business sargonic

Selected Business Documents from Sargonic MesopotamiaAuthor(s): Benjamin R. FosterSource: Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Vol. 35, No. 3/4 (Jul. - Oct., 1983), pp. 147-175Published by: The American Schools of Oriental ResearchStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3515965 .

Accessed: 12/07/2013 11:43

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

The American Schools of Oriental Research is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extendaccess to Journal of Cuneiform Studies.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 194.214.27.178 on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 11:43:59 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=asor

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3515965?origin=JSTOR-pdf

http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp


SELECTED BUSINESS DOCUMENTS FROM SARGONIC MESOPOTAMIA

Benjamin R. Foster Yale University

In a survey of commercial activity in Sargonic Mesopotamia,' I considered the nature, milieu, and contents of Sargonic business documents, both "private" and "official." The purpose of this study is to publish and edit documents that illustrate aspects of the "private" (I) and "official" (II) enterprise discussed there.2

I. PRIVATE RECORDS

Private records can be divided into two categories. Some are documents drawn up by competent scribes using an established legal formulary, often witnessed (Nos. 1-4, Donbaz-Foster Telloh 155, No. 5?, Nos. 6-9, 14-17). These were potentially "public" records in the sense that they belong to known categories of documents. Others are roughly written, inexplicit business records presumably written by the entrepreneur himself for his own private record-keeping (Nos. 10-13). Use of the first person (see below, No. 13), proves the literacy of the record-keeper. A typology of the texts dealt with here follows:

1. Slave sales Nos. 1-4, Donbaz-Foster Telloh 155 2. House sale No. 5 3. Orchard sale No. 6 4. Orchard rental No. 7 5. Loans Nos. 8-11 6. "Purchases" Nos. 12-13 7. Uncertain Nos. 14-16, L.3015 (unpub.) 8. Herding contract? No. 17

1. Iraq 39 (1977) 31ff. 2. My thanks go to the Rev. G. Garner, Director, and to the board of directors of the

Australian Institute of Archaeology, Melbourne, for permission to publish texts in the collection there (cited as "AIA"), and to David Searle and George Ashley for kind assistance. I also thank William W. Hallo, curator, for permission to publish tablets in the Yale Babylonian Collection, and Veysel Donbaz, Fatma Yildsz, the director of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, and the antiquities authorities of the Republic of Turkey for permission to study tablets in the Lagash Collection. Many of the latter were published in V. Donbaz and B. Foster, Sargonic Tablets from Telloh in the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, Occasional Publications of the Babylonian Fund, 5 (Philadelphia, 1982); unpublished texts from that collection are cited here by the siglum "L." I have profited from suggestions by D. O. Edzard, though only I am responsible for the readings and interpretations offered here. Travel expenses were provided by the American Research Institute in Turkey and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

147 Jcs 35/3-4 1983



148 BENJAMIN R. FOSTER

1. Slave sales

No. 1 (AIA 4)

[ ] rki*-babbar gin [ i shekels of silver, [nig-dim] mma-?um purchase price of Malum, [PN?] ABxAS URUki (did) [PN?] the city elder [I]-ld pay.

5. [ ] x-sipa [ ]-sipa [dumu? A]d-da [son of?] Adda [in r]i-bi-tim [in the sq]uare] [im]-bur received (it).

W]-li-dan ?u gud [I]-li-dan of the "Ox" group 20. [mu]-qi-ip-su4 is his guarantor.

Ur-dNin-kar-ak Ur-Ninkarak [d]ub-sar (was) the clerk. [m]l-lu-lu (witnesses) [m]Ur-nin

15. [m]l•-a-ra-bt mx-gtr [mSul-i-li-su rl1? EDINki

[mxP]-i?i.?-um 20. [mx?]-x-um-x ama-su [mx?]-bi-[x?]-x [m]x [ ] [m] x rDUI? [ ] x.UD [ ]x 25. [ ]x [ ] rmabl [ ]x

Remarks: Line 9. For another member of this clan or grouping, see JCS 28 (1976)

229 rev. i 2. Line 10. In MAD 3 222 an unpublished slave sale using this term is

quoted.



BUSINESS DOCUMENTS FROM SARGONIC MESOPOTAMIA 149

No. 2 (AIA 5)

16 gin kd-b[abbar] 16 shekels of si[lver], nig-sdm Me-me purchase price of Meme, Ilum-dan nar did Ilum-dan the singer im-bur receive.

