Privatization in the Ancient Near East and Classical World. Michael Hudson , Baruch A. Levine

Accounting for Livestock: Principles of Palatial Administration in Sealand I Babylonia

“…Such recording from the “perspective of the outsider” had precedents: in Ur III institutions the MU.DU delivery record was the standard record for incoming goods (Steinkeller 2003: 38 ff.) and, before the reform of the forty-seventh year of Šulgi, the recipient of incoming animals at Puzriš-Dagan was not identified (Sallaberger 1999: 264); in 20th century Isin, this recording principle was also at work, but represented the exception since most incoming goods were recorded in receipts (Van de Mieroop 2004: 48); MU.DU delivery records were also used in the kingdom of Larsa (Simmons 1978: 13; Breckwoldt 1995/1996: 66). This outward-looking recording of deliveries to the palace was apparently still at work after the demise of the Sealand I dynasty in another area formerly controlled by it: Dilmun.…”

“…Typologies of administrative records in Mesopotamia are difficult to establish firmly, since recording practices varied even within a circumscribed time period and scribal environment (Van de Mieroop 2004: 47–48). While typologies are usually either functional or semantic, they may also relate to formal aspects of the documents (layout, format, etc.).…”

“… 6 The function will thus be established based not only on the vocabulary, but also on as much documentary context as can be derived from the documents; this is important, because it has been suggested that vocabulary alone is not sufficient to understand a transaction (Van de Mieroop 2004: 49). …”

“… 21 See Yoshikawa (1992: 393 n.2) for the reading MU.DU, or mu-TÚM, as a nominal phrase. In all Sealand I MU.DU delivery records the formula “MU.DU PN” means “delivery/delivered by PN”, never “delivery/delivered to PN” (see note on this by Van de Mieroop 2004: 48, citing Sigrist). The recipient is preceded by ana . …”

“… 24 Van de Mieroop (2004: 48) noted for the 20th century Isin craft archive that goods delivered to the workshop were usually recorded “from the point of view of the institution” with šu ba.an.ti. …”