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This volume provides a collection of papers that explore thirteen theoretical approaches taken from the social sciences, applying them to the study of the Ancient Near East.

Rather than attempting to cover all theories that have been used for studying the Ancient Near East, this volume selects emerging ones or ones that have gained prominence within the field and which hold potential for further fruitful historical and theoretical work. The Handbook is structured in six parts. Part I provides a historiographical and methodological introduction to the use of social scientific theories in the historiography of the Ancient Near East. Parts II to V comprise theory chapters with theoretical introductions, case studies, and responses, covering social structure, identity, approaches to practice, and power respectively. Part VI completes the volume with two synthetic discussions on historiography and theory, meant to encourage debate towards future work on the social history of the Ancient Near East and invite historians to reflect on their own methods.

This volume is suitable for students and scholars of the Ancient Near East working on social history and social scientists interested in ancient history. It also provides stimulating reading for sociology, social psychology, anthropology, and economic researchers with an interest in expanding their work into pre-modern periods.