The Scholar in His House: Scribal Material in Context in Late Uruk Private Houses

Type:

Book Chapter

Author:

Philippe Clancier

Published:

2024

The excavation of private houses in Uruk has led to the discovery of scholarly tablets in an archaeological context. The sector concerned, named Ue XVIII, shows three different levels of occupation (II, III and IV) with houses belonging to two successive families of exorcists: the descendants of Šangi-Ninurta (end of the fifth century, beginning of the fourth) and Ekur-zakir (fourth to third centuries). The texts and the objects linked to them enable us to understand that these houses were those of master exorcists who taught their knowledge to students, primarily their sons, in their houses. However, the oldest of the two families disappeared at the end of the Achaemenid period. It is possible that this event was contemporary with the destruction of the house on Level III by fire. Although this concomitance cannot be established with certainty, it is possible that this violent fire is to be placed in parallel with a possible revolt of the city of Uruk against the Achaemenid power, which would then have been put down by Darius III.

Türkçe sayfa →