Economic models in Ancient Near East economies

Abstract

Input definitions: Economy – the core is the allocation of goods and resources Model – theoretical and simplified concept of reality the aim of which is to illustrate mechanisms governing the reality Two assumptions: we do not treat Near East economy as a whole problem with precise statistical data referring to the ancient times Models: circulations: production, storage, distribution and consumption  G=f(P, R, T, I), where G is global income (produced goods),P – people, R – resources, T – technology and I – institutions cooperation between state (including religious institutions) and private sector question of existence of market economy - demand and supply with price or its equivalent as a tool of relation Terms and persons to clarify: nmḥ (Egyptian) - people, who had own land and paid taxes to the royal treasure = ἐλεύθερος (Greek) tamkaru (Akkadian) - royal clerks who performed long-distance trade for fixed prices embeddedness - economic behaviour in certain historical and social conditions as well as cultural and even religious ones John Maynard Keynes – British economist (1883-1946) - Keynesianism idea assumes a great role of the state as the creator of demand Key problem: correspondence of contemporary economic models with the reality of the ancient Near East Question of the talk: translation of economic rules current in our times into different realities in the earlier times – continuity vs. chang