ABSTRACT
The emergence of Mesopotamian civilization, contrary to the manner in which it is typically portrayed, was not a solo performance. It did not appear sui generis, fulfilling its own destiny in the absence of “the other.” From at least the middle of the fourth millennium, Mesopotamia experienced continuous contact with the indigenous cultures of its southern neighbor, the Arabian Peninsula, the northern reaches of Anatolia and the Caucasus, and to the east with the numerous and distinctive cultures of the Iranian Plateau, the Indus Valley, and Central Asia. The nature, chronology, and extent of these cultural contacts form the substance of an extensive literature and debate. This chapter shall emphasize the substance as well as the theory that characterized these contacts during the third millennium.
