Joshua Britton (UCL) - 2021-22 Students
zcrajdj@ucl.ac.uk

Individual agency and cultural interaction during the kārum period in central Anatolia (20th-18th centuries BCE)

My research investigates the role of the individual in shaping intercultural contact within the long-distance trade network between Assur in northern Iraq and cities in central Turkey during the 20th-18th centuries BCE. The project explores how an understanding of individual action can elucidate the intersections between socio-cultural change, mobility, and early political economy.
The rich archives documenting the lives of Assyrian traders participating in this trade while living abroad in Anatolia as well as the archaeological remains of their houses and their contents provide an exceptional dataset to conduct a novel investigation into how individuals negotiated intercultural interaction. My research examines the role of individuals in shaping economic networks and patterns of migration through cultural interactions. By doing so, the project aims to shift our understanding of the period from system-based approaches towards a more nuanced appreciation of human experience.

Primary supervisor: Professor Eleanor Robson, UCL
Secondary supervisor: Dr Yağmur Heffron, UCL