5. [m']Ni-ta? simug (witnesses) mAbzu-ta mMa-ma-bu 'm]Si-um rm] rTll-su-dan

No. 3 (AIA 18)

15 g[in kd-babba]r 15 shekels of silver, nig-sdm DINGIR.GIY purchase price of D., md-lab4 a boatman, mKu-ru-ub-dA gi Kurub-A~gi

5. [dumu U]r-Kwki [son of U]r-Ke- ... [ ]-x-su [ ]-bum [ ] KAL [ ] x GIBIL

10. [ ] x [ ] LA? im[ ]xx DINGIR-a-na ABXAS • urul[ki] NI.[ ] rdumul Su-m[u? ]

15. [ ] SUL? x [ ] DINGIR [ ] x dumu x

No. 4 (NBC 10290)

[10?+]1 gin kui-babbar igi 6-gAl [10?+]1% shekels of silver, nig-rUml Lugal-bid-kam purchase price of Lugal-bad, mURU.IM.KI U.

t LUGAL.GI and Sarru-kin




5. [wu] ba-ti-a8 received.

[ ] x SI.A? nig?-ba lI-a [ ga]l?-la dug [ ] mLUGAL GI-pa-6 dub-sar Sarru-kin-pa'e the scribe,

10. mUM dumu 04-i-li U' son of U'ili, [m]Mat dam-gir Mae the trading agent, [m]Al-x-x ku-ba A. the fisherman, mLugal-FKA' sipa Lugal-KA the shepherd, mEn-ku-li En-kuli,

15. hi-ki-inim-ma-bi-me (were) the witnesses.

Remarks: Line 6. The formulary here is unusual, but is too broken to decipher.

For 1h, compare Copenhagen Studies in Assyriology 9 (1982) 1:4: ma-na ld-

&m, "the mina is paid." Line 9. One wonders whether or not LUGAL.GI-pa-6 is the same as

LUGAL.GI of line 4. "Sargon-is-manifest" is an unusual instance of a Sumerian name based on a Sargonic royal name; cf. Hirsch, AfO 20 (1963) 1.

Donbaz-Foster Telloh 155 L.5772

[x+]5? gi[n ki-babbar] [x+]5 shekels of [silver], nig-Pdm mLugal-ezen-rkaml purchase price of Lugal-ezen, Lugal-ulumgal did Lugal-utumgal [PA].TE.SI-ke4 i-li-dh the ensi pay ...

5'. [ ]-li (rev.)

mx-tur [ ]x ml-ki-[Ag ]x

Remarks: Although this document forms part of an official "palace" archive, I

assume that the ensi is purchasing the slave as his own private property. This would explain the presence of witnesses; cf. Koschaker, OLZ 39

(1936) 150f. For "slaves of the ensi" as private property of the ensi, see Diakonoff, VDI 1948 No. 1:33.




2. House sale No. 5 (AIA 11)

DUB?-[ ] P[N] t I-b i-[ ] and Ibbi-[ ] dumu-rsul his son im-bur-ra received

5. qd-su-nu from their hands (?) 7% gin ku-babbar 7, shekels of silver

[nig]-'•dm1 6-su?-ni?] purchase price of the[ir?] house

Remarks: Line 1. Since this is the flat side, I assume that the text began here; if so,

the formulary is unusual in that it did not begin with the thing sold. Line 5. There seems to be no antecedent for this pronoun, unless there

was a list of names on the other side of the tablet. Do we have here an ablative accusative of the buyers (pl.) and dual of the sellers (line 7)?

3. Orchard sale

No. 6 (NBC 10194)

, ia-na 5 ku-babbar gin 25 shekels of silver,

nig-Shm gikiri6 Gir-gi4-luki-kam purchase price of an orchard in Girgilu,

A-ki-gal-e Il-la i-na-li did A-kigal pay to Illa. UA-bi-ta Including:

5. 6 kd gin UI 6 shekels (to) UI 6 11 6 (to) 11 6 Lui-dingir-ra 6 (to) Lui-dingirra dumu Ur-hi son of Ur-lu

[ ]gi? (rev.)

rNam'-tar-re x+? DI-da?-ke4 Nam-tarre? the... Su ba-ti received. 1 udu 1 mt. x KI x x 1 sheep, 1 goat ... Me-dri mu-na-sum did Me'uri give to him.

5'. Ur-gidri sanga Nibruki Ur-gidri (was) sanga of Nippur. ki GIR.NITA-S9

U! When US went to the general

i-gin-na 1 udu-pi that I sheep did UB




U -e G'IR.NITA-ra bring before the general i-na-ni-ku4 there.

10. 1 mOi-pi That 1 goat edge: E?4-tdr-11-su an-na-ku4 was brought before(?) rstar-ilu.

Remarks: This unusual text records the sale of an orchard, the price of which was

given to one person on behalf of himself and at least two others. The imperial and local (?) administrators in Nippur each received an animal. Was this the custom when land was sold in Nippur?

