Women of Assur and Kanesh: Texts from the Archives of Assyrian Merchants (Writings from the Ancient World)

Vivid sources for reconstructing the lives of Assyrian women In this collection Cécile Michel translates into English texts related to wives and daughters of merchants and to their activities in nineteenth-century BCE Assur and Kanesh. Discovered in excavations of the Old Assyrian private archives at Kültepe (ancient Kanesh) in Central Anatolia, these letters sent from Assur reflect the preeminent role of Assyrian women within the family and in the domestic economy, as well as their contribution to long-distance trade. Contracts and other legal texts excavated at Kültepe attest to Assyrian and Anatolian women as parties in marriage and divorce contracts, last wills, loans, and purchase contracts. These unique finds paint a vivid portrait of women who aspire to be socially respected and provide a rare opportunity to reconstruct their daily lives as both businesswomen and housewives. Features More than three hundred letters and documents transliterated and translated with commentary An overview of the study of women and gender in Assyriology A reconstruction of women's roles as textile producers, investors, and creditors within a long-distance commercial network Vivid sources for reconstructing the lives of Assyrian women In this collection Cécile Michel translates into English texts related to wives and daughters of merchants and to their activities in nineteenth-century BCE Aššur and Kaneš. Discovered in excavations of the Old Assyrian private archives at Kültepe (ancient Kaneš) in Central Anatolia, these letters sent from Aššur reflect the preeminent role of Assyrian women within the family and in the domestic economy, as well as their contribution to long-distance trade. Contracts and other legal texts excavated at Kültepe attest to Assyrian and Anatolian women as parties in marriage and divorce contracts, last wills, loans, and purchase contracts. These unique finds paint a vivid portrait of women who aspire to be socially respected and provide a rare opportunity to reconstruct their daily lives as both businesswomen and housewives. Features More than three hundred letters and documents transliterated and translated with commentary An overview of the study of women and gender in Assyriology A reconstruction of women's roles as textile producers, investors, and creditors within a long-distance commercial network Cécile Michel is Senior Researcher at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS, France) and Professor at Hamburg University (Germany). She is a member of the international group of scholars in charge of the decipherment of the 23,000 tablets found at Kültepe (ancient Kaneš) and of the Kültepe archaeological team. She is the coeditor of and contributor to The Role of Women in Work and Society in the Ancient Near East (2016), Textile Terminologies from the Orient to the Mediterranean and Europe, 1000 BC to 1000 AD (2017), and Mathematics, Administrative and Economic Activities in Ancient Worlds (2020). Cover 1 Contents 6 Series Editor’s Foreword 10 Acknowledgements 12 Abbreviations and Conventions 16 List of Figures 30 Map of the Old Assyrian Period 31 Introduction 32 Chronology, Calendars, and Metrology 70 Marriage and Divorce 76 Women and Family 142 Housewives 226 Businesswomen 286 Religion and Social Mores 370 Portraits of Assyrian and Anatolian Women 426 Texts Edited 514 Bibliography 524 Indexes 562 "In this collection Cécile Michel transliterates, translates into English, and provides commentary for more that 300 texts found at Kültepe (ancient Kaneš) in Central Anatolia. These letters and legal documents reveal the ancient world of the wives and daughters of merchants and to their activities in nineteenth century BCE Aššur and Kaneš"-- Provided by publisher