A Nuzi Private Archive

The real estate records from the so-called Tehip-tilla house in Nuzi comprise a private archive. The functions of this archive are described in the present article. One function w that of the catalog, to keep track of the many real properties acquired by members of ih family. The nature of the tablets implies, however, that this function was secondary The and quantity of documentation preserved in the archive suggest that the primary function of both the individual tablet and archive was legal, to demonstrate before the judiciary and other parties outside the family circle that real estate entered that circle legally or changed hands within the family by means other than normal inheritance. This function accounts for five characteristics of the archive. 1) Records of acquisition are highly detailed and drawn up at the time of acquisition2) Tablets most usually record one transaction each. If the land described were to be subsequently realienated, the appropriate tablet could thus conveniently be transferred with the property3Real estate tablets mentioning no member of the Tehip-tilla family are found in the family's archive. In light of 2), these represent non-current land records acquired by the family members when they acquired real estate with a prior history of alienation. 4No records of alienation of real estate are found in the archive. Such records would be inconsistent with the archive's main function5) Records of real estate litigation are common and attest to family ownership of real property. Therefore, all such records commissioned describe the family's legal victories. The legal function of archival tablets is itself legal victories. The legal function of archival tablets is itself propertyTherefore, all such records commissioned describe the family's legal victories. The legal function of archival tablets is itself described in these court accounts. The primary function of the archive, to buttress the family's claims to real estate against outside challenge, failed to protect individual members against claims by their own relatives. This led to intra-family disputes.