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==== Middle Babylonian Nuzi ====
**Sources**
The Middle Babylonian Nuzi corpus is rich of approximately 5000 tablets mostly found during the American excavations (1925-1933) conducted in different places on the tell (Yorghan-Tepe nowadays). [[http://cdli.ucla.edu/search/search_results.php?SearchMode=Text&requestFrom=Search&PrimaryPublication=&Author=&PublicationDate=&SecondaryPublication=&Collection=&AccessionNumber=&MuseumNumber=&Provenience=Nuzi&ExcavationNumber=&Period=Middle+Babylonian&DatesReferenced=&ObjectType=&ObjectRemarks=&Material=&TextSearch=&TranslationSearch=&CommentSearch=&Language=&Genre=&SubGenre=&CompositeNumber=&SealID=&ObjectID=&ATFSource=&CatalogueSource=&TranslationSource=|Cdli MB Nuzi tablets collection]]
The written data cover a time span of around five generations (1450-1350 B.C.E.) and stop with the site destruction due to an Assyrian campaign during the first part of king Aššur-uballiṭ I’s reign. Within this period, Nuzi was one of the provincial towns of the kingdom of Arraphe, whose eponymous capital lies beneath modern Kirkuk, about 15 km from the tell. The designation “Nuzi tablets” also includes some hundreds of tablets found at Kirkuk and Tell al-Fahhar.
Nuzi tablets mainly consist of administrative texts accounting for economic operations, records of business activities and law documents which are connected with various agents such as the palace, very large households and smaller family units.
**Scope**
The MB Nuzi metrological and numerical system is broadly equivalent to the contemporary Mesopotamian systems. However, there are some characteristic features which should be highlighted. Firstly, a special system of weight is documented for wool. Moreover, most of the Arraphean populations were probably Hurrian native speakers, as shown by the textual documentation. In the linguistic sphere, Hurrian influence is discernable on Akkadian, the common language of the texts, at various levels (syntactical, grammatical and lexical levels). So it is hardly surprising that Hurrian terminology is also commonly used for measures of length and numbers as well as for the wool measurement.
**Bibliography**
* Abrahami, P. (2014) Wool in the Nuzi Texts. In C. Breniquet and C. Michel, (eds), //Wool Economy in the Ancient Near East and the Aegean: from the Beginnings of Sheep Husbandry to Institutional Textile Industry//. Ancient Textiles Series 17. Oxford, p. 305.
* Andrews, S. J. (1996) Duck Tales at Nuzi: A Note on the Trused-Duck Weights Excavated at Yorgan Tepa. In D. I. Owen and G. Wilhelm (eds.), //Richard F. S. Starr Memorial Volume//, SCCNH 8. Bethesda, p. 241-243.
* Cross, D. (1937) //Movable Property in the Nuzi Documents//. AOS 10. New Haven, Connecticut, p. 9-14.
* Friberg, J. (1987-1990) Mathematik. In Reallexikon der Assyriologie vol. 7, p. 537.
* Gordon, C. H. (1934) Numerals in the Nuzi Tablets. //RA// 31, p. 53-60.
* Grosz, K. (1988) //The Archive of the Wullu Familly//. CNIP 5, Copenhagen, p. 113, 118 n. 5.
* Hallock, T. R. (1957) The Nuzi Measure of Capacity. //JNES// 16/3, p. 204-206.
* Lion, B. and Sauvage, M (2005). Les Textes de Nuzi Relatifs aux Briques. In D. I. Owen and G. Wilhelm (eds.), //General Studies and Excavations at Nuzi// 11/1, SCCNH 15. Bethesda, p. 82 n. 71.
* Maidman, M. P. (1994) //Two Hundred Nuzi Texts from the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, Part I//. SCCNH 6, Bethesda.
* Mayer, W. (1978) //Nuzi-Studien I. Die Archive des Palastes und die Prosopographie der Berufe//. AOAT 205/1. Neukirchen-Vluyn, p. 219.
* Pfeiffer, R. H. and Speiser E. A. (1936) //One Hundred New selected Nuzi Texts//. //AASOR// 16. New Haven, Connecticut, p. 131-135.
