MARI

Unlike many other city-states, Mari was a purposefully and intentionally built city around 2900 BCE because of its strategic positioning to the Euphrates and other waterways. The Mari had ‘three kingdoms’ as it was destroyed and rebuilt three times between 2900 BCE and 1760 BCE. Throughout these three iterations, it remained a strategic trading entity, which neighboring peoples such as the Amorites and Akkadians fought to control throughout its existence. By 1760 BCE, Mari was completely destroyed by the Babylonians [i] and only existed as a small settlement with no real power or influence until its final demise in the Hellenistic Era [ii].

As a point of important trade and politics, Mari often found itself in conflict with neighbors [iii], rather than cultivating alliances. However, one ally was Eshnunna [iv], which allied with Mari in the hopes of recapturing Babylon. The attempt to capture Babylon was a failure and not long after, Eshunna was completely destroyed, and therefore one of Mari’s only known allies was eliminated. Mari acted as a political center for the region during its second kingdom and suffered through wars and conflicts with Ebla [v], Babylon [vi], and Akkad. Ebla acted as both a powerful rival and an important influence on Mari throughout its history.

Tablets from the Mari civilization (15,000 in total) [vii] were discovered in 1979, which provide one of the most detailed and comprehensive archives of information about the society. These tablets provide a snapshot of what Bronze Age city-states in Mesopotamia looked like. In addition to this well-rounded picture of customs, languages, and rituals of royal life, the Palace in Mari [viii], which was preserved along with the tablets, was almost completely intact with hundreds of excavated rooms. No other example of a palace in such pristine condition in the Fertile Crescent exists today due to the ongoing Civil War in Syria since 2013.

The multiple kingdoms throughout its rule enabled Mari to have two different and distinct forms of rule. In its first kingdom, Mari appears to have functioned as a monarchy from what tablets have revealed. In the second kingdom, Mari functioned as an oligarchy with governors (shakkanakku) [ix] with a strong Sumerian [x] influence on its administration. During the third kingdom, Mari was an absolute monarchy where the king made all decisions regarding the city-state with support from the society’s scribes and governors who functioned as managers of the kingdom. Mari was later ruled by other powers when it became a much smaller settlement.

Mari had many iterations in its 1,000 plus years of working as a political and trading post. It was able to maintain a strategic point within Mesopotamian society by controlling the central trade routes of the area. Its geographic location at the crossroads of many important waterways provided it an enviable post within the region. Its position made it a target for attacks from neighbors such as Elbaites, Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians [xi]. This enviable position, would ultimately result in its destruction by the Babylonians and transfer hands for years until it is no longer in existence during the Hellenistic Era.

Mari had many points of exceptionalism– which include the urban design of all three kingdoms. Mari’s use of artificial canals [xii] to protect from the flooding of the Euphrates and to provide easy access to important water trade routes were hallmarks of its architectural brilliance. Additionally, Mari was known for its defense by constructing an outer wall to protect from flooding and an inner one to protect its people against foreign enemies. Mari’s deliberate design makes it unique amongst other city-states which developed and allowed for intentionality and benefitted its residents in the forms of proper drainage, mapped roads, and strong defenses.

The Mari civilization’s economy changed from kingdom to kingdom throughout its history depending on its rulers and the system of government in place as well as whether or not Mari and its neighbors were at war or peace. Mari made its fortunes on wheel creation, bronze metallurgy [xiii] and pottery making within the Fertile Crescent. It also made substantial profits from its control of waterways in the region, which enabled it to institute tolls for the raising of funds. Its location also enabled Mari to develop a substantial agricultural economy which allowed for the communal distribution of grains and other agricultural products.