<論説>シュメール都市国家時代最末期ラガシュにおける農耕年視点の確立

Abstract

シュメール都市国家ラガシュの支配者妃を頭に戴く組織e-miの耕地経営については、土地制度面に関してかつてP. A. ダイメルによって、社会組織と関連させつつ直営地・割当地・託営地の三範疇論が提示されて社会・経済的研究の基礎がおかれた。しかしこの研究も今日の目から見れば極めて不徹底であり、またアッシリア学・シェメール学全般の急速な発展にもかかわらずこの問題に関しては、着実な実証に基づいた新研究はほとんど皆無である。本稿は、三範疇別に土地経営関係記録を整理した前稿の結果にもとづき、土地経営に関する綜観的視点としての農事暦＝農耕年視点の確立を目指し、暦年上二年にわたる耕作年の始期と終期、一耕作年における四検地時期、隔年休耕システムの貫徹の解明を目的とする。このような農業生産上の基本的事実の体系的究明がシュメール灌漑農耕都市国家社会研究の前進の一契機となることが筆者の希望である。

The aim of this study is the establishment of the viewpoint of 'agricultural year' rather than georgic almanac as a comprehensive point of view through the documents relating to the barley production of 'é-mí' or 'dBa-ba6' organization in pre-Sargonic Lagash. At the start, the period of plowing and sowing as the definite stage of initiation of an agricultural year is confirmed in four months (itu udu-šè-še-a-íl-la..., itu-gu4-du-bí-mù-a..., itu-ezem-dLi9-si4-ka, and itu-síg-ba, tentatively assumed as the 4 th, 5 th, 7 th and 8 th months respectively) (Table I). Then, the time of harvesting and delivery of barley crops as the indication of the last stage of the agricultural year is proved in the early months belonging to the next calendar year by the accounts referring to three fields (Table II, Table III (A)). In the second chapter, four occasions of land surveying are educed and are determined their dates in the calendar as well as agricultural year which ranged over two calender years (Table IV). Lastly, in the third chapter, the writer goes so far as to verify the accomplishment of a fallow system in alternate years at this early period of history (Table VI). An analysis of Nik. I 31 and DP 573 affords the key to the solution of the fact that there were fields which seem at one view as if they had been under cultivation uninterruptedly year after year (Table VII).