The Circulation and Use of Lapis Lazuli and Carnelian in Mesopotamia Between the Late Chalcolithic and the Early Bronze Age I

In Mesopotamia, the social value attributed to exotic materials such as lapis lazuli and carnelian within the elite-led wealth economy of the 3rd millennium BC is well known. In contrast, the presence and circulation of these semi-precious stones has been less systematically investigated for the earlier Late Chalcolithic (4500-3100 BC) period, a time of increasing socio-economic transformations which resulted in the so-called Uruk phenomenon. Thus, this paper aims at providing an assessment of the regional distribution of lapis lazuli and carnelian in a diachronic and quantitative perspective between the 5th and early 3rd millennia across Mesopotamia to reflect on changes in consumption practices and circulation patterns in the region. First, the materials, sources and contexts will be reviewed, then the results will be discussed within a wider perspective in relation to trade routes and interaction with the surrounding areas. Keywords - Lapis lazuli, carnelian, Chalcolithic, Mesopotamia