Line 2. This locality was in or near Nippur, RGTC 1 55. Rev. line 5'. This official is, to my knowledge, otherwise unattested.

Near-by Isin was also administered by a sanga in the Sargonic period: BIN 8 164, 167; ArOr 35 (1967) 523; MAD 4 170. His relationship to the general and ensi of Nippur is unknown.

Rev. line 6'. A general was appointed at Nippur by Sarkalisarri, apparently in connection with rebuilding the lE-kur. This is known from

JAOS 88 (1968) 56: mu Sar-k-li-?ir-ri Pzizur-E?4-tdr G'IR.NITA 6-dEn-lil

dui-da bi-gub-ba-a mu ab-6s-a, "Year following the year SarkaliTharri stationed Puzur-E-tar the general to build the Temple of Enlil"; differently Goetze, JAOS 88 (1968) 56. One is thereby tempted to date this tablet to this period.

Rev. line 11'. For the passive force of anna- in Sargonic Nippur texts, see Westenholz Jena 8.

4. Orchard rental

No. 7 (NBC 10191)

[ g]ilkiri6 [x sar of] orchard, [ ] 20 Frel rgurl [x+?] 20 gur of barley, [ ] 3 [ ] UD.KA.BAR x+3 bronze ..., [ ]3[ ] x-ra x+3...,

5. [ ] gikiri6 3 GANA (lease for?) 3 iku of orchard

Lugal-nita-zi did Lugal-nitazi REC 318 uru-ke4 the ... of the city A-kalam-e make for payment to dumu Iir-ni-ra Akalame son of Urni.

10. nam-gi-i' mu-ak

(rev. uninscribed)




Remarks: Line 1. The relationship between the orchards in lines 1 and 5 is not

clear. I suggest that 3 iku was the size of the whole, and that the orchard in line 1 was a fraction thereof that constituted part of the rent, along with the commodities in lines 2-4. Fractions of land as parts of rent are known elsewhere in Sargonic texts, for example, Copenhagen Studies in Assyriology 9 (1982) 1:lff.: 7140 (sar) GANA, nig-gir-bi, 765 (sar), "7140 sar of agricultural land, its 'commission': 765 sar."

Line 7. For this office, see Renger, ZA 59 (1969) 129ff.; RiC 318 uru seems to be otherwise unattested.

5. Loans

No. 8 (YBC 7090)

2.2.0.0 ?e gur (rev.) Ama-LUL.GU dumu Ur-ur KA.EN.DA-ka PA.URU 1.0.0.0 we gur Ur-ur 2.2.0.0 'e gur Ma-ma 15. z-g-gir-gl

5. dam Li-zi-da 1.0.0.0 we gur Nin.nin 2.0.0.0 "e gur Nin-ma'-e dumu A-gd-uru-na dam Lugal-uru 0.2.0.0 'e Nig-6 sagi 1.2.0.0 gur E-ki-dg 0.2.0.0 e f IJ-id-edin-na 1.2.0.0 'e gur

10. rLugall-mu-da-dil 20. wu-nigin 17 we gur-sag-g6l 1.2.0.0 'e gur dEn-ki-ur se Nin-inim-gi-na-ka-kam 2.2.0.0 we gur Uru-gi7 edge: PAP.PAP ur s- i-ne-sum

Remarks: This text records eleven loans of barley belonging to a certain Nin-

inimgina, totalling 17 gur, made on his behalf by a certain PAP.PAP. At least two of the debtors are women. The subscription reads: "It is barley of Nin-inimgina. P. gave it to them at interest."

Line 13. The meaning of KA.EN.DA (a title?) is unknown to me. Line 15. z1-gir-gAl appears to be a title or designation, "beside the

knife," but I know of no parallel.




No. 9 (NBC 10257)

(obv. illegible) (rev. iii) (space)

?u-nigin le mu nu-gil-la Total barley for a year of dearth, kl%-bi 1 kui ma-na 4 gin-kam its silver being 1 mina, su-nigin 84.1.0.0 Se gur-sag total: 84.1.0.0 gur sag of barley

?e-kam in barley KA-zi-da-ke4 Ur-sag owes K.

5'. Ur-sag-da an-da-tuku

Remarks: Line 1'. For mu-nu-gAl, compare BIN 8 43, 170, 175, and the remarks of

Edzard, ZA 56 (1964) 277.

