The present volume completes the edition of Middle Assyrian documents from the official archive of Dūr-Katlimmu (modern Tall Šēḫ Ḥamad), a provincial capital on the Lower Ḫabur river spanning a period of more than fifty years during the reigns of Shalmaneser I (1263–1234 bc) and his son and successor Tukulti-Ninurta I (1233–1197 bc). The publication consists of 81 lists concerning census data and the distribution of rations to the personnel of the local palace.
The first chapter provides a deep insight into demography and social structure. The total number of individuals amounts to 1,000 people bearing 750 different personal names. It is obvious that an analysis of this material will significantly increase our knowledge of onomastics in the Middle Assyrian realm. In addition to genuine Assyrians, there are members of several ethnic groups such as Suteans, and perhaps even people of Hurrian origin.
The Dūr-Katlimmu lists include both šiluḫlu people and free farmers/workers. The first group has been supplied only with rations, consisting mainly of barley, sometimes also other crops like chickpeas, in addition to the delivery of clothes (mašḫuru garments). In contrast “free” workers received an allocation of seeds for sowing.
The structure of several families is graphically illustrated, the growing up of individuals is represented in tabular form. This way we see the development from child to adult; furthermore (as a side effect) the chronological order of individual years can be understood (see chapter VI).
Chapters II and III deal with lists of šiluḫlu people, more specifically with ration lists. The layout of these documents corresponds to the usual practice in the Middle Assyrian administration: individual families are listed together, usually in a fixed order (father, mother, children, from eldest to youngest). The exact registration of the number of persons and their age is important to calculate the amount of rations required.
Chapter IV gives an overview of the administrative structure within the Dūr-Katlimmu area. The most senior official is the sukkallu (vizier), followed by the bēl pāḫete (provincial governor). He is supported by a stewart (mašennu). Representative (qēpu) and scribe (ṭupšarru) are responsible for the preparation of administrative documents. The occurrence of the zāriqu (group leader) sheds new light on the understanding of his office outside the royal court. In Dūr-Katlimmu he is not a high official, but just the head of a group of šiluḫlu people. An interesting note: in one case, the career of an official can be traced. A certain Sîn-apla-iddina worked initially as a “herdsman” (nāqidu). He later held the office of vizier.
Chapter V describes the guidelines for defining age groups in Middle Assyrian Dūr-Katlimmu. The decisive factor here is not the biological age of an individual, but rather the physiological development. This leads to considerable variance between individuals. The first stage, “baby” (ša irte), for instance, runs from the first to the third year of life and the infant stage (pirsu) from the second to even the twelfth year. The next categories are “adolescent” (tāriʾu/tārītu, 5th–13th year) and “apprentice” (talmīdu/talmittu, 8th–14th year). Adults are described as professionals (e.g. farmer, craftsman) or simply “worker” (ša šipre).
Chapter VI explores the chronology of the texts. It should be noted that the analysis of age groups in connection with life courses of individuals delivers quite good results, particularly regarding eponyms with a difficult chronological position. This is the case with the eponym year of Bēr-išmânni, which was believed to be placed somewhere before Salmānu-šuma-uṣur. It now becomes clear that the eponym in question must have held his office afterwards. This leads, for example, to a better understanding of the sequence of events in the Western realm of Assyria during the reign of Tukultī-Ninurta I.
Chapter VII concerns palaeography, orthography and some special features of the texts, in other words regional specifics such as certain spellings which occur only here. Scribal errors or abbreviations are also examined.
Chapter VIII represents the largest part of the present book, and contains the transcription, translation and commentary of the Dūr Katlimmu lists, supplemented by hand copies of the cuneiform text. The meticulous commentary is usually adequate, but in the case of the term ḫarimtu it is regrettable that its use is not discussed, particularly because the status of the ḫarimtu woman as a “prostitute” or not has been a subject of debate among scholars for many years. Nevertheless, the mentioning of “prostitutes”, sometimes also designated as a female worker, as an integral part of the workforce in Dūr-Katlimmu requires explanation.
Chapter IX contains useful indices, especially concerning the proper names of the Dūr-Katlimmu people, and chapter X finally offers a list of cuneiform signs occurring in the texts of the archive and their variants. This is followed by black-and-white photos of most of the tablets. In this way, the reader is given an authentic impression of the shape and layout of the original cuneiform texts.
The present volume provides interesting insights into the daily life of common people in thirteenth-century bc Assyria. This major contribution to social history offers an outstanding basis for future research.
