Home Region: Mesopotamia (Southwest Asia)

Ubaid

5500 BCE 4000 BCE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 iq_ubaid / IqUbaid

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

[NO_VALUE_ON_WIKI; Samarra and Halaf culture] [None] Update here

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.

4000 BCE 2900 BCE Uruk (iq_uruk) [unknown]

General Description

The name of ’Ubaid polity’ derives from the archaeological site - Tell al-Ubaid located about six km west of Ur along the Euphrates River in Southern Iraq. This socio-cultural entity is characterized by homogeneous material culture, mainly pottery (’black-on-buff pottery’). However the Ubaid is defined and perceived in various ways, e.gas archaeological culture, chronological period, cultural phenomenon, pottery style, ’oikumene’ or interaction sphere. Among other elements of material culture typical for the Ubaid, the researchers mention usually the usage of flanged disc (’labrets’), clay nails and bent clay mullers, ’ophidian’ figurines, stone mace-heads, tripartite architecture, niches-and-butressed public building as well as communal cemeteries with standardized grave goods. This period is often perceived as a first stage of development through complex urban society and the processes such as gradually urbanization of the settlement, social stratification as well as appearance of simple specialized manufacturing (especially agricultural, pottery making, weaving and wool production). ^[1] . Nowadays most of the researchers accepted the hypothesis regarding existence of elite class from at least the Late Ubaid period. It is embedded on five main arguments: usage of seals (called sometimes ’administrative tools’), erection of public buildings such as temples, two-tiered settlement pattern, mass production of some type of vessels (e. g. crude bowls), and production of high class of painted pottery used as a luxury goods. They believed that the system of increasing power of some group was intentionally masked by elite, therefore the presence of prestige objects or luxury goods is rather infrequent. There is presumed that the Ubaid depended rather on staple finance instead of wealth finance. Hence, there are very little traces of use of prestige goods or luxury items. ^[2] , ^[3] , ^[4] , ^[5] , ^[6] However there are also some rare voices opting for egalitarian system of the Ubaid society, e. g. Akkermans, Forest, Hole. ^[7] , ^[8] , ^[9]

[1]: Yamazaki 2010, 326

[2]: Kennedy 2012, 130

[3]: Özbal 2010b, 43-44

[4]: Stein 1994

[5]: Frangipane 2007, 151-176

[6]: Stein 1994, 41

[7]: Akkermans 1989, 339-367

[8]: Hole 1983, 315-334

[9]: Oates et al. 2007, 585-600.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

1 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

2 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

1 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Mnemonic Device

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Ubaid (iq_ubaid) was in:
(5500 BCE 4201 BCE)	Southern Mesopotamia

Home NGA: Southern Mesopotamia

General Variables

Identity and Location Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	38 S Expert	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Original Name	Ubaid Expert	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Capital	Unknown Suspected Expert	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Alternative Name	Obeid Expert	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Temporal Bounds Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	[5000 BCE ➜ 4000 BCE] Expert
Loading...

Duration	[5500 BCE ➜ 4000 BCE] Expert
Loading...

Political and Cultural Relations Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	unknown [---] Suspected Expert	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Succeeding Entity	Uruk culture Expert	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity Inferred Expert	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Succeeding Entity 4000 BCE 2900 BCE	Uruk (iq_uruk) [unknown] Suspected
Loading...

Preceding Entity	NO_VALUE_ON_WIKI; Samarra and Halaf culture [None] Update here Expert
Loading...

Degree of Centralization	unknown Suspected Expert	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Language Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	suspected unknown Expert	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Language	unknown Suspected Expert	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Religion Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	[750 to 1,250] people	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Polity Territory	- Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Polity Population	- Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Hierarchical Complexity Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	2	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Religious Level	- Undecided	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Administrative Level	2	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Professions Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Professional Priesthood	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Professional Military Officer	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Bureaucracy Characteristics Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Merit Promotion	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Full Time Bureaucrat	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Examination System	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Law Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Judge	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Formal Legal Code	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Court	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Specialized Buildings: polity owned Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Irrigation System	Present	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Food Storage Site	Present	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Drinking Water Supply System	Present	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Transport Infrastructure Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Port	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Canal	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Bridge	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Special-purpose Sites Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Information / Writing System Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Script	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Nonwritten Record	Present	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Mnemonic Device	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Information / Kinds of Written Documents Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Sacred Text	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Religious Literature	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Practical Literature	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Philosophy	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Lists Tables and Classification	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

History	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Fiction	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Calendar	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Information / Money Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Present	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Precious Metal	Present	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Paper Currency	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Indigenous Coin	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Foreign Coin	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Article	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Information / Postal System Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

General Postal Service	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Courier	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Information / Measurement System Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Stone Walls Non Mortared	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Stone Walls Mortared	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Modern Fortification	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Moat	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Fortified Camp	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Earth Rampart	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Ditch	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Complex Fortification	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Long Wall	absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Military use of Metals Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Iron	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Copper	Present	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Bronze	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Projectiles Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Sling Siege Engine	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Sling	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Self Bow	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Javelin	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Handheld Firearm	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Crossbow	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Composite Bow	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Atlatl	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Handheld weapons Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Sword	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Spear	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Polearm	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Dagger	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Battle Axe	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Animals used in warfare Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Elephant	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Donkey	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Dog	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Camel	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Armor Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Shield	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Scaled Armor	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Plate Armor	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Limb Protection	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Leather Cloth	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Laminar Armor	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Helmet	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Chainmail	Absent	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Breastplate	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Naval technology Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent Inferred	5500 BCE 4000 BCE
Loading...

Human Sacrifice Ubaid (iq_ubaid)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More