Women and Real Estate in the Old Assyrian Texts

Abstract

The Old Assyrian tablets, dated mainly to the nineteenth century BC and excavated at Kultepe, ancient Kanes, document the activities of women living in Assur and Kanes as housewives and businesswomen. Women alone in Assur were in charge both of the managing of the household and the maintenance of the building housing the family. Their letters sent to Kanes show that they could own the house in which they were living. Purchase contracts involve Kanes women buying houses, and in their testaments, the Assyrian merchants could decide to donate their houses to their wives, daughters or sisters.