This paper examines the concept of animals as social actors in the ancient Near East through a case study of human–equid relations. In particular, examples where equids may be seen as expressing resistance, as depicted in the iconography of the third and second millenniabc, are analysed. The first part of the paper discusses how animals have been perceived in scholarly debates in philosophy, archaeology and human–animal studies. It is argued that an acknowledgement of animals as social actors can improve our understanding of the human past, and the relation of humans to their broader environment. The second part of the paper presents three examples from the ancient Near East where equids may be interpreted as pushing back or resisting the boundaries placed by humans, resulting in a renegotiation of the relationship.

中文翻译：

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作为社会行为者的动物：古代近东的平等抵抗案例

本文通过人类与动物关系的案例研究，探讨了动物作为古代近东社会行为者的概念。特别是，马可被视为表达抵抗的例子，如第三个和第二个千年的肖像中所描绘的公元前, 进行分析。论文的第一部分讨论了在哲学、考古学和人类-动物研究的学术辩论中如何看待动物。有人认为，承认动物是社会行为者可以提高我们对人类过去的理解，以及人类与更广泛环境的关系。论文的第二部分介绍了古代近东的三个例子，其中马科动物可能被解释为推回或抵制人类设置的界限，从而导致重新谈判这种关系。