2007
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“Hurrian,”
in J. N. Postgate (ed.), Languages of Iraq, Ancient and Modern,
Cambridge: British School of Archaeology in Iraq, pp. 73-84.
See full text
Within a brief overview of the historical setting of documents written in Hurrian, ample room is given to the Tish-atal and Atal-shen inscriptions (pp. 74-76), from which a date in the Ur III period is given as possible on the basis of both “style and paleography” and the possible correlation with Tish-atal of Nineveh.
It is noted that they now have “an archaeological dimension arising from the Mozan excavations”, and that from this dimension a discrepancy arises with regard to the dating, which the excavators propose may be earlier (p. 77). The author does not take a stand in this regard, nor with regard to the possible identification of Nawar with either Brak or Girnavaz (p. 77). He notes that the “charming scenes of domestic life” in the seals from the Tupkish levels date early in the Akkadian period (p. 76). He gives the ancient name of the site as Urkish.
A concise two page summary of the main features of the Hurrian language is given by G. Wilhelm on pp. 81f.
[G. Buccellati – April 2008]
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