Rhyne King. “Taxing Achaemenid Arachosia

The author presents a novel assessment of some 270 objects, most of them carrying an inscription in Aramaic. These mainly mortars and pestles (and fragments thereof) made from green chert were, although produced in Arachosia, found in Persepolis. While the interpretation of the first editor, R. Bowman, of these items as ritual objects has never met with approval, their purpose has so far been elusive. By means of a quantitative analysis of the data recorded on these objects -payer, location, administrative personnel in charge -, the paper convincingly situates them within the context of Achaemenid taxation practice, transforming "transient agricultural wealth in distant regions into stable wealth in the imperial core" (p. 199)

Economics · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · Ancient Near East History · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History