ORGANIZATION OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY IN SUMER: THE CASE OF GIRSU AT THE END OF THE THIRD MILLENNIUM B.C.

The present study deals with animal husbandry in Sumer at the end of the third millennium B.C. It is based on documents related to the institutions specializing in fattening animals for cultic purposes in the province of Girsu at the time of the Third dynasty of Ur. A group of Neo-Sumerian documents referring to the daily supply of fodder for the animals at the sheep-pen e- udu gibil is discussed in details, and an attempt is made to determine their date. On the basis of the evidence of another kind of documents - inspection lists of workers - it is suggested that several fattening sheep-pens (e - udu) in Girsu were in fact departments of one single institution called e- kurusda gir-su(ki).