ABSTRACT
Join this Quantitative History Webinar and explore Joerg Baten’s latest use of bioarchaeological sources to study very long-run economic history. This is the first study that explores the welfare effects of the rise of early states in the pre-Classical Middle East. Indeed, this region and period saw the initial stages of development of state capacity in history.
Joerg Baten of the University of Tübingen and his co-authors draw on a large new data set of human remains from ancient Mesopotamia, Iran, the Levant, and Anatolia to assess its effects. They observe that the first proto-states were not able to reduce interpersonal violence and improve health and nutritional status of their population. However, the more advanced states of the Early Bronze Age did achieve this, hence Joerg Baten and his team can conclude that they reduced their predatory nature and switched from rent-seeking to security-oriented policies. This explains the remarkable economic success during the Middle Bronze Age, although increasing inequality might have prepared the dramatic reversal at the end of the Bronze Age.
New comparative evidence — presented here for the first time — allows also long-term comparisons between the ancient Middle East and China for the first time.
Joerg’s co-authors: This study is based on joint work with Giacomo Benati, Arkadiusz Sołtysiak, Alessandra Tagini, Xiaofan Sun, Qiang Wang, and a number of other colleagues.
Discussant: Michael B. C. Rivera, Lecturer, Department of History, The University of Hong Kong
ABOUT THE QUANTITATIVE HISTORY WEBINAR SERIES
The Quantitative History (QH) Webinar Series aims to provide researchers, teachers, and students with an online intellectual platform to keep up to date with the latest research in the field, promoting the dissemination of research findings and interdisciplinary use of quantitative methods in historical research. The QH Webinar Series, now entering its fourth year, is co-organized by Centre for Quantitative History at the HKU Business School and International Society for Quantitative History in partnership with Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences. The Series is now substantially supported by the Areas of Excellence (AoE) Scheme from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Project No. [AoE/B-704/22-R]).
Conveners: Professor Zhiwu Chen & Dr. Chicheng Ma (HKU Business School)
ORGANIZER
This event is co-organized by the International Society for Quantitative History, HKU Business School, and Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences.
