Land tenure in the Middle Assyrian period: a reconstruction

Abstract

This article is an attempt to assemble and reassess the evidence relating to the problems of land tenure in the Middle Assyrian period, and to show that all ‘private’ land was normally held as a concession from the crown in return for the performance of ilku obligations. The subjects are treated in five main sections:1: ilku and military service (pp. 496–502)2: the Middle Assyrian laws, tablet A, § 45 (pp. 502–8)3: allocation of tenures by the crown (pp. 508–12).4: evidence from the land sale documents (pp. 512–17)5: conclusions (pp. 517–19)