Tributes and Taxes in the Middle Assyrian documentation

Abstract

The aim of the project “Taxation and Management of Resources” is to study the eco- nomic management of resources and taxation in the Ancient Near East. In the follow- ing paper, I will focus on the Middle Assyrian (henceforth abbreviated MA) state (ca. 1500–1000 BC) and its documentation. I will first enumerate the relevant cuneiform sources for such a study. Thereafter I will outline modern discussions on tributes and taxation during the MA Period and the terminology used in the documentation refer- ring to tributes and taxes during this period. In the main part of this paper, I will dis- cuss booty, tributes and presents, taxes, and regular offerings.