* Powell, A. (1987-1990) Masse und Gewichte. In Reallexikon der Assyriologie vol. 7, p. 462, 472-473; 477 (length measures); 485-488 (surface measures); 500-501 (capacity measures); 514-515 (weight measures).
* Richter, T. (2012) //Bibliographisches Glossar des Hurritischen//. Wiesbaden.
* Starr, R. F. S. (1937) //Nuzi. Vol. 2. Plates and Plans//, Cambridge, pl. 122-124.
* Starr, R. F. S. (1939) //Nuzi. Vol. 1. Texts//, Cambridge, p. 464-467.
* Wilhelm, G. (1980) //Das Archiv des Šilwa-Teššup Heft 2. Rationen Listen// I. Wiesbaden, p. 27.
* Wilhelm, G. (1984) Hurritisch //nari(ya)//, “Fünf”. //SMEA// 24, p. 223-224.
* Wilhelm, G. (1996) Nuzi Notes. 18. A New word in //--arbu:// //kirarbu//. In D. I. Owen and G. Wilhelm (eds.), //Richard F. S. Starr Memorial Volume//, SCCNH 8. Bethesda, p. 347-348.
* Wilhelm, G. (1988) Zu den Wollemaßen in Nuzi. //ZA// 78, p. 276--283.
* Zaccagnini, C. (1976) //Tummu// and //par(as)-ṣehru//. Note on Two Measures of Weight at Nuzi. //JAOS// 96, p. 273.
* Zaccagnini, C. (1979) Notes on the Nuzi Surface Measures. //UF// 11, p. 849-856.
* Zaccagnini, C. (1981) A Note on Nuzi Textiles. In M. A. Morrison and D. I. Owen (eds), //Studies on the Civilization and Culture of Nuzi and the Hurrians in Honor of Ernest R. Lacheman on his Seventy-Fifth Birthday April 29, 1981//. Winona Lake Indiana, p. 349-360.
* Zaccagnini, C. (1990) The Nuzi Wool Measures Once Again. //Orientalia// 59, p. 312-319.
* Zaccagnini, C. (1999-2001) The Mina of Karkemiš and Other Minas. //SAAB// 13, p. 39-56.
=== Metrological system ===
== Units of length ==
| //ubānu// | | finger | |
| ×8? ×9? ×10? ×12? ||||
| //kiṣir ammāti// ((//ki-iṣ-ra-am-ma-ti:// hapax at Nuzi, in HSS 19 188: 8.)) | | joint/detachment of the forearm | |
| ? ||||
| //ūṭu// | | fingers, handspan? | 25 cm |
| ×1.5? ||||
| //kimṣu / kinṣu// ((//kim/nṣu:// attested only in Nuzi. Powell, 1987-1990 p. 472: “perhaps ¾ cubit”.)) | | shin bone | 37.5 cm? |
| ×1.33? ||||
| //ammatu// ((“The cubit of the city gate” is mentionned in HSS 5 89: 3 (//am-ma-ti ša a-bu-ul-li//). “The copper cubit of the city gate of Al-ilāni” (= Arraphe) is mentionned in [[http://cdli.ucla.edu/search/search_results.php?SearchMode=Text&requestFrom=Search&PrimaryPublication=AASOR+16%2C+021&Author=&PublicationDate=&SecondaryPublication=&Collection=&AccessionNumber=&MuseumNumber=&Provenience=&ExcavationNumber=&Period=&DatesReferenced=&ObjectType=&ObjectRemarks=&Material=&TextSearch=&TranslationSearch=&CommentSearch=&Language=&Genre=&SubGenre=&CompositeNumber=&SealID=&ObjectID=&ATFSource=&CatalogueSource=&TranslationSource=|AASOR 16 21]]: 18 (//am-ma-tu//3 //ša// urudu //ša a-bu-ul-li ša// uru.dingir) and [[http://cdli.ucla.edu/search/search_results.php?SearchMode=Text&requestFrom=Search&PrimaryPublication=AASOR+16%2C+022&Author=&PublicationDate=&SecondaryPublication=&Collection=&AccessionNumber=&MuseumNumber=&Provenience=&ExcavationNumber=&Period=&DatesReferenced=&ObjectType=&ObjectRemarks=&Material=&TextSearch=&TranslationSearch=&CommentSearch=&Language=&Genre=&SubGenre=&CompositeNumber=&SealID=&ObjectID=&ATFSource=&CatalogueSource=&TranslationSource=|AASOR 16 22]]: 11-12 (//am-[ma]-ti ša// urudu //ša i-na// ka2.gal //ša// uru.[dingir]); both tablets are written by the same scribe Sîn-iqīša.)) | | Cubit | 50 cm((The length of the cubit may have varied: rich persons had their own standard as in JEN 588: 8-10, a contract concerning a house acquired by Tehip-Tilla: 45 //i+na am-ma-ti mu-ra-ak-//⌈//šu-nu//⌉ //ù// 40 //i+na am-ma-ti ru-pu-u//[//s-sú-nu//] //i+na mi-in-dá-ti ša te-hi-ip-//[//til-la//], «45 cubits long, and 40 cubits wide, according to the measure of Tehip-Tilla». Cf. also YBC 5143: 5 (published in SCCNH 1 p. 383-384 and 411), a tablet from Arraphe: the height of a slave should be measured //i-na am-ma-at// I//wu-ul-lu// “according to the cubit of Wullu”.)) |
