Hollow archives : bullae as a source for understanding administrative structures in the Seleukid empire
Seal impressions on bullae offer new ways of approaching the local realities of Seleukid administrative and fiscal practice. Previous studies of these objects have focused primarily on the iconography of the impressed seals. However, analysis of the find-spots of bullae, their forms, the sealing protocols employed, the quantities of extant seal impressions, and the interactions that are evidenced by several individuals impressing their seals on a single bulla, enables a range of aspects of royal bureaucracy in Babylonia to be reconstructed. This study is based on thousands of published and tens of unpublished bullae from several Seleukid sites, and also incorporates a few bullae from elsewhere that are impressed by seals with Seleukid motifs. It demonstrates the importance of groups of men âon the groundâ for the articulation and enforcement of royal power. Routine bureaucracy ensured that taxes were collected and local authority maintained throughout the long periods when the king and court were absent from a region, and even during instances of conflict over the throne. Nonetheless, some of the surviving evidence appears to reflect bureaucratic failings; there were also moments of reform and instances
Hicks, J. R.
Hollow archives : bullae as a source for understanding administrative structures in the Seleukid empire. Seal impressions on bullae offer new ways of approaching the local realities of Seleukid administrative and fiscal practice. Previous studies of these objects have focused primarily on the iconography of the impressed seals. However, analysis of the find-spots of bullae, their forms, the sealing protocols employed, the quantities of extant seal impressions, and the interactions that are evidenced by several individuals impressing their seals on a single bulla, enables a range of aspects of royal bureaucracy in Babylonia to be reconstructed. This study is based on thousands of published and tens of unpublished bullae from several Seleukid sites, and also incorporates a few bullae from elsewhere that are impressed by seals with Seleukid motifs. It demonstrates the importance of groups of men âon the groundâ for the articulation and enforcement of royal power. Routine bureaucracy ensured that taxes were collected and local authority maintained throughout the long periods when the king and court were absent from a region, and even during instances of conflict over the throne. Nonetheless, some of the surviving evidence appears to reflect bureaucratic failings; there were also moments of reform and instances
archive source administrative_structure empire seal_impression offer_new way approach local reality administrative fiscal practice previous_study object focus_primarily iconography impressed seal however analysis find form seal protocol employ quantity extant seal_impression interaction evidence several individual impress seal single enable range aspect royal bureaucracy reconstruct study_base thousand publish unpublished several site also_incorporate elsewhere impressed seal motif demonstrates importance group_men grind articulation enforcement royal_power routine bureaucracy ensure tax collect local_authority maintain throughout long_period king court absent region even instance conflict throne nonetheless survive_evidence appear reflect bureaucratic failing also reform instance