No. 10 (NBC 10239) (same scribe as no. 11)

3 e gur 3 gur of barley Ur-TAKA-kam of Ur-K., 3.0.0.0 Il-su 3 of IIu 3.2.0.0 Ur-dEn-lil 3 of Ur-Enlil,

5. 1.0.0.0 Amar-ezen 1 of Amar-ezen, Ur-Isin(IN)ki did Ur-Isin receive.

u4 e 0.3.0.0 al-Ag At that time barley was measured for 3 bariga (to the shekel of silver).

(rev.) ?u ba-ti

No. 11 (NBC 10237) (same scribe as no. 10)

4,1? ki gin 43? shekels of silver, 10 'e gur 10 gur of barley, Lugal-gi~ u ba-ti did Lugal-gih receive; 11? ?e gur 11 gur of barley

5. Ur-lugal did Ur-lugal Sel-ni his brother gu ba-ti receive.

(reverse uninscribed)




6. "Purchases"

This refers to texts in which one commodity is exchanged for another with or without the price being converted into silver.

No. 12 (NBC 10286a)

[ ] x 6 igi x+3 gAl 3%

1• 2 ?a-na kui kii-[kam] E?4-tdr-NI.SU

15 kui gin [ ] 2.1.0.0 Ie gur 3 ki rginl-kam 5 kdi gin khi [e-kam] Ur-DINGIR

5'. 3 kd gin khi udu-k[am] 10'. i-nun kd 1 gin (reverse destroyed)

(Capital): 18 shekels of silver in silver 15 shekels of silver in [ ] 5 shekels of silver in b[arley]

5'. 3 shekels of silver in sheep. (Loans?):

6 '/3 (shekels) (to) Eltar-N. 2.1.0.0 gur of barley (at) 3 shekels of silver (to) Ur-DINGIR.

(Purchase?): 10'. Butterfat: price 1 shekel.

Remarks: This appears to be a commercial record consisting of a balance on hand

(lines 1'-5'), two loans, and a purchase. Note that the exchange rate of

barley to silver in line 8' is the same as that of no. 10 (% to 1).

No. 13 (NBC 10284)

13 zd-lum (gur) 13 gur of dates: u4-ba 2 (gur) al-salo At that time 2 gur were purchased

(for 1 shekel of silver). mu rgettin1 l-d6 For wine he poured (it) (=made

wine with the dates?) 12 [ gur u4]-ba 1 (gur) 14 12 (gur of dates): At that time %

gur was [purchased] 2 (bariga) al-[salo] (for 1 shekel of silver)...




(rev.) Da-da? [ ] Dada [ ]. 10 kd-gin I-bar-pi 10 shekels of silver (of?) E?. ma-sum he gave to me. 0.1.2.0 ke gur RA.R[A? ] x 0.1.2.0 gur of barley

5'. ma-sum zi-[lum (x)] he gave to me. nig sag-ba-4? ba-[ ] ... dates for the sab-ga-(payment)

were[ ].

Remarks: Rev. line 3'. For other texts in the first person, see Gelb OAIC 21, 35;

CT 50 72; MDP 14 79; BIN 8 135. Rev. 6'. For sag-ba as a kind of payment in dates, perhaps a tax,

compare possibly JANES 12 (1980) 38 ii 4 and NSG 3 154 "sag 3."

7. Uncertain

L. 3015 (unpub.) mLugal-gu7 dam-gir Me-sAg matkim

(reverse uninscribed) Remarks:

I suggest that this curious little text (2.9 X 3.3 cm.) is a sort of "letter of introduction" to the great household for the trading agent named. Unfortunately the agent's name does not occur elsewhere in the archive, and the name Me-sAg is too common to identify precisely. He may be the Sargonic official of that name, contemporary with the ensi Lugal-ulumgal of Lagash, who held a large estate near Lagash and Umma. For discussion of Me-sag, see Foster, OrNS 48 (1979) 161 n. 56 and Copenhagen Studies in Assyriology 9 (1982) 52ff.; M. Lambert, RSO 49 (1975) 159ff.; S. J. Bridges, "The Mesag Archive: A Study of Sargonic Society and Economy" (unpub. Ph.D. diss., Yale University, 1981).

No. 14 (AIA 15)

3 gin ki-babbar 3 shekels of silver:

mu-tim &.d[ ] Delivery (to) the temple of [ ]; 1 gin E-a-da[n] 1 shekel (to) Ea-dan,




1 gin 3 (bdn) d 1 sila i [ ] 1 shekel (and?) 3 ban (of grain?) NA.UU.[ ] "hire" (of?) 1 sila [ ],

5. 1 gin IRIN.[ D]UR?-be-li 1 shekel (to) E.[ ], ma?-bi?-ir? x-LUM [ ] RU.x

(rev.) [ ]x-ba [ ] ril-di-in [ ] did he give. 1 gur 1 udu 1 gur (of grain?), 1 sheep,

10. I-ar-um ?u A.LA (to)? ITarum -f the A.-group: fim 6 gin kui-babbar purchase price: 6 shekels of silver;

(space) Su-nigin 14 gin x li y Total 14 (-) shekels,

ma-na-[tur] r251 ? Pe kil-babbar 25 grains of silver

Da-[ ] P[N]? Remarks:

Line 2. For the term mu-tdm used of commercial deliveries to a great household, compare no. 18 below.

