Kudurru

Kudurru is originally Cassite label that has been used for both limit and to a stone document that marks the boundary.

Form and content

The word was kudurru transferred to stones with royal land grant documents, which often contain a description of the overwritten area, and therefore also its limits. However, not all steles call the king. The second part of the inscription contains curse formulas. In the upper part of the stele gods symbols are usually attached, but some stones show also the gift itself. The Akkadian name of this stone is na4narû, stele or monument of stone. Kudurri are traditionally interpreted as landmarks. As inscriptions show, but there were also Naru who were part of buildings. Some of these stones were erected " In the face of the gods", which implies a consecration ceremony. Slanski argues convincingly for installation in temples.

The symbolic landmark had a high value and therefore does not stand in the open. He was kept in a safe place. You can be between 0.1 and 1 m high, the average height of a Kudurrus was 50-60 cm, and was usually on top of an inscription. The length of the inscription is 39-390 lines. Additionally gods emblems were attached which were identical with the gods mentioned in the text. He had the form of an upwardly rounded stone stele.

The text itself contains a field assignment to a high-ranking personality in the country. Usually were unspecified settlements along with staff, to complement content of Kudurru text. The Kudurru is a deed dar. In other inscriptions of the donee receives the right to be supplied from a temple with food and clothing. There were also charges at work or services for the crown to be adopted. It is believed that these donations were inherited. Over time, the Kassite kings must have lost through these donations considerable lands and tax revenues.

However, the now freed of charges land remained the property of the person who presented it as a loan to the mortgaged available. Rarely Kudurrus were used as process documents in land disputes.

Kudurri were made in Babylonia from the late 2nd to mid 1st millennium BC. Broke a stone, another could be produced as a substitute, which has an inscription from the time of Nazi Maruttaš. The first mention of Kudurrus done under Kurigalzu I in the 14th century BC Senior uses are possible. The Kudurru system presented first assignments of regions and areas dar. Later, in the time of Nebuchadnezzar I., the texts were increasingly embellished with reasons of land grants: Sitti -Marduk, who defeated the Amorites and Kassites abjagte the prey. Some kuddurri also contain historical information relating to the circumstances under which the donee earned this grant.

Currently there are about 160 known kudurri. About 20 come from Babylonia, three from Kish, almost a third of all known kudurri comes from Susa, whither they had dragged along with other written documents, such as the stele of Hammurabi and the stela of Naram -Sin in the 12th century Šutruk - nahhunte II. They were probably in the courtyard of Inšušinak Temple ( section 7 and 7α of the excavations of 1898) kept kept and had thus have great symbolic significance. Partial Elamite inscriptions were made. Slanski assumes that these stelae were stolen from Babylonian temples. The rest comes from the art market and its origin is unknown.

A kudurru of Meli- Sipak names the Panigarra God as the Lord of kudurru

Function

WJ Hinke suggested the gods symbols on the kudurri as zodiac signs. VS Tuman has attempted to identify and so they use the dating constellations.

Part of their name

The term was kudurri content of ruler titles, but has nothing to do with the content border / boundary stone together. The term kudurri in titles ruler is a term of Elamite / Akkadian language and means first born or eldest son. From the basic shapes Kudurru and nasaru follows the use kudurri and us.ur as an additive in the ruler Title: kudurri protect God Nabu eldest son / preserve us.ur = god Nabu protect / preserve my eldest / oldest son.

History of Research

The first kudurru was discovered in 1788 by the French explorer Antoine Michaux south of Baghdad and handed over to the French National Library. He became known as Caillou Michaux. It dates from the reign of Marduk -nadin- ahhe (1099-1082 BC).