COMMUNICATIONAL PROCEDURES AND ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURES IN THE NEO-ASSYRIAN EMPIRE (original) (raw)
The random character of the Neo-Assyrian sources has stimulated, particularly in the last years, the research of appropriate models applicable to the interpretation of the history of the empire. This tendency, permeating as well other sectors of ancient Near Eastern studies, is to be considered positively and has revived the discussion about political institutions. 1 Epistolary texts and inscriptions have been studied aiming at tracing the outline of a political system based on patronage and at clarifying the functioning of characteristic structures such as the bīt bēli. 2 Together with the inscriptions of client rulers, which share, at least at the formal surface, the ideological perspective of the dominant power, these texts have been analysed in the framework of the Sargonids' cul-* This article is the first part of a study grown out from the workshop "Archives and Administration in the Neo-Assyrian empire", held in Verona in October 2005, and represents the revised version of the introductory communication presented there. It has largely profited from successive discussions on the topic also in occasion of a subsequent meeting of the group in march 2007. I thank M. Luukko for providing me with the new version of some Nimrud letters he his preparing and F.M. Fales and G.B. Lanfranchi for stimulating discussions on the topic.
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Communicational procedures and administrative structures in the Neo-Asssyrian empire
SAAB, 2007
The random character of the Neo-Assyrian sources has stimulated, particularly in the last years, the research of appropriate models applicable to the interpretation of the history of the empire. This tendency, permeating as well other sectors of ancient Near Eastern studies, is to be considered positively and has revived the discussion about political institutions. 1 Epistolary texts and inscriptions have been studied aiming at tracing the outline of a political system based on patronage and at clarifying the functioning of characteristic structures such as the bīt bēli. 2 Together with the inscriptions of client rulers, which share, at least at the formal surface, the ideological perspective of the dominant power, these texts have been analysed in the framework of the Sargonids' cul-* This article is the first part of a study grown out from the workshop "Archives and Administration in the Neo-Assyrian empire", held in Verona in October 2005, and represents the revised version of the introductory communication presented there. It has largely profited from successive discussions on the topic also in occasion of a subsequent meeting of the group in march 2007. I thank M. Luukko for providing me with the new version of some Nimrud letters he his preparing and F.M. Fales and G.B. Lanfranchi for stimulating discussions on the topic.
A regular, frequent, and timely exchange of information between the Assyrian heartland and the periphery was fundamental to the Assyrians' efficient governing of their vast empire. For this reason, the Assyrians developed a sophisticated administrative machinery that, on the one hand, guaranteed a regular flow of information and goods to Assyria and, on the other hand, kept the periphery under control. This paper investigates the role of the officials known as ṣīrāni in Assyrian administration and propaganda transmission.
The Assyrian empire ruled over the Southern Levant for about a century and had a profound impact on the region’s settlement, economy, demography, and even culture and religion. Despite this, however, there are very limited remains that clearly attest Assyrian administration in the region and, moreover, most of the finds are concentrated in a very limited area. The concentration of the existing evidence in a small area on the southwestern periphery of these provinces is surprising, given the almost complete lack of evidence for Assyrian administrative activities in the central part of the provinces. The aims of the present paper are therefore to draw attention to this phenomenon, to articulate it, and to explain the significance of this small region for the Assyrian empire. Finally, we would like to discuss the implications of this peculiar pattern for our understanding of the Assyrian economic exploitation of the region at large.
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