| ×3 ||||
| gìr / //purīdu// | {{ :nuzi_gir3.jpg?nolink&75 |}} | foot / leg foot / leg | 1.50 m |
== Units of surface ==
| //mišil hararni// ((//mi-ši-il ha-ra-ar-ni//, ½ //hararnu//, is the smallest unit of surface attested in the Nuzi texts ([[http://cdli.ucla.edu/search/search_results.php?SearchMode=Text&requestFrom=Search&PrimaryPublication=AASOR+16%2C+021&Author=&PublicationDate=&SecondaryPublication=&Collection=&AccessionNumber=&MuseumNumber=&Provenience=&ExcavationNumber=&Period=&DatesReferenced=&ObjectType=&ObjectRemarks=&Material=&TextSearch=&TranslationSearch=&CommentSearch=&Language=&Genre=&SubGenre=&CompositeNumber=&SealID=&ObjectID=&ATFSource=&CatalogueSource=&TranslationSource=|AASOR 16 21]]: 4).)) | | ½ //hararnu// (hurrian word) | 225 m2 |
| × 2 ||||
| //hararnu// | | (hurrian word) | 450 m2 |
| × 2 ||||
| //kumānu// | | (hurrian word) | 900 m2 |
| × 2 ||||
| giš.apin //epinnu// //awiharu// ((JEN 526:1-7, the computation of the surface of a field suggests an equivalence of 1 //kumānu// + 1 //hararnu// = 1 //awiharu//. With the above mentioned values, il would be an approximation: 1 //kumānu// + 1 //hararnu// = 3/4 //awiharu//. Zaggagnini 1979, p. 849-850, proposes that 1 //kumānu// = 2/3 //awiharu// and 1 //hararnu// = 1/2 //awiharu;// so that 1 //kumānu// + 1 //hararnu// = 1 + 1/6 //awiharu// (and not 5/6 //awiharu:// correct. For the values of //hararnu//, //kumānu// and //awiharu//, see Maidman 1994 : 328.)) | {{ :nuzi_gish.apin.jpg?100&nolink }} | plough plough hurrian: furrow length? plough? | 1800 m2 |
| × 10 ||||
| anše (//imēru//)((Zaggagnini 1979, p. 851-853, quotes several texts that give the value of 1 anše = 100 gir3 × 80 gir3. If the value of 1 gir3 corresponds to 1.50 m, 1 anše is then equal to 18 000 m2. Zaggagnini 1979, p. 853-856, suggests that the seed: surface ratio in Nuzi is 1 anše (of seed): 1 anše (of land); he proposes a value of about 11 000 m2 for the anše, 1100 m2 for the //awiharu//, 732 m2 for the //kumānu// considered as 2/3 of an //awiharu//, and 732 m2 for the //hararnu// considered as 1/2 //awiharu;// and thus the value of the cubit would be 40 cm.)) | {{ :nuzi_anshe.jpg?75&nolink }} | ass | 1,8 ha |
== Units of capacity ==
The four units of the capacity system by ascending order are sila3 (//qû//), ban2 (//sūtu//), pi (//pānu//) and anše (//imēru//). They are used for both dry products and liquids. The commodities documented are seeds, cereals, oil, lard and beer. For the last three products, a specific unit, the //tallu// (DAL)//,// a container of standard capacity is also used. Two values are attested for the //tallu//: eight sila3 (HSS 13 50 = AdŠ 73; HSS 13 142 = AdŠ 72 see Wilhelm 1980, p. 27) and one ban2 (HSS 15 248; HSS 15 249, see CAD T, p. 102b). The //kukkubu//, a small container, is also used for oil (HSS 15 291). Its capacity is of 2 sila3 and 4 sila3 in HSS 15 248 and HSS 15 249. The latter text is an account of beer. Straw was counted in //šaharru//, a type of net. It corresponds to the yearly ideal production of a field of one //aweharu// (CAD Š/1, p. 81b).
