‘Marketless Trading in Hammurabi’s Time’: A Re-appraisal

Abstract

In this article I revisit Karl Polanyi’s writings on ancient Mesopotamia. I begin by situating them in the context of his general approach to trade, markets and money in the ancient world. Next, I reconstruct his major theses on Mesopotamia, drawing upon his published works as well as unpublished documents in the Karl Polanyi and Michael Polanyi archives. Finally, I provide a critical assessment of the merits and demerits of his contribution, with reference to Assyriological research published in the decades that have elapsed since his death in 1964.

On the transactional ecosystems of digital media

“…An adjoining display featuring a collection of coined money carries the provocative title 'Coins: A Technology of Empire'. We would like to make two further points about this particular anecdote: first, it reflects existing literature on the relationship between money and the rise of writing cultures (Dale, 2013;Schmandt-Besserat, 1982) as well as a central premise advanced by Harold Innis (1950) regarding the interconnection between innovations in culture and economy. Relatedly, we want to highlight the inclusion of this exhibit within a building that also houses more traditionally cultural artefacts such as the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh and the sculptures of Auguste Rodin.…”

Pazarlama Faali̇yetleri̇ni̇n İzleri̇ni̇ Eski̇ Asur Ti̇careti̇nde Aramak: Kültepe Tabletleri̇ne İli̇şki̇n Yazin Üzeri̇nden Bi̇r Yeni̇den Okuma

“…Ana akım pazarlama yazınında Antik Mezopotamya'da pazar sisteminin gelişmediğine ilişkin öne sürülen en önemli iki kanıt (1) Polanyi'nin pazar sistemini, liberal (modern) pazar olarak tanımlayarak, Hammurabi dönemini pazarsız ticaret (marketless trade) olarak açıklaması ve (2) arkeolojik kazılarda döneme ait metal bir paranın bulunmaması olarak gösterilir (Polanyi, 1957;Oppenheim, 1977;Dale, 2013). Bu noktada ilk kanıta yönelik karşı eleştiriler, pazar sisteminin sadece "serbest pazar" olarak tanımlanamayacağı ve Polanyi'nin (2009: 18) bizzat bahsettiği karşılıklılık (reciprocity) ve yeniden dağıtım (redistribution) ilkelerine bağlı olarak ve North'un (1990) bahsettiği şekilde kurumsal kontrol çerçevesinde de çalışabileceğidir (Silver, 1983).…”