The Swine of Sumer (and Beyond)
The Place of Pigs in Mesopotamian Cultures from the Uruk Through Old Babylonian Periods
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 17753166 |
|---|---|
| Authors | M Price (0000-0001-9562-6580, Durham University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-13 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-20 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Environmental Archaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1461-4103 • E-ISSN: 1749-6314 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14614103.2026.2651646 |
| OpenAlex | W7154961308 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 32 |
This paper examines the role of pigs in Mesopotamian cultures from the Uruk to Old Babylonian periods through a synthesis of zooarchaeological, textual and iconographic data. Pigs constituted a major component of Mesopotamian foodways, particularly in cities, and this paper synthesises the different and complementary lines of evidence for suid–human relations written in bones, clay tablets and artistic representations. It summarises regional and temporal variations in pig husbandry, including potentially different husbandry practices in northern and southern Mesopotamia. I also examine a seemingly paradoxical situation: despite their dietary significance, pigs were underrepresented in administrative texts and iconography, suggesting they held a different symbolic value than other livestock. Indeed, across time and space, pigs held little significance to institutional economies recorded in administrative documents. Pigs therefore reveal important differences between the subsistence and political economies of ancient Mesopotamia
Livestock · Mesopotamia · Natural (archaeology) · Period (music) · Zooarchaeology · Ancient Near East History · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Eurasian Exchange Networks
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| Highly cited | No |
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