The ancient civilizations of the Near East - Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, the Hittites and Canaanites - constituted the first formalized international relations system in world history. Holy wars, peace treaties, border regulations, trade relations and the extradition of refugees were problems for contemporary ambassadors and diplomats as they are today. Mario Liverani reconstructs the procedures of international relations in the period c.1600-1100BC using historical semiotics, communication theory and economic and political anthropology.

Preface List of Maps Abbreviations Introduction PART I: TERRITORY AND BORDERS Inner vs. Outer Territory Universal Control The Boundaries of the World Symbolic Attainment of the World Border The Coexistence of Different States Moving Borders The Boundary as a Watershed for Taxation The Boundary as a Watershed for Responsibilities Runaways and Extradition PART II: WAR AND ALLIANCE The One Against Many War as Elimination of the Rebels Conquest as a Cosmic Organization Peace as Submission Ordeal by War The Rules of War The Battle of Megiddo Peace as Mutual Recognition The Ideology of Protection The Ideology of Brotherhood PART III: CIRCULATION OF GOODS Priority and Continuity of the Redistributive Pattern Intervention of the Reciprocal Pattern Accumulation vs. Circulation Self-Sufficiency vs. Interdependence The Ideology of Life Hatshepsut and Punt: Trade or Tribute? Wen-Amun and Zakar-Ba'al: Gift or Trade? The Annals of Tuthmosis III: Tribute or Gift? The Origins of Tribute Equal vs. Unequal Marriages Conclusion Index

MARIO LIVERANI is Professor of History and the Ancient Near East and Director of the Inter-University Research Centre for Saharan Archaeology at the University of Rome and of the Archaeological Mission in the Libyan Sahara. He is editor of Arid Zone Archaeology. He is the author of many books focusing on the Ancient Near East (in both English and Italian) and an active contributor to specialized journals.