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-====== Old Assyrian Letters ======
+====== Old assyrian letters ======
-~~NOTOC~~
-==== Introduction ====
-During the Old Assyrian period (late 20<sup>th</sup> and 19<sup>th</sup> centuries BC), Assur was a city-state, and although its political control most probably did not extend beyond the immediate surroundings of the city, Assyrian merchants became a powerful economic force in the region. Most of the Old Assyrian letters and documents were found in private merchant archives of the Anatolian trading outpost, //kārū//, most prominent of which was Kaniš (Hittite Nesa, modern Kültepe, Turkey). The letters provide us with a detailed account of the workings of major Assyrian trading families, operating extensive networks of trade. Relatively little is known about the internal organisation of the Old Assyrian state, but there is some evidence that that Assur was a merchant republic, led by a prince/doge (//waklum// or //išši’akum//). The extent of the prince's power is unknown, as he is only sporadically mentioned in the written sources.
-====Basic Typology====
-==== Format ====
+===== Introduction =====
-The addressee is introduced by the phrase "speak to PN" //ana PN qibīma//. More than one addressee can be found, listed in descending order of social status and/or seniority. The sender is introduced by the technical terminology "thus PN" //umma PN-ma//. If the sender is of superior status to the addressee he is mentioned first (//umma PN1 and PN2 qibīma//, see for example [[http://cdli.ucla.edu/P357492|TCL 14, 02]])
+During the Old Assyrian period (first three centuries of the 2<sup>nd</sup> millennium BC), Aššur was an independent city-state dominated by an oligarchy of merchants. At the end of 20<sup>th</sup> and beginning of 19<sup>th</sup> century BC, the Assyrian merchants developed long-scale trade to central Anatolia, settled there and organized trading outposts, most prominent of which was Kaneš, modern Kültepe (Turkey). Most of the 22,500 Old Assyrian tablets were found in the houses of merchants located in the lower town; they belong to the private archives, mainly of Assyrian merchants, and contain letters, legal texts and private notices.
-The content of the letter follow the addressee and the sender.
-A short exhortation can follow the sender or come towards the end of the letter (//[[http://cdli.ucla.edu/P358629|abī atta]]//, "You are my father!", often together with //bēlī atta//, "You are my lord!", //ahī atta//, "You are my brother!" etc.)
+===== Overview of corpus =====
+Letters are usually the most numerous and form between 30 to 40% of an Old Assyrian archive. Almost 1000 Old Assyrian texts are classified as letters in the CDLI, making Old Assyrian one of the largest corpora of letters from Ancient Mesopotamia.
-==== Contents ====
+[[http://cdli.ucla.edu/search/search_results.php?SearchMode=Text&amp;requestFrom=Search&amp;Period=Old+Assyrian&amp;Genre=letter|Click here for Old Assyrian letters in the CDLI]]
-The wast majority of all Old Assyrian letters are the private correspondence between family members of business associates (often relatives as well).
-Some letters are official communications of either "the City" (//a-lum//, i.e. Assur) or [[http://cdli.ucla.edu/P393096|the ruler of Assur]] ("the foreman, or steward", //wa-ak-lum2//), [[http://cdli.ucla.edu/P368328|"the Colony"]] (//ka3-ru-um//, mostly Kanesh), or a [[http://cdli.ucla.edu/P361477|specific collony]] (//ka3-ri-im GN//)
+===== Format =====
+Old Assyrian letters start by the classical Mesopotamian address style: //ana// NP<sub>1</sub> //qibī-ma umma// NP<sub>2</sub>//-ma//. But when the sender had a higher status than the recipient, the order was reversed. There could be several senders and/or several recipients. There is no blessing formula at the end of the letter.
-A few letters exists that can be described as diplomatic correspondence involving the Assyrian traders and local Anatolian rulers (Example: LAPO 19 62)
-==== Sample Text ====
-[[http://www.cdli.ucla.edu/P358870|CCT 5, 04]]:
-| Obv. 1.| //a-na i-na-a-a// | To Inayya|
+A short exhortation can be found any place within the letter (//[[http://cdli.ucla.edu/P358629|abī atta]]//, "You are my father!", often together with bēlī atta, "You are my lord!", ahī atta, "You are my brother!" etc.).
