摘要：Ancient northern Mesopotamia reveals the presence of southern Uruk-style material
cultural elements along with indigenous styles in fourth millennium B.C.E. In this
study, I argue that we need to focus on the ways northern Mesopotamian societies
constructed ¡®cultural difference¡¯ through an analysis of the meanings of southern-style
elements within northern contexts. I further argue that an investigation of culturallyparticular
ideas of ¡°own¡± and ¡°other¡± should involve a relationship between analytic and
folk categories of cultural boundaries.