Line 4. This line is incomprehensible to me.

No. 15 (AIA 20)

[ ] 2 udu [ x]2 sheep [ da]m.gir [ tr]ading agent [Pdzur]-E_4-tdr ugula [Puzur?]-Ektar (was?) supervisor

(of the transaction?) 2 gin nu-KA 6 2 shekels (to) the ... of the

household 5. Pd-lu-lu (Authority?) Pululu (subordinate

to) Pd-pi dumu IGI.E? GA[L?] Pupu son of I. 3 gin nu-KA 6 3 shekels (to) the ... of the

household

Pitzur-E_4-tdr ugula bar Another Puzur-Etar (was?) supervisor

(of the transaction?) dSin-ba-ni (Authority?) Sin-bani

10. 1 gin 1 udu 1 shekel, 1 sheep nu-KA 6 (to) the..,. of the household.




Remarks: Line 4. For nu-KA, see Edzard, ZA 55 (1962) 108. It appears to be a

title.

No. 16 (AIA 16)

[x g]in [kui-babbar] [ s]hekels of [silver] [ I [ I ABXAS uruki the city elder 1 gin kui-babbar [1?] shekel of silver

5. I-li-dan Ili-dan

[ ] gin kui-babbar [1?] shekel of silver (rev.)

DINGIR-la-ba DINGIR-laba 1 gin kd-babbar 1 shekel of silver

Ur-K6,ki Ur-Kel

10. ?u I.BA-LUGAL (man of) I.

8. Herding contract?

No. 17 (AIA 10)

1 gud 1 ox DINGIR-ma-li-ik (belonging to) D., ?u GAL.SUKKAL man of the high minister; 2 gud 2 oxen

5. A-bu-bu (belonging to) Ahuhu 16 gi4-a Be-li-i0-td-[kd]l (did) the messenger of Belis-takal Ni S.LU of the E.-group

(rev.)

i-[bu]-uz take. 10. 0-U

d-ru-?um U'u brought (them) to him. IGI Su-,a-ri-im (witnesses). IGI Su-mu-lum IGI GTIR

15. IGI T-li-EN.NU IGI l-mud-n-a

edge: IGIlTR-su-ni




Remarks: Line 6. For li-gi4, "send a messenger," see Falkenstein, ZA 49 (1950) 66. Line 9. Since no price is mentioned, abazu may mean simply "take

possession of." Compare CT 50 72:4, where a slave is purchased but not yet taken in possession (ti-la a-bu-uz).

II. OFFICIAL RECORDS

This term refers to documents from the archives of "great households" (6-gal = temple or palace) that were commercial transactions to which the household was a party or involved goods that belonged to the great household. The choice of material is very large, but the examples given below have points of particular interest.

1. Purchase of commodities ITT 2 4647; Donbaz-Foster Telloh 54 (L.1388)

2. Delivery of foreign goods by trading agent No. 19

3. Loans HSS 10 72, 107 4. Sale L.5795 (unpub.) 5. Uncertain Donbaz-Foster Telloh 6 (L.1095)

1. Purchase of commodities

ITT 2 4647

%-4a l& igi 3-ga[1 gin] 19% shekels, ki.gi 1 gin [ki-babbar] of gold, 1 shekel 8-ta salo-a being brought for 8 shekels

of silver, kil-babbar-bi 2% ma-na 7 gin

igi 3-gdl its silver, 157% shekels, 5. 6-gal-M8 mu-tim was brought to the Great

Household. 2%-Aa 4 gin kd 144 shekels of silver, ki ki-duru5 TAKA-Am silver rendered (as rent) on

agricultural land, L-ba ga-ra8-da is in the custody of 1-da-gIl Lu-ba the purchasing agent.




Remarks: Line 7. I take TAKA to mean "give, pay" (of rent), and compare TAKA

(pe?6?) "divide the harvest (with a lessee)," as is known from Gasur texts

(HSS 10 38 iv 2, etc.); see Jacobsen, PAPS 107 (1963) 475 n. 5; Powell, ZA 68

(1978) 181-91 ("make an official present of something"). This record charges in a quantity of silver acquired from the sale of gold

at the rate of 1:8. The second part of the record charges out silver acquired as rent on farmland to a purchasing agent, presumably to acquire commodities needed by the Great Household.