-|2. | //en-na-su<sub>2</sub>-en<sub>6</sub>// DUMU //i<sub>3</sub>-li<sub>2</sub>-a-lim// |Enna-Suen the son of Ili-alim|
-|3. | //u<sub>3</sub> a-šur<sub>3</sub>-na-da//| and Assur-nada |
-|4.| //qi<sub>2</sub>-bi<sub>4</sub>-ma um-ma// | say:|
-|5.| //a-mur-a-šur<sub>3</sub>-ma//| Thus [says] Amur-Assur |
-|6.| //a-na en-na-su<sub>2</sub>-en<sub>6</sub>//| To Enna-Suen |
-|7.| //qi<sub>2</sub>-bi<sub>4</sub>-ma// 1 MA-NA 1 GIN<sub>2</sub> |Say thus: 1 mana and 1 shekel|
-|8.| KU<sub>3</sub>-BABBAR //a-hi-ib-la<sub>2</sub>-kum//| I owed you.|
-|9.|//țup-pa<sub>2</sub>-am ša ku-nu-ki-a//| The tablet with my seal|
-|10.| //tu<sub>3</sub>-ka<sub>3</sub>-al//|you hold.|
-|11.| KU<sub>3</sub>-BABBAR //i-na a-lim//<sup>ki</sup>|The silver, in the city|
-|12.| //a-na a-bi<sub>4</sub>-ka<sub>3</sub>//|To your father|
-|13.| //aš<sub>2</sub>-qu<sub>2</sub>-ul-ma//|I have repaid.|
-|14.| //țup-pa<sub>2</sub>-am ša ku-nu-ki-šu//|The tablet with his seal|
-|15.| //i-na a-lim<sup>ki</sup>//|In the city|
-|16.| //ša ki-ma// KU<sub>3</sub>-BABBAR //sza-bu//|about him being satisfied with the silver|
-|17.| //i-di<sub>2</sub>-nam u<sub>3</sub> na-aš<sub>2</sub>-pe<sub>3</sub>-er-tu<sub>3</sub>-szu//| he gave me, and a message [about that]|
-|18.| //a-na ku-a-ti<sub>2</sub> u<sub>3</sub> i-a-ti<sub>2</sub>// |To you and me|
-|19.| //i-di<sub>2</sub>-na-ma i-na e-lu-hu-ut//|he gave (sent out). In Eluhhut|
-|20.| //i-ba-ši<sub>2</sub> i<sub>3</sub>-li<sub>2</sub>-aš<sub>2</sub>-ra-ni//|he is now. To Ili-ashrani|
-|21.| //u<sub>2</sub>-ka<sub>3</sub>-li-im//|I showed it.|
-|22.| //a-ba-u<sub>2</sub>-a <a>-tu<sub>3</sub>-nu//|You are my fathers.|
-|23.| //a-ma-kam țup-pa<sub>2</sub>-am//|Over there, the tablet|
-|24.| //ša ku-nu-ki-a a-na i-na-a// |with my seal, give it to Inayya|
-|25.| //u<sub>3</sub> a-szur<sub>3</sub>-na-da di<sub>2</sub>-in-ma//|and Assur-nada,|
-|26.| //țup-pa<sub>2</sub>-am ki-la<sub>2</sub>-šu-ma//|and keep that tablet!|
-|Edge 1.| //ku-un-ka<sub>3</sub>-šu-ma a-na a-šur<sub>3</sub>-na-da//|Seal it and give it to Assur-nada,|
-|2.| //di<sub>2</sub>-na-šu-ma lu-ub-lam u<sub>3</sub> a-na-ku//|and may he bring it to me.|
-|3.| //up-pa<sub>2</sub>-am ša ku-nu-uk a-bi<sub>4</sub>-ka<sub>3</sub> lu-wa-še<sub>2</sub>-[er]//|Then, I will certainly release the one sealed by your father.|
-===== Recurring words and expressions =====
-^ Akkadian ^ English ^
+There was no standard size or shape for letters. Some were extremely short, written over less than five lines, others needed an additional tablet called //ṣibat ṭuppim//.
-| //ana// PN | To PN |
-| //qi<sub>2</sub>-bi<sub>(4)</sub>-ma um-ma// PN | Say: Thus speaks PN |
-| //di<sub>2</sub>-in-ma// | Give! |
-| //a-bi a-ta// | You are my father . |
-| //a-hi a-ta// | You are my brother. |
-| //be-li a-ta// | You are my lord. |
-| //kārum// | //Kārum//, an Assyrian trading colony. |
-====Overview of corpus====
+<columns>
+{{:oaletter.jpg?232x174|}}
+<newcolumn>
+\\
+\\
+Letter from Aššur-takāku and Šamaš-abi to Abu-šalim and\\
+Amur-Ištar, more specifically from Šamaš-abi to Amur-Ištar.\\
+The text is written on a tablet and additional tablet, and is\\
+preserved in its envelope.\\
+Kt 93/k 211, excavated in 1993 at Kültepe.\\
+Photo. C. Michel. ©Kültepe Archaeological Mission.
