Tracing Regime Change during the Transition from the Neo-Babylonian to the Achaemenid Empire at Nippur: Reconstruction of Archives Excavated in 1889

Abstract

It is generally assumed that the takeover of Babylonia by the Persian king Cyrus II in 539 BC went relatively smoothly. The current study suggests that at Nippur there might have been hitherto overlooked changes among the higher-ranking officials during the transition of 539 BC. A collection of Neo-Babylonian tablets from the ‘Tablet Hill’ at Nippur is analyzed and its original trench of excavation is pinpointed on the map of the site. Focusing on several dossiers of tablets at ‘Tablet Hill’ from the time of transition around 539 BC it can be shown that further insights can be gained from the unpublished archaeological documentation.