MÖ 2. Binyıl Mezopotamya Devlet ve Toplum Hayatında Tahılın Yeri

Yıl 2020, Sayı: 44, 43 - 62, 01.08.2020

Mehmet Kurt Esra Atcı

Öz

Fırat Purattu ve Dicle’nin Idiglat sularıyla bereketlenen Mezopotamya Bölgesi sebze ve diğer ürünlerde olduğu gibi tahıl üretiminde de oldukça önemli bir yere sahip olmuştur. Her ne kadar sözü edilen nehirler Mezopotamya için büyük bir önem arz ediyor olsa da bölgenin kuzeyi ve güneyi bu nehirlerden aynı oranda istifade edememiştir. Zira Mezopotamya’nın kuzeyinde inşa edilen kanal sistemi yetersiz kalmış ve kuru tarım yöntemiyle tahıl üretimi yapılmıştır. Bölgenin güneyinde ise sulama kanalları üretim artışında büyük bir avantaj sağlamıştır. Mezopotamya için tahıl tarımının büyük bir önem arz ettiği hem yazılı kaynaklar hem de arkeolojik buluntular vasıtasıyla takip edilebilmektedir. Bu bağlamda MÖ 2. binyılda Lipit-İštar, Ešnunna, Hammurabi ve Orta Asur dönemi kanunları tahıl üretimi ile satışını kontrol ve koruma altına almıştır. Ayrıca gerek önemli Mezopotamya şehirlerinin kendi aralarında ve gerekse Mezopotamya ile diğer bölgeler arasında tahıl ticaretinin ve taşımacılığının yapıldığına dair kayıtlar mevcuttur. Tahıl alım satımında saray kronikleri büyük bir önem arz etmektedir. Mezopotamya’da tahılın üretimi ve ticaretinde olduğu gibi depolaması da önemli bir konu olmuştur. Tahılın depolanmasında Mezopotamya’nın coğrafi koşullarının belirleyici bir rol oynadığı ve başka bölgelere göre farklılıklar arz ettiği de anlaşılmaktadır. Zira toprak zemin üzerine yapılan bir platformun üstüne inşa edilen silindir formdaki depolar tahılı, kemirgen, haşere ve nemden korumada büyük bir avantaj sağlamıştır.Bu çalışmada MÖ 2. binyıl dolaylarında Mezopotamya Bölgesi’nde tahıl üretimi, depolaması ve ticareti ile bunların sosyo-kültürel yapıya etkisi incelenecektir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Mezopotamya, Depolama, Tahıl, Ticaret

The Place of Cereals in Government and Society Life in the Second Millenium Mesopotamia

Öz

The Mesopotamia region, which is fertile with the waters of Euphrates Purattu and Tigris Idiglat , has a very important position in grain production as well as vegetables and other products. Although the mentioned rivers are of great importance for Mesopotamia, the north and south of the region could not benefit from these rivers at the same rate. Because the canal system was built in the north of Mesopotamia insufficient and grain produced by dry farming method. In the south of the region, irrigation canals provided a great advantage in the increase of production. In fact, water use in agricultural production is among the main factors that directly affect the yield of the product to be obtained from the unit area. In addition, the sown seed is another main factor affecting the increase in harvest. In this context, channel construction is among the most important applications to increase the quality and quantity of the product in Mesopotamia. The importance of cereal cultivation for Mesopotamia can be traced both through written sources and archaeological finds. As a matter of fact, grain produced in the fertile Mesopotamian lands between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and animal husbandry activities carried out in this wide area have been among the main livelihoods of the people of the region for thousands of years. In this context, in the second millennium BC, the laws of Lipid-Ishtar, Eshnunna, Hammurabi and Middle Assyria controlled and protected grain production and sales. There are also records of the trade and transportation of grain between the important cities of Mesopotamia and other regions. Palace chronicles are of great importance in grain purchase and sale. It is understood that the geographical conditions of Mesopotamia play a decisive role in the storage of grain and show differences according to other regions. Apart from this, the storage size is related to environmental factors, as well as the storage time and quantity of the product. Because a platform made on the soil ground which the cylindrical storage built on top have provided a great advantage in protecting grain, rodents, insects and moisture. In this study focused on grain production, storage and trade and its impact on socio-cultural structure in Mesopotamia region around the second millennium BC

Anahtar Kelimeler

Mesopotamia, Storage, Grain, Trade

Kaynakça

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