+</columns>
-Almost 1000 Old Assyrian texts are classified as letters in the CDLI, making Old Assyrian one of the largest corpora of letters from Ancient Mesopotamia.
-[[http://cdli.ucla.edu/search/search_results.php?SearchMode=Text&requestFrom=Search&Period=Old+Assyrian&Genre=letter|Click here for Old Assyrian letters in the CDLI]]
+Letters were covered by clay envelopes which bear the identity of the correspondents as well as the seal impression of the sender. Letters in their envelopes were travelling wrapped in textiles and leather, on donkey caravans or by special messenger.
-====Internal links====
-(return to [[Text Typologies]])\\
+===== Contents =====
-(return to [[letters|Letters from Mesopotamia]])\\
+Letters form the correspondence exchanged between the Assyrian merchants in Kaneš, their families and colleagues in Aššur or settled in other Assyrian trading outposts located in Central Anatolia.They relate to commercial exchanges, but also tackle domestic matters and daily life, especially women’s correspondence. Some letters were sent by [[http://cdli.ucla.edu/P393096|the ruler of Assur]]  ("the foreman, or steward", wa-ak-lum<sub>2</sub>), [[http://cdli.ucla.edu/P368328|"the trading post"]] (ka<sub>3</sub>-ru-um, Kaneš), or a [[http://cdli.ucla.edu/P361477|specific trading]] post (ka<sub>3</sub>-ri-im GN)
+A few letters exists that can be described as diplomatic correspondence involving the Assyrian authorities and local Anatolian rulers (LAPO 19 91 = RA 60, 120, LAPO 19 93 = Kt 85/k 27), or only Anatolian rulers  (Example: LAPO 19 62 = Kt g/t 35).
+Letters are never dated.
+The letter is referred to by the words //ṭuppum// “tablet” or //našpertum// “message.”
+The recipient kept in his archives the letters he received for personal reasons or for the data they contained, as a reminder of his commercial activities, of orders given to colleagues or representatives, etc. One could also keep in his archive copies of the letters he sent.
+===== Sample Text =====
+CCT 3, 20:
+| Ob. 1    | //a-na Pu-šu-ke-en//<sub>6</sub> //qi//<sub>2</sub>//-bi-ma//                                                                                  | Say to Pūšu-kēn:                                                       |
+| 2        | //um-ma La//<sub>2</sub>//-ma-s////i//<sub>2</sub>//-ma// 9 tug<sub>2</sub><sup>hi-a</sup>                                                     | thus (says) Lamassī. 9 textiles                                        |
+| 3        | //Ku-lu-ma-a na-aš//<sub>2</sub>//-a-kum// 3 tug<sub>2</sub><sup>hi-a</sup>                                                                    | Kulumaya is bringing you. 3 textiles                                   |
+| 4        | //I-d////i//<sub>2</sub>//-Su//<sub>2</sub>//-en//<sub>6</sub> //na-aš//<sub>2</sub>//-a-kum//                                                 | Iddin-Suen is bringing you.                                            |
+| 5        | 2 //su//<sub>2</sub>//-pa//<sub>2</sub>//-ni ša// zabar //Dan-na-A-šur//<sub>3</sub>                                                           | 2 bronze //supānum//-bowls Dān-Aššur                                   |
+| 6        | //ub-lam// : 1 //su//<sub>2</sub>//-pa//<sub>2</sub>//-nam ša// zabar                                                                          | brought me. 1 bronze //supānum//-bowl                                  |
+| 7        | //u//<sub>3</sub> //it-qu//<sub>3</sub>//-ra-am ša// zabar //I-a-šar//                                                                         | and a bronze ladle Ia-šar                                              |
+| 8        | //ub-lam// 2 //it-qu//<sub>2</sub>//-ra-tim ša// zabar                                                                                         | brought me. 2 bronze ladles                                            |
+| 9        | //I-d////i//<sub>2</sub>//-Su//<sub>2</sub>//-en//<sub>6</sub> //ub-lam// : 1 //it-qu//<sub>2</sub>//-ra-am//                                  | Iddin-Suen brought me. 1 ladle                                         |
+| 10       | //ša// zabar //A-hu-wa-qar ub-lam//                                                                                                            | in bronze Ahu-waqar brought me.                                        |