The value of the ban2 may have varied from place to place: it is suggested by the record of 12 anše of wheat and 45 anše of emmer measured “with the ban2 of the city of Al-ilâni” (HSS 16 119).
| sila3 (//qû//) | {{ :nuzi_sila3.jpg?nolink&50 |}} | ca. 0,84 l. |
| × 8 or × 10((A ban2 corresponding to 10 sila3 is occasionally used. It is sometimes referred to as against the eight-sila3 ban2 in the same texts, suggesting that the latter corresponds to the common ban2 (cf Hallock 1957 and for textual references cf. CAD S, p. 422a and AHw 1064b). The anše might also therefore be equivalent to 100 sila3.)) |||
| ban2 (//sūtu//) | {{ :nuzi_ban2.jpg?nolink&75 |}}((2 ban2 {{:nuzi_2ban2.jpg?nolink&50|}}, 3 ban2 {{:nuzi_3ban2.jpg?nolink&50|}}, 4 ban2 {{:4_ban.png?nolink&50|}}, 5 ban2 {{:nuzi_5ban2.jpg?nolink&50|}}. Note the unusual way of writing 4 ban2 in JEN 705 : 8 with four vertical wedges before the ban2 sign, see Maidman 1994 : 123)) | ca. 6,7 l. or 8,4 l. |
| × 6 |||
| pi (//pānu//)((The pi is only attested as a single unit.)) | {{ :nuzi_pi.jpg?nolink&25 |}} | ca. 40,4 l. |
| × 10 ban2 |||
| anše (//imēru//) | {{ :nuzi_anshe.jpg?nolink&75 |}} | ca. 60,7 l. or 84 l. |
== Oil, lard, beer ==
| sila3 (//qû//) | {{ :nuzi_sila3.jpg?nolink&50 |}} | | ca. 0,84 l. |
| × 8((Against the CAD T, p. 102b, there is no indication of a //tallu// of 10 sila3 in HSS 13 50.)) ||||
| dal (//tallu//) = 1 ban2 | {{ :nuzi_dal.jpg?nolink&50 |}} | a container | ca. 6,7 l. or 8,4 l. |
| × 10 ||||
| anše (//imēru//) | {{ :nuzi_anshe.jpg?nolink&75 |}} | | ca. 60,7 l. |
== Units of weight ==
The three weight measures((For weights found at Nuzi, cf. Starr 1937, pl. 122-124; Starr 1939, p. 464-467; Powel 1987-1990, p. 514-515 with discussion in Andrew 1996.)) are by ascending order the shekel (//šiqlu//, written su and not gin2), the mina (ma.na) and the talent (gun //biltu//).
| su (//šiqlu//) | {{ :nuzi_su.jpg?nolink&75 |}} | c. 8.3 g |
| × 60 |||
| ma.na((A non-standard mina equivalent to 100 //šiqlu// is mentioned in Yale 5 for weighing wool (Grosz 1988, p. 113; p. 118 n. 5).)) | {{ :nuzi_ma.na.jpg?nolink&75 |}} | c. 500 g |
| × 60 |||
| gu2.un (//biltu//) | {{ :nuzi_gu2.un.jpg?nolink&75 |}} | c. 30 kg |
Wool is also measured with specific units which by ascending order are //šehtunu//, //kuduktu// and //nariu// (all Hurrian terms). Their value is open to debate. The question is conveniently summarized in Lion and Sauvage 2005, p. 82 n. 71 and Powell 1987-1990, p. 515 where the following relationships are given: 3600 //šiqlu// = 60 mina = 1 talent = 24 //nariu =// 40 //kuduktu =// 80 //šehtunu//.
