Publisher's Synopsis
This book aims to clarify the way that the Puzri-Dagan organization functioned, by providing a comprehensive study of its organizational structures, administrative practices, and the written documentation dating to the reign of Amar-Suen, the third king of the Third Dynasty of Ur (c. 2112-2004 BC). This study depends on abundant Neo-Sumerian textual data (c. 6000 published and unpublished texts), which constitutes a promising source for Assyriological studies of the political, socio-economic, and religious history of the ancient Near East. In content, this book covers the organizational structures and administrative practices of functionaries in the Puzri-Dagan organization, which consisted of one "central" bureau and various subordinate bureaus. Through a statistical analysis of text formulary and written documentation, it also contributes to the understanding of ancient Mesopotamian bookkeeping. Further, a prosopographical study of the enormous quantity of animal transactions undertaken by the Puzris-Dagan organization sheds more light on the relationship between the Ur III court and its peripheries and vassal states, which represents an important chapter in the history of ancient Near Eastern diplomacy.
