Tin perhaps passing through Mari to Crete, amongst other destinations.
The primary reference is in the translation of a text from Mari,
published by G. Dossin 1970, ' La route de l'étain en Mésopotamie au
temps de Zimri-Lim'. R. Assyr. 64, 97-106, and P. Villard 1984, 'Comptes
d'étain et d'argent', in P. Bardet et al. Archives Administratives de
Mari, i (ARM 23, Paris), 527-536.
These texts show that tin procurement at Mari was highly organised in
the first part of the reign of Zimri-Lim, which is the early part of the
18th. century BC. Tin seems to have travelled in the form of ingots of
about 5Kg. each, reaching Mari by donkey caravan from Susa (Susiana) and
Anshan (Elam) through Eshnunna (Tell Asmar). The text translated by
Dossin 1970 shows that tin was sent on from Mari westwards, to Qatna, to
Ugarit, to Laish/Dan, to Hazor and to a Caphtorite The majority of
scholars would accept that a Caphtorite was an inhabitant of Minoan
Crete, though this textual evidence cannot be pressed further than
suggestive evidence that this particular Caphtorite was actually
involved in getting tin from Mari to Crete. This same written evidence
suggests that tin was reaching Mari, for onward distribution westwards,
from somewhere considerably to the east of Mari. There are known tin
deposits in central Asia in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tadjikistan,
Kazakhstan etc. That most scholars accept that most or all lapis lazuli
came to the ancient Mesopotamian and Mediterranean world from
Afghanistan gives credence to tin accompanying it from the Afghanistan
tin deposits, with the other most probable source of tin being probably
the deposits in Uzbekistan. Third millennium Mesopotamian texts often
mention tin in association with lapis lazuli and carnelian. Lead isotope
analyses of EBA tin bronze artefacts from Troy [e.g. Gale et al. 1985,
Anatolian Studies 35, 143-173] and Kastri in the Cyclades [Stos-Gale &
Gale 1984, Oxford J. Archaeology 3, 23-44] also suggest that both copper
and tin were at this time coming partly from geologically old ore
sources which do not occur in the Mediterranean region, but are present
in central Asia. Weeks [ Antiquity 73,1999, 49-64] has given a useful
recent analysis of many of these questions, together with some new data.
Best wishes,
Noel Gale
vanderSanden/Drost wrote:
>
> Dear list-members,
> For the article I'm currently writing, I need the following quote (the
> reference to which I've unfortunately mislaid): the translation of or
> reference to an Akkadian text that describes the export of tin from Crete
> to Mari.
> Can anyone on the list help me?
> Please reply on or off-list.
> Thank you in advance,
> Jeannette Drost.
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