+| 11       | 1 //su//<sub>2</sub>//-pa//<sub>2</sub>//-nam ša// ku<sub>3</sub>-babbar //I-ku-p////i//<sub>2</sub>//-a ub-lam//                              | Ikuppia brought me 1 silver //supānum//-bowl.                          |
+| 12       | <1> //su//<sub>2</sub>//-pa//<sub>2</sub>//-nam ša// ku<sub>3</sub>-babbar dumu //I-bi-su//<sub>2</sub>//-a ub-/lam//                          | The son of Ibbi-sū’a brought me 1 silver //supānum//-bowl.             |
+| 13       | //sa//<sub>3</sub>//-ma-la//<sub>2</sub>//-tim it-qu//<sub>2</sub>//-ra-tim//                                                                  | cups, ladles                                                           |
+| 14       | //u//<sub>2</sub> //ṣ////i//<sub>2</sub>//-ba-tim ub-lu-nim šu//<sup>!</sup>//-ma be-l// //i//<sub>2</sub> //a-ta//                            | and //ṣibtum//-objects they brought me. If you are my master,          |
+| 15       | //a-šu-m////i//<sub>3</sub> : tug<sub>2</sub><sup>hi-a</sup> //ša ta-a//<sub>2</sub>//š-pu-ra-ni//                                             | on account of the garments about which you have written me             |
+| 16       | //la//<sub>2</sub> //u//<sub>2</sub>//-še//<sub>2</sub>//-bi-la//<sub>2</sub>//-ku-ni li-ba-ka//<sub>3</sub>                                   | and (which) I have not sent you                                        |
+| 17       | //la//<sub>2</sub> //i-la//<sub>2</sub>//-m////i//<sub>3</sub>//-in ki-ma ṣu//<sub>2</sub>//-ha-ar-//[//tum//]                                 | do not be angry. Since the girl                                        |
+| 18       | //i-ir-ta-bi-u//<sub>2</sub>//-ni// : tug<sub>2</sub> //iš-te//<sub>2</sub>//-en//<sub>6</sub> //u//<sub>2</sub> //še//<sub>2</sub>//-na//     | has grown up, a few heavy textiles                                     |
+| Rev.19   | //ka//<sub>3</sub>//-ab-tu//<sub>3</sub>//-tim a-na na-ar-ka//<sub>3</sub>//-ab//<sub>1</sub>//-/tim//                                         | for the wagon                                                          |
+| 20       | //e-ta-pa//<sub>2</sub>//-aš//<sub>2</sub><sup>!</sup> //ú a-na ni-š////i//<sub>2</sub> //be//<sub>2</sub>//-/tim//                            | I have made. And for the household personnel                           |
+| 21       | //u//<sub>2</sub> //a-na ṣu//<sub>2</sub>//-uh//<sub>3</sub>//-ri-im//                                                                         | and for the children,                                                  |
+| 22       | //e-pu-uš u//<sub>2</sub>//-la//<sub>2</sub> //ak-ta-ša-ad-ma//                                                                                | I also made (garments), (this is why) I could not manage               |
+| 23       | tug<sub>2</sub><sup>hi-a</sup> //la//<sub>2</sub> //uš-te//<sub>2</sub>//-bi-la//<sub>2</sub>//-kum// tug<sub>2</sub><sup>hi-a</sup>           | to send you some textiles. Whatever textiles                           |
+| 24       | //ma-la//<sub>2</sub> //qa//<sub>2</sub>//-t////i//<sub>2</sub> //i-ka//<sub>3</sub>//-šu-du iš-t////i//<sub>2</sub>                           | I can manage (to make), with                                           |
+| 25       | //wa-ar-ki-u//<sub>2</sub>//-tim u//<sub>2</sub>//-še//<sub>2</sub>//-ba-la//<sub>2</sub>//-kum//                                              | later caravans I will send you.                                        |
+| 26       | e<sub>2</sub> //A-bu-um-//dingir //i-na i-ga-ar-tim//                                                                                          | Concerning the house of Abum-ilī, against your wall,                   |
+| 27       | //ku-a-tim I-ku-p////i//<sub>2</sub>//-a ša// e<sub>2</sub> //A-ta-a//                                                                         | Ikuppia, from the house of Ataya,                                      |
+| 28       | //i-ga-ar-tam//<sub>2</sub> //šu-a-tam//<sub>2</sub> //iš-ta-kan//<sub>2</sub>                                                                 | placed his wall                                                        |