Donbaz-Foster Telloh 54 (L.1388)

10 gin k i-babbar 10 shekels of silver, Mdm (NINDAxSE) UD.KA.

BAR-kam purchase price of bronze;

,-'a IA 11% gin an-na 18,' shekels of tin

L6-dNanRe (to) Lu-Nan'e. 5. 3 gin kfi 3 shekels of silver,

kui an-na-a-kam being silver of (=for) tin, (rev.)

[IY]r-ra-an (to) Urran. 3 ma-na 6 gin UD.KA.BAR 36 shekels of bronze, 4 gin kui 4 shekels of silver,

10. Mam (NINDAxSE) UD.KA. BAR-kam being the purchase price of bronze,

1 gin an-na (and?) 1 shekel of tin, Lugal-ezen (to) Lugal-ezen.

Remarks: This text has prosopographical affinities with other texts from Girsu

treating of metal, for example: a. RTC 101 ("Gr-ra-an, Lugal-ezen): a list of quantities of silver called ko

zabar uru-ta 6-a, "silver (for) bronze, gone out of the city." b. ITT 5 9277

(Lti-dNante?, Lugal-ezen): a list of silver amounts subscribed sag kii.gi-• mu-tim, "delivered instead of gold."

c. Donbaz-Foster Telloh 170 (L.5901) (Li6-dNanfe), a distribution of silver amounts to a chief cantor (gala-mab), a fowler (muwen-dui), a

carpenter (nagar), a boatman ([m,-l]ab4-gal),

and the household supervisor ([n]u-banda 6-gal).

d. ITT 2 5763 (transliteration only, tablet now destroyed): delivery of gold from the sanga of Nin-dar-a.




e. Donbaz-Foster Telloh 69 (L.2878) (Or-ra-an): delivery of gold from the sanga of Nin-dar-a.

f. ITT 2 4438 ([L]ugal-ezen): delivery and removal of bronze and tin. The great household did a lively business in metal, buying (RTC 101,

abroad; Donbaz-Foster Telloh 54 [L.1388]), receiving (as tax?, Donbaz- Foster Telloh 69 [L.2878]), selling (? Donbaz-Foster Telloh 170 [L.5901]?). One is strongly tempted to equate Or-ra-an of this text series with the dam- gAr of the same name known in ITT 1 1431.

2. Delivery of foreign goods by a trading agent

No. 18 (YBC 16676)

4 ZA.NIM gid-da 4 long NIM-stones, ki-ld-bi 3 gin weighing 3 shekels; 360 1i 20 ZA.GUL-tur 340 small carnelians, ki-1d-bi 10 gin weighing 10 shekels;

(rev.) 5. 2 udu 1 ma6 2 sheep, 1 goat,

Lugal-iti-da (from) Lugal-itida dam-gAr dumu Me-a the trading agent, son of Me'a.

(space) mu-tdm Delivery.

Remarks: Line 1. I cannot document NIM as a type of stone. Possibly these were

fly-shaped stone ornaments, for references to which see CAD Z 155b. Line 2. For sheep and goats in commerce, see Iraq 39 (1977) 36.

3. Loans HSS 10 72

col. i a. [x+].2.0.0 se gur

[i]?-do [S]I.A-um rGAL1. KU

b. 5. 30 8i 2 -e gur is-dd Bala-ga

c. 20 Se gur is-dk




10. 9-mrr-llum dumu Su-Da-da

d. 13.0.0.0 1A 0.1.0.0 Se gur is-d rIrl-lum

e. 15. [x+]10.0.0.0 14 1.1.0.0 te gur

[Pit-z]u-zu col. ii

Su-GA-[tum ] f. 4 te g[ur]

Pdzur-lu-lu (space)

g. tu-nigin 156 te gur 5. in 0.0.3.0 lugal

h. 15 te gur i?-d& A-bu-[DOG?] engar Zu-zu

i. 33 te gur 10. i0-dd

I-kd-ntim tabra dumu 6nsi

j. 20 te gur 4 ziz gur

col. iii i?-d6 Ib-ni-Ilum

(space) k. [tu]-nigin 60'+2 gur

[tu]-nigin 3 ziz gur 5. [i]n 0.0.3.0 dingir

[te] gis-ra-a [enga]r Zu-zu [m]u-a-kam

(space) 1. 156 'e gur 10. DINGIR-a-zu m. 20 'e gur

Ti-ri-TAR n. 7.2.3.0 Se gur




iv [ ]-zu r ]-zu

o. [ ].2.3.0 le gur [ ]x.NI.NI

5. [d]am-gir (space)

