More specifically, the author analyzes the so far known information about the centers of Zabala, Ki’an, Dulum, and Kardaḫi during the reference time period, proving the importance of a historical geographical approach in the reconstruction of a complex, multi-layered economic and administrative panorama.