NUZU (Genitive Nuzu). - A locality in present-day 'Irāq (today Yorgan Tepe), about 13 km southwest of Kerkük (ancient Arrapba), which was excavated from 1925 to 1931 by E. Chiera, E. A. Speiser, R. H. Pfeiffer, R. F. S. Starr.
Twelve strata were found; strata XII-X A: pottery painted like Obed II and incised like Uruk, constructions of puddled clay; X B: constructions of unfired bricks, a transitional stratum; IX-VII: proto-dynastic stratum, pottery made on the wheel; VI: stratum corresponding to the first rulers of Lagāš (ca. 2500 B.C.); V-III, lower part: tablets and seal impressions of the Akkad period (ca. 2350-2150 B.C.); III, upper part: Gutium period (ca. 2150)
and Ur III (ca. 2050-1950); II B: time of Isin and Larsa (ca. 1950-1850); II A: 1st Babylonian dynasty (ca. 1830-1530); II-I: Hurrian period (from ca. 1500 onward).
The city thus had three periods of flourishing, namely in proto-dynastic times, in the middle of the 3rd millennium, during which it bore the name of Gazur (VI-III), and in the Hurrian period. The first mention of N. occurs in a letter from Mari (ca. the end of the 18th century B.C.).
Two large public buildings were excavated: a palace and a temple (with 7 strata, from bottom to top G-A). Temple G, the oldest, with a single cella, already in the following period (F) is found enlarged with two cellae. The Palace is only partly excavated: a large central courtyard surrounded by reception halls, the sovereign's private chambers, offices, storerooms, etc.
The 4000 cuneiform tablets (of which 3000 from the main mound) constitute parts of large family archives. The language is Akkadian, but being handled by Hurrian scribes it is mixed with Hurrian vocabulary and contains Hurrian constructions (e.g., the passive in place of the active). A valuable synchronism is a letter of the king of Mitanni Šauššatar (ca. the middle of the 15th century) with his seal.
At N. was also found the first geographical map on clay from the 3rd millennium B.C., which shows mountains, rivers (or canals) and cities. Despite the names affixed, the identification remains still very problematic. A very important contribution to the knowledge of Hurrian and also Indo-European roots and elements is given by the proper names of N.
Bibliography21 works1) excavations: R. F. J. Starr, N. Report on the Excavation at Yorgon Tepa near Kirkuk, Iraq 1927-1931, 2 vols., Cambridge Mass. 1937-39. 2)
BIBL.: 1) excavations: R. F. J. Starr, N. Report on the Excavation at Yorgon Tepa near Kirkuk, Iraq 1927-1931, 2 vols., Cambridge Mass. 1937-39. 2) Texts: a) In the collection of the «Baghdad School»: Joint Expedition with the Iraq Museum at N.; E. Chiera, I. Inheritance Texts, Paris 1927; II. Declarations in Court, ibid. 1930; III. Exchange and Security Documents, ibid. 1931; IV. Proceedings in Court, Philadelphia 1934; V. Mixed Texts, ibid. 1934; VI. E. R. Lacheman: Miscellaneous Texts, New Haven 1939; b) In the Harvard Semitic Series: Excavations at N.; I. E. Chiera: Textes of Varied Contents, Cambridge Mass. 1929; R. H. H. Pfeiffer: The Archives of Shihwateshah Son of the King, ibid. 1932; Th. Meek, Old Abhadian, Sumerian and Cappadocian Texts from N., ibid. 1935; IV. R. H. Pfeiffer-E. R. Lacheman, Miscellaneous Texts from N., ibid. 1942; V: Miscellaneous Texts from N., part 2, ibid. 1950. c) Other texts from N.; C. H. Gordon, Fifteen N. Tablets relating to Women, in Muslon, 48 (1935), pp. 113-32; R. H. Pfeiffer-E. A. Speiser, One Hundred New Selected N. Texts, New Haven 1936; E. R. Lacheman, Nuziana, in Revue d'assyriologie, 36 (1939), pp. 81-95, 113-219. 3) Language: C. H. Gordon, The Dialect of the N. Tablets, in Orientalia, 7 (1938), pp. 32-63, 215-32. 4) Proper names: I. J. Gelb-P. M. Purves-A. A. MacCrac, N. Personal Names, Chicago 1943; T. T. O'Callaghan, Aram Naharaim, Rome 1948, p. 57 ff.; E. R. Lachman, N. Personal Names, in Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 8 (1949), pp. 48-55. 5) Law: E. M. Cassin, L'adoption d N., Paris 1938; H. Lewy, The Nuzian Feudal System, in Orientalia, 11 (1942), pp. 1-40, 209-30, 297-349; F. R. Steele, N. Real Estate Transactions, New Haven 1943; P. M. Purves, Commentary on N. Real Property, in Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 4 (1945), pp. 68-86. 6) Art: E. Porada, Seal Impressions of N., New Haven 1947.
Pohl, Alfredo. “Nuzu (Genitivo Nuzi).” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VIII, coll. 2044–2046. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1952. https://azioneromana.com/article/nuzu-genitivo-nuzi.
MLA
Pohl, Alfredo. “Nuzu (Genitivo Nuzi).” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VIII, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1952, coll. 2044–2046. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/nuzu-genitivo-nuzi.
BibTeX
@incollection{ec8_nuzu_genitivo_nuzi,
author = {Pohl, Alfredo},
title = {Nuzu (Genitivo Nuzi)},
booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
volume = {VIII},
pages = {2044--2046},
note = {Cited by column},
publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
address = {Città del Vaticano},
year = {1952},
url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/nuzu-genitivo-nuzi}
}
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