However, the value of the //kuduktu// as equivalent to 80 //šiqlu// (and not 90 //šiqlu//), relies among other things, on the sequential arrangement 1:2:4 found in other systems of weight for wool in the Near East and in the Aegean (see Zaccagnini 1990, 313-315 and Zaccagnini 1999-2001, 51-54). Regular delivery of wool for work assignment, given alternatively in both systems of weight, seems to support this view (Abrahami 2014, p. 305).
== Units system for wool ==
| //šehtunu// ((//šehtunu// is probably a Hurrian word for half but perhaps not weight-specific according to Powell 1987-1990 p. 515 and CAD Š/2 p. 263-264.)) | 40 //šiqlu// | c. 332 g / c. |
| × 2 |||
| //kuduktu// ((//kuduktu// and //nariu//, cf. Richter 2012, p. 233 and 267 for full bibliography.)) | 80 //šiqlu// | c. 664 g |
| × 4 |||
| //nariu// | 160 //šiqlu// | c. 1.3 kg |
=== Numerical system ===
To count objects, a mixed decimal and sexagesimal system is used: sexagesimal values for numbers under 100 and decimal values above 100.\\
60 (//šūši//), 100, 1000, and 10,000 are expressed phonetically.
| //ilten// (1-//en//) | {{ :nuzi_pi.jpg?25&nolink }} ||| 1 |
| | ×10 ||| |
| | {{ :nuzi_u.jpg?25&nolink }} ||| 10 |
| | × 6 ||| |
| //šūši// | {{:nuzi_pi.jpg?20&nolink}} or {{:nuzi-shu.si.jpg?75&nolink}} ||| 60 |
| | swtich from sexagesimal to decimal ||| |
| //mât// | {{ :nuzi_ma-at.jpg?75&nolink }} ||| 100 |
| | ×10 ||| |
| //līmu// | {{ nuzi_limmu.jpg?100&nolink }} ||| 1000 |
| | ×10 ||| |
| //nubi// (hurrian) | {{ :nuzi_nubi.jpg?100&nolink }} ||| 10,000 |
Hurrian names of numbers are identified in several words and expressions; they are used especially to express the age of animals, which is formed in hurrian by a suffix --//arbu//.
| | hurrian | |
| 2 | //šin-// | in //šinadumma epēšu:// to repeat, to appeal against a verdict, //šinahilu:// second in command; second quality, //šinahiluhli:// second in rank?, //šinamumma epēšu:// to pay twofold, //šinamuna:// twice, twofold, //šinamunu:// substitute, //šinarbu:// 2 years old. |
| 3 | //kig-// | in //kigarbu:// 3 years old, //kikamunu:// third in line?, //kukumnu:// 3 years old. |
| 4 | //tumn-// | in //tum(u)narbu:// 4 years old, //tumnātui:// 4 spoked (wheel). |
| 5 | //nar-// | in //narijarbu:// 5 years old. |
| 6 | //šez-// | in //šeššātu:// 6 spoked (wheel). |
| 7 | //šind-// | in //šintarbu:// 7 years old. |
| 10 | //eman// | in //emanamumma epēšu:// to pay tenfold, //emandi:// group of 10 men, //ematuhlu// (= GAL 10), officer commanding 10 men. |
== Fractions: ==
Fractions are expressed with their nouns:
| Fraction | akkadian | hurrian |
| 1/2 | //mišlu//((//mišlu// is used as fraction of the //kumānu// (length measure), but also refers to “one half” of anything else (price, irrigation water, etc).)) | |
| 1/3 | //paras-ṣerhu//((//paras-ṣerhu// (HSS 15 228 and 229), //rebūtu// (HSS 15 229) and //tummu// (HSS 15 228: 1) are used as units of weight and represent respectively 1/3 and 1/4 of shekel.)) (or //pár-tur//) | |
| 1/4 | //rebūtu// | //tummu// |
P. Abrahami et B. Lion.