The second lecture, "The Land and Peoples of Akkad", focused on the geographical context of the cradle of this Empire, as well as the characteristics of certain groups and alliances in Akkadian society, their family structures and their legal conventions, notably concerning marriage and property. We discussed the practice, unique to the Akkadians, of creating in conquered territories a network of economic and social dependence that replaced traditional tribal and family groupings with direct allegiance to the Akkadian king and notables. One of the most effective ways of doing this was to develop agricultural land in rural areas and divide it up into plots for the dependents of the king and the Akkadian notables. This created a mobile and sometimes wealthy social class apart from the general population, sharing common economic interests and ideology with the king's appointed officials and with the leaders and staff of the most important temples.
10:30 - 11:30
