The Acropolis Archive of Susa in Context: A Reassessment Within the Elamite Administrative Tradition

The Neo-Elamite archive of Susa, discovered in 1901 by the French archaeological mission led by Jacques de Morgan, is the last known administrative archive from the Neo-Elamite period. This archive provides valuable information on the political conditions and administrative structure of southwestern Iran during that time, especially in the aftermath of the devastating attack by the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal in 647 BCE. In this article, the archive is examined using two distinct approaches: an analysis of the content of the texts and an examination of their administrative formulae. A comparison between the Neo-Elamite texts from Susa and the Middle Elamite texts from Anshan reveals the evolution and advancement of Elamite bureaucracy, as well as the methods of recording, documenting, and redistributing materials within the Elamite state administration. Moreover, the content of the texts indicates that a state institution in Susa distributed weapons and clothing—likely of a military nature—to individuals and groups from various regions and cities across southwestern Iran, suggesting a form of alliance among these groups and the existence of an interconnected network in the region.