“La civiltà dei Hurriti, popolo dell’Asia anteriore antica.
Introduzione alla storia degli studi e alla documentazione testuale,”
La civiltà dei Hurriti.
La Parola del Passato 55, pp. 7-24.
“Le più antiche testimonianze dei Hurriti prima della formazione del regno di Mittanni,”
Ibid., pp. 25-67
P.9 and 22-f: the inscription of Tish-atal (which is also shown on the cover of the volume) is the most ancient Hurrian document, and it can now be said to come from Tell Mozan (see also p. 43).
P.31f: the upper limit for the presence of the Hurrians in the Khabur seems to be the 24th century, because they are not mentioned in the Ebla texts. Reference is however made to the “feeling” the Buccellatis have derived from their excavations at Mozan that the Hurrians may have been present since the first half of the third millennium, and that they may credited with important new types of architecture.
A large portion of the article deals with Urkesh (pp. 34-46, with figures 2-6) and with Nawar (pp. 46-50). This is an important discussion, with several original observations.
Pp. 34f.: Tupkish is placed after Tahiš-atili of Azuhunum, who is dated to Naram-Sin (though Tupkish is omitted in the chronological chart on p. 67).
P. 35: it refers to Unap-sheni mentioned in the tablets [from Area F1] published by L. Milano in Mozan 2.
Pp. 36-38: an important treatment of the bronze tablet of Atal-shen, with good photographs and a correction to previous editions as they concern the line inscribed on the edge. The author gives a full translation, and suggests that Shaum-shen, qualified as DIM2, is the craftsman/scribe who fashioned the bronze tablet, rather than the architect of the temple mentioned in the tablet (a concept generally reserved to the king as builder). A good photo and new autograph of the pertinent line is given.
Pp. 38-44: a discussion of the lions of Tish-atal, with good photos of the Louvre exemplar. It is suggested that the name Nergal may refer to a “Hurrian deity assimilated to the Sumero-Akkadian Nergal” (p. 43). The statues come from Mozan, given the by now certain identification of the this site with Urkesh. The etymology of endan is not yet certain, but its use is important because it shows the “ābility to introduce institutional change” (p. 44).
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