p. [?u]-nigin (3X60)+10+6 e gur

q. in 1 mu si-a-ti

10. [q]dm 1 kui-babbar gin ke 1.2.3.0 gur

(space) [ke ?]u Zu-zu

Entry 1 (=i 1-16, ii 1-5) (a) x+2 bariga of barley with Watrum the GAL. OKU(-official). (b) 28 gur of barley with Balaga. (c) 20 gur of barley with Jsma-Ilum son of Su-Dada. (d) 124/5 gur of barley with IrMum. (e) x+84/5 gur of barley with [Pu]zuzu(subordinate of) Su-GA[tum]. (f) 4 gur of barley with Puzur-Lulu. (g) Total: 156 gur of barley at 3 ban (to the gur), king's (interest).

Entry 2 (=ii 6-15, iii 1-8) (h) 15 gur of barley with Abu-[tib?], cultivator: Zuzu. (i) 33 gur of barley with Ikunum the major domo, son of the ensi. (j) 20 gur of barley, 4 gur of emmer, with Ibni-Ilum. (k) Total: 62' gu[r] of barley,

Total: 3 gur of emmer, at 3 ban (to the gur), God's (interest). Threshed barley, cultivator: Zuzu. Of the current year.

Entry 3 (=iii 9-13, iv 1-7) (1) 156 gur of barley (to) D. (m)20 gur of barley (to) T. (n) 7.2.3.0 barley (to) PNI [son of?] PN2. (o) x+2.3.0 gur of barley (to) PN, trading agent.

Total: 196 gur of barley, Out-go.

Entry 4 (=iv 6-12) In that year the purchase price of 1 shekel of silver (in) barley (was)

1.2.3.0. [Barley?] of Zuzu.




Remarks: Entry 1 consists of loans of grain at 33/% interest(?), made to individuals

on behalf of the crown. Entry 2 consists of loans of grain at 331% interest, made to individuals on

behalf of a temple. Note that the total is an increase of one-third over the

items, implying that the interest was already reckoned in the total. Entries 1 and 2 are thereby positive amounts from a bookkeeping point

of view, and refer to commercial transactions with threshed grain of one

year, under the charge of a cultivator, Zuzu, who was in a position to lend both crown and temple grain.

Entry 3 consists of disbursements, reckoned as "out-go," negative amounts from a bookkeeping point of view; one of these is to a trading agent.

Entry 4: Date and rate of exchange.

HSS 10 107

4 gur in 0.0.4.0 (sila) 5.1.4.0 'e gur i•-dd Zu-zu 13[+2] -e gur

5. su-nigin 20.1.4.0 ke gur Da-ti im-bur 1 gur PT.ZUR-6-gal 1 gur SI.A-um

(rev.) 3 gur I-ri-llum

10. 2.2.0.0 gur I-nin-a-na-ak 20 1A 1 'e gur a-na 'Am ab Ilum-dan im-bur

Entry 1 Four gur at 4 ban (to the gur): 5.1.4.0 gur of barley with Zuzu. r151 gur of barley, Total: 20.1.4.0 gur of barley did Dati receive.




Entry 2 1 gur (to) Puzur-ekalli, 1 gur (to) Watrum, 3 gur (to) Iri-Ilum, 2.2.0.0 gur (to) Ininanak, 19 gur to purchase pig(s), did Ilum-dan receive.

Remarks: The format of this text is comparable to that of the preceding. Entry 1: A loan at 333%, again with the interest counted in the total, and a

second quantity, received by Dati (=positive amount?). Entry 2: Expenditures (=negative amount).

4. Sale

L.5795 (unpub.)

[ ] Ur-[ ] [PN] mDa-da sipa tiz Dada the goatherd ugula Ur-dNin-dar foreman: Ur-Nindar

mLugal-ki-4,r-ra Lugal-ki*arra

5'. ugula Lugal-Ti-ra-0i-46 foreman: Lugal-Tirarse (rev.)

Lugal-nig-zu dam-gar (did) Lugal-nigzu the ba-salo trading agent purchase.

(space) su-nigin 11 guru? Total: 11 male workers

rsu-niginl 3 [ ] Total: 3 [ ] Remarks:

This appears to be a record of a trading agent either paying the great household for male workers or selling them. Since, it is generally agreed,3 male workers could not be sold as chattel slaves, it may be suggested that the trading agent was buying the use of these men for some unofficial purpose. Since trading agents were not regular members of the household staff,4 they had to contract for household labor-or at least so this text may be interpreted.

3. Diakonoff in Harmatta and Komor6czy (eds.), Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft im alten Vorderasien (Budapest, 1976) p. 58.

