Abstract
Based mainly on new material from the Late Kassite find spot M6 in Babylon, in the following article formal peculiarities of Middle Babylonian scribal exercises are described that might be suitable to serve as criteria for dating tablets from unknown find spots. The first part is dedicated to the tablets’ shapes and appearances. Beside the typical formats already described by Niek Veldhuis in JCS 52 (pillowshaped and lentilshaped, with literary and lexical extracts inscribed crosswise on obverse and reverse), especially the layout of the tablets is treated extensively. Thereby it is argued that there is a strong connection between tablet shape, text layout and content. The second part deals with peculiar signs (consisting of nine vertical wedges in rows of three and a concluding horizontal wedge or winkelhaken below or behind) that are occasionally found subsequent to the extracts on Middle Babylonian scribal exercises. It is shown that those are indeed tallies as has already been suggested by Leonhard Sassmannshausen in BaM 28 and that they do represent the number “10” (rather than “9”) in their full form. Furthermore, a comparison to similar signs on omen tablets and administrative tablets from Middle Assyrian Assur is made and it is postulated that the tallies should be added to the list of features showing Babylonian influence on Assyrian scribal traditions.
| Item Type: | Book Section |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | 9-signs |
| Faculties: | History and Art History History and Art History > Department of History Cultural Studies > Department of Ancient and Modern Cultures > Assyriology and Hethitology Languages and Literatures |
| Subjects: | 400 Language > 490 Other languages 900 History and geography > 930 History of ancient world (to ca. 499) 900 History and geography > 950 History of Asia |
| ISBN: | 978-3-935012-16-4 |
| Place of Publication: | Gladbeck |
| Language: | German |
| Item ID: | 93068 |
| Date Deposited: | 16. Aug 2022, 15:05 |
| Last Modified: | 16. Aug 2022, 15:05 |
Actions (login required)
- View Item
