Cities, Pyramids, and Palaces: Early States of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Aegean

In this chapter, we begin in Gilgamesh’s homeland, Mesopotamia, which saw the emergence of the world’s first state societies. We then move on to ancient Egypt, where the spectacular mortuary complexes of the pyramids provide the clearest evidence for emerging social complexity. We then briefly consider the archaeological record of early state formation in Africa beyond the Nile Valley, with particular focus on the site of Jenne-Jeno in Mali. We conclude by examining the emergence of the great palaces of Minoan and Mycenaean Greece, the setting for the myth of Minotaur.