Letters have weight: weighted k-shells in a Neo-Assyrian co-attestation network | Journal of Historical Network Research (original) (raw)

Research

Letters have weight: weighted _k_-shells in a Neo-Assyrian co-attestation network

• Ellie Bennett
• Lena Tambs
• Krister Lindén

Abstract

Network Analysis is still gaining momentum within Neo-Assyrian (c. 934-612 BCE) scholarship. Studies are exploring different types of networks, and what various centrality measures highlight in their datasets. In this contribution, we suggest how weighted _k_-core centrality could be used in the identification of elite groups within a co-attestation network. The network is built from co-attestations in correspondence dated to the reign of Sargon II (721-705 BCE), and we present a weighting scheme that reflects the strength of communication between those attested in a single document. We then use this weighting scheme to identify the weighted _k_-shells of the network. Our results align with a group whom traditional Assyriological research has identified as part of the elite, and they show promise for further studies into Neo-Assyrian elites.

Submitted on Mar 18, 2024