Cultures of infancy and capital accumulation in pre-urban Mesopotamia

Abstract

This paper explores connections between infant mortuary rites and strategies of wealth transmission in Mesopotamia prior to urban expansion. By considering the social roles of infants in relation to lineage and household reproduction, it challenges interpretations linking ‘rich’ infant burials to ascribed rank at birth during the Late Chalcolithic period. Drawing upon recent theoretical developments in the anthropology of childhood and models of gift exchange, the intramural burial of infants is explained as a positive measure that revived the productive capacity of households. Building on this argument, it is suggested that the ambiguous status of infants sanctioned the removal of wealth from circulation as part of mortuary rites, thereby guaranteeing its future flow within the closed context of the household group. A reappraisal of the infant burial record demonstrates how mortuary rites can form part of the cultural strategies that allow kin groups to expand their authority and capital over time.