+| 29       | //u//<sub>2</sub> //a-na-ku a-ṣa-al-ma um-ma šu-ut-ma//                                                                                        | so I made an objection, but he (said) as follows:                      |
+| 30       | //ta-pa//<sub>2</sub>//-u//<sub>2</sub>//-tum-ma u//<sub>2</sub>//-ta-pa//<sub>2</sub>//-šu m////i//<sub>3</sub>//-ma-ma//                     | “I will reach an agreement with him.” (But)                            |
+| 31       | //u//<sub>2</sub>//-la//<sub>2</sub> //u//<sub>2</sub>//-ta-pa//<sub>2</sub>//-šu// : //it-be//<sub>2</sub>//-a-ma// (erased sign)             | I will not agree with him about anything! He set out                   |
+| 32       | //i-ta-ṣa-am a-ta a-ma-kam q////i//<sub>2</sub>//-bi-šu-um//                                                                                   | and left. You, over there, tell him                                    |
+| 33       | //um-ma a-ta-ma m////i//<sub>3</sub>//-šu-um i-ga-ar-ta-ka//<sub>3</sub>                                                                       | as follows: “Why your wall                                             |
+| 34       | //i-na// e<sub>2</sub><sup>//be//2//-ti//2</sup>//-a// : //ta-aš//<sub>2</sub>//-ku-un//                                                       | have you placed against my house?                                      |
+| 35       | //ki-ma// e<sub>2</sub> //la//<sub>2</sub> //a-š////i//<sub>2</sub>//-ri-im //: //te//<sub>2</sub>//-pu-uš//                                   | You just act as (someone would) with a property without a protector!”  |
+| 36       | //u//<sub>3</sub> //a-šu-m////i//<sub>3</sub> //ba-p////i//<sub>2</sub>//-ri ša ta-aš//<sub>2</sub>//-pu-ra-ni//                               | Concerning the beer bread you wrote to me about                        |
+| 37       | //ba-p////i//<sub>2</sub>//-ru-um wa-d////i//<sub>2</sub> //e-p////i//<sub>2</sub>//-iš ša-ak-/lu-ul//                                         | -- the beer bread is certainly made and ready!                         |
+| 38       | //u//<sub>2</sub> //ṣu//<sub>2</sub>//-ha-ar-tum da-ni-iš//                                                                                    | The little girl has quite                                              |
+| Le.e.39  | //ir-t////i//<sub>2</sub>//-bi te//<sub>2</sub>//-eb-a-ma a-tal-kam a-na su//<sub>2</sub>//-ni A-šur//<sub>3</sub>                             | grown up, set out and come here. To (the god) Aššur                    |
+| 40       | //šu-ku-š////i//<sub>2</sub> //u//<sub>3</sub> //še//<sub>2</sub>//-ep i//<sub>3</sub>//-l////i//<sub>2</sub>//-ka//<sub>3</sub> //ṣa-ba-at//  | consecrate her and touch the foot of your god!                         |
+===== Bibliography =====
+C. Michel, 2001. Correspondance des marchands de Kaneš au début du IIe  millénaire av. J.-C., Littératures du Proche-Orient ancien 19, Paris : Editions du Cerf.
+C. Michel, 2008. La correspondance des marchands assyriens du xix<sup>e</sup> s. av. J.-C.: de l’archivage des lettres commerciales et privies. Pp. 117-140 in //La lettre d’archive. Communication administrative et personnelle dans l’Antiquité proche-orientale et égyptienne//, ed. Laure Pantalacci. Topoi Suppl. 9. Le Caire: IFAO. [[http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00644198/fr/|http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00644198/fr/]]
+C. Michel, 2015. Les lettres des rois d’Aššur découvertes à Kaniš (xix<sup>e</sup> siècle av. J.-C.), in S. Procházka, L. Reinfandt & S. Tost (ed.), //Official Epistolography and the Language(s) of Power. Proceedings of the First International Conference of the Research Network Imperium & Officium. Comparative Studies in Ancient Bureaucracy and Officialdom. University of Vienna, 10-12 November 2010//, Papyrologica Vindobonensia 8, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, p. 43-60.
+K. R. Veenhof, 2008. Communication in the Old Assyrian Trading Society by Caravans, Travelers and Messengers, in C. Michel (éd.), //Old Assyrian Studies in Memory of Paul Garelli//, OAAS 4, PIHANS 112, Leyde. Pp. 199--246.
+** **
-====External links====
+Cécile Michel
-[[http://oatp.ku.dk|The Old Assyrian Text Project]]