Administrative Documents

Examining administrative artefacts from the Proto-Elamite period in Susa through a phenomenological lens allows historians and archaeologists to contextualize these documents not only as dormant material culture but also as dynamic instruments in negotiating economic control, political authority, and institutional identity. This article draws on newly reevaluated evidence of clay sealing strips housed in the National Museum of Iran, interpreted initially as “wall sealings” by Holly Pittman. It reconsiders their function in light of comparative frameworks developed by Adelheid Otto for Middle Bronze Age Syria. By situating these items within the broader conceptual field of “administrative writing”, here extended to include physical sealing devices as protoarchival media, this study examines the thematic frameworks, authorial stances, and intended audiences embedded in both the ancient administrative practices and the modern scholarly discourse. Rather than occupying a marginal position in archaeological literature, these sealing strips emerge as powerful heuristic tools for understanding the evolution of bureaucratic management in early Iranian state formations.

This study examines the so-called “scribe pattern” markers identified in 62 late Proto-Elamite administrative documents housed in the Louvre Museum and the National Museum of Iran. Recent research indicates that Proto-Elamite administrative systems underwent significant developments in the methods used to authenticate and individualize documents. Archaeological evidence suggests that, in the early phases, animal and symbolic motifs predominated in seal designs; however, with the advancement of writing, these were gradually replaced by simpler linear signs. Notably, the emergence of new types of seals inspired by these linear signs characterizes the later stages of this period. These changes reflect a complex phase of interaction between ancient traditions and administrative innovations. It appears that Proto-Elamite society was actively experimenting and seeking optimal solutions for recording and verifying information. Despite recent advances in scholarship, major challenges remain in fully understanding this system, especially regarding the precise status of these markers within the administrative hierarchy. This research not only opens a new window onto the study of early administrative systems but can also inspire comparative studies of the evolution of writing in ancient civilizations. The discovery and analysis of additional examples in the future will undoubtedly clarify many of the current uncertainties.