Cross-regional Migration in the Ancient World: Egyptians In Assur

In MIGREIA I explore how relocating to another country affects the individual and the receiving communities in times of increasing globalisation. The historical case study is the late 8th and 7th c. BCE, which sees an unprecedented spatial and social scope of migration throughout the whole area of the Eastern Mediterranean and West Asian area of connectivity. MIGREIA is based on the hypotheses that the subsequent experience of living in culturally diverse societies changed the perception of the ‘foreign other’, and that this development is reflected in the archival documents from the urban townships of Assyria. Focusing on the evidence for Egyptians at the former Assyrian capital of Assur, a major urban metropolis of continued socio-political importance, I ask: What is the social relevance of being a newcomer in an Assyrian town and how does living in a culturally diverse community in Assyria compare to constructions of the ‘foreign other’ in the imperial narratives? I research this by combining several approaches: especially ‘close reading’ of the cuneiform texts (philology), an analysis of their archival contexts and excavation documentation (archaeology), a community studies approach to the activities of the documented persons (placemaking) and a digitally assisted social network analysis of their personal contacts and related documentary sources (digital humanities). I will publish the data and results including the major methodological challenges and breakthroughs in a number of articles and especially an open access monograph.

Egypt and Mesopotamia are best known for their monumental art and the achievements of their kings. MIGREIA focuses instead on daily life in times of increasing globalisation. I ask: How did the Egyptians get to Assyria in the 8th–7th c. BCE? Where and how did they live? And how relevant was their foreign origin for local administrative, legal, and economic matters, and for their social life?
Important answers can be gleaned from the cuneiform tablets from Assyria (in modern Iraq). Thousands of official documents like marriage contracts, property sales, or debt notes, allow glimpses into the workings of the ancient town communities. By studying these documents and their archival contexts for the metropolis of Assur, I will open up data and methodologies for the study of still unwritten chapters of ancient social history.