4. Gelb, Rocz.Or. 41 (1980) 34.




5. Uncertain

Donbaz-Foster Telloh 6 (L.1095)

[ ] e gu[r ] [ AN]SE.NITA.LI[BIR ] Ki-tu?-ni dub-sa[r ] d Tir-[k- ]

5'. 12 ma-na [ ] 20 ma-na rsigl Lugal-bur rIGI1.DUB 13 e gur KA.TAR dub-sar

10' rini 1 m[u ] x+4 gin igi r41-g[dl ]

(rev.) 23.2.3.0 ke gur Ki-tu?-ni dub-sar

dt Tir-kui in 2 mu

(space) 5'. Su-nigin 143.2.3.0 'e gur

A-ga-d6ki ?u-nigin %-La 1•I igi 4-gil

kui-babbar ?u-nigin 12 ma-na urudu su-nigin 20 ma-na sig x x e-za-am-d[ ]

10'. [Laga]tki [ it]-ba-al

Remarks: Rev. line 11'. Compare, for example, BIN 8 139. This text is highly unusual within the Girsu archives in that it is written in

Akkadian (cf. obv. 10', rev. 4'). While it deals with the taking away of grain, silver, copper, and wool, I do not understand its significance.

III. CONCLUSIONS

These documents demonstrate first that commerce was not a monopoly in Sargonic Mesopotamia, but was engaged in by private individuals

working on their own behalf, by households, and by great state institutions.




In one mode, commerce was buying, selling, leasing, and lending, all with a view to accumulation of wealth. The records demonstrate that silver and other precious materials were to be found in private possession and were used in private commerce. In another mode, commerce was acquisition of raw materials such as metal or stone, and is thus a crucial, if little understood, mechanism in international trade. Of particular interest is that the great households of the state, such as the city ruler's household at Girsu, when they needed materials such as metal or stone, purchased them for cash-cash obtained, among other ways, by extensive land leasing. Purchased from whom? The records do not say. The two texts from Gasur (HSS 10 72, 107) illustrate a business practice not so clearly attested in Sargonic Sumer: the official household as money lender. This is attested in other Sargonic archives from the north and from Babylonian archives of later periods, and may well prove, upon further research, to be a regional peculiarity.5 At the present time, despite the great interest in these subjects, it is remarkable how little broad, historical information the texts yield.6 Yet important progress is being made, both in correcting older, over- simplified explanations of Mesopotamian commerce and trade, and in evaluating the real significance of the evidence that is now to hand.

CONCORDANCE OF TEXTS PUBLISHED HERE

No. 1 AIA 4 No. 2 AIA 5 No. 3 AIA 18 No. 4 NBC 10290 No. 5 AIA 11 No. 6 NBC 10194 No. 7 NBC 10191 No. 8 YBC 7090 No. 9 NBC 10257

No. 10 NBC 10239 No. 11 NBC 10237 No. 12 NBC 10286a No. 13 NBC 10284 No. 14 AIA 15 No. 15 AIA 20 No. 16 AIA 16 No. 17 AIA 10 No. 18 YBC 16676

OTHER TEXTS TREATED

HSS 10 72, 107 ITT 2 4647

L.3015, L.5795, all unpublished Donbaz-Foster Telloh 6, 54, 155

5. For example, Harris, JCS 9 (1955) 37ff. 6. Yoffee, MANE 2/2 (1981), with bibliography.




No. 1 obv. rev.

No. 2

obv. rev.

rest destroyed omtD

'? ' ,




No. 3 obv. rev.

No.4 obv. rev.




No. 5 obv.? rev.? destroyed

No. 6 obv. rev.

left edge




No. 7 obv.

"LED r-T-TT-1 I

reverse uninscribed

No. 8 obv. rev.

left edge $ '

•

ID 13~t

8 ~~ft 7 ~ I~ V IF

PAW~~e= LDma~F~~~~ffIB r

ionpCd




No. 9

(obverse illegible)

rev.

No. 10

obv. rev.

.O-Mm" 1

"

tt




11 No. 12 obv. obv.

reverse uninscribed

reverse destroyed

No. 13 obv. rev.

rao a= I'izr Am..

AI*A> mu

woo SBf~-P~




No. 14 obv. rev.

No. 15

obv.

reverse uninscribed




No. 16 obv. rev.

No. 17 obv. rev.

No. 18 obv. rev.

~CD ~?~_rev.

/7-f



business sargonic

Documents

sargonic tablets

categories of documents

donbazfoster telloh

jstor terms

jstor archive

sargonic mesopotamia

sargonic mesopotamiaauthors

inexplicit business