Ankaraner Kultepe-Texte, vol. 3.

• Author: Gwaltney, W.C.

By EMIN BILGIC: and CAHIT GUNBATTI. Freiburger altorientalische Studien, Beihefte: Altassyrische Texte und Untersuchungen, vol. 3. Stuttgart: FRANZ STEINER VERLAG, 1995. Pp. 210. DM 88, FS 88, OS 687 (paper).

This volume, assigned the abbreviation AKT III, contains transcriptions and translations of 114 complete texts of Old Assyrian (OA) times excavated in the 1970 archaeological excavations at Kultepe, Turkey (ancient Kanish). They belong mostly to the archive of an Assyrian merchant named EnnumAssur. The texts all bear the catalog prefix "kt v/k." Forty-six unopened enveloped texts from the 1970 excavation remain in the care of V. Donbaz to be published, according to the authors in their preface (p. 9). Three other texts from this dig (nos. kt v/k 28, 52, and 89) were previously published by C. Gunbatti. The authors also include indexes of personal names, divine names, place names, limmu-eponyms, hamustum-eponyms, and month names. They also discuss unusual forms and significant terms in comments text-by-text. It is unfortunate that the authors did not include a glossary of unusual terms and constructions along with the indexes.

The documents are roughly grouped into genres instead of following the catalogue numbering sequence. Letters seem to be grouped according to the personnel involved. Thus the writers make the material usable for those engaged in studying OA documents. The genres represented are: eleven debt notes, two texts containing multiple notes of debt, eleven private notes, two documents concerning the sale of slaves, sixteen legal records, and sixty letters.

One practice adopted by the authors and editors raises a question. They decided not to include line drawings or photos of the texts so as to save time and cost. More than a few times this reviewer found himself inadvertently turning to the rear of the volume to check some peculiarity in the drawings, only to be reminded that there were none to consult. The editors reassure the reader that the transcriptions were collated by two scholars at Ankara and partially by Karl Hecker. Such collated signs are preceded by an asterisk. This reviewer counted some 111 examples, mostly appearing in names, numbers, and damaged areas. The notes also refer to places where collations were made to check smudged signs or seeming scribal mistakes. The overall meanings of the texts are not greatly affected by these readings; however, old habits die hard, and one remembers that more than once...