This dossier documents the provisioning of sesame (ĝeš-i₃[glossary=še-ĝeš-i3-k]) from Karaḫar[geogr=Karaḫar], a region in the upper reaches of the Diyala that was under control of the Ur III state during the 21st c. BCE. A key role is played by a person named Guzana[individual=Guzana], who supplied sesame seeds mainly during the reigns of Šu-Suen and Ibbi-Suen (Steinkeller 2022d; Steinkeller 1982: 640-644; Waetzoldt 1985: fn. 37).

Two annual accounts document the procurement of relatively large quantities of sesame for annual oil allotments for soldiers and their families (SAT 3 1854: „it is (for) the oil allotment for soldiers for 12 months“ i3-ba aga3-us2-e-ne iti 12-kam; SAT 3 1935: „it is (for) the oil allotment for soldiers, their wives and children for 12 months“ i3-ba aga3-us2 u3 dam dumu-ba iti 12-kam).

One of them (SAT 3 1854) registers the second largest quantity of sesame known from Ur III documents, namely 473 gur 30 sila (= 141,930 litres), but does not mention its origin nor Guzana. On the other hand, the other document (SAT 3 1935) explicitly states that Guzana issued the sesame from Karaḫar. The scribe Ikūn-pī-Šamaš was the official responsible for the transaction (ĝiri3) in both these two annual accounts. Therefore, most likely, the sesame of SAT 3 1854 can also be considered a procurement by Guzana. For a quantitative evaluation of the production of sesame in the provinces of Umma and Ĝirsu, and the procurement of sesame from provinces further in the North or the East of the Ur III state, see Dossier A.1.1.03.

The supplied sesame served for the monthly „oil allotment“ (i3-ba) for „soldiers“ (aga3-us2) (NYPL 264; JCS 19 28 3), for „troops stationed at the wall“ (i3-ba erin2 da bad3-da-ka tuš-a) (MVN 03 298) or for „working gangs stationed at the field beside the wall“ (i3-ba erin2 a-ša3 dur2 da bad3-da-ka tuš-a) (MVN 03 299; SAT 3 1937).

Guzana also procured sesame seeds „for sowing“ (nuĝun-še3[glossary=nuĝun]) (MVN 03 305, IS.01.00.00) and he provided „sesame“ (še-ĝeš-i3) for various individuals (AOS 32 S01, ŠS.06.00.00). A Guzani [individual=Guzana](gu-za-ni), obviously our Guzana,  was a creditor for 9,744 ⅓ litres of sesame for two individuals (BPOA 6 0017, ŠS.09.07.00).

Guzana’s documents use the so-called Reichskalender; their provenience has not been established, hence the location of Guzana’s activities remains unclear. In this respect, Steinkeller 1982: 642 proposes Dusabara; but see also Michalowski 2008: 111, fn. 8, who follows Steinkeller’s suggestion, adding that the „Guzana archive“ might come from a storehouse site in the vicinity of Nippur[geogr=Nippur].

Sesame supply from the Diyala region is also documented by one text using the Umma calendar that registers a yield of 13 gur 40 sila (= 3,940 litres) of „sesame“ (še-ĝeš-i3[glossary=še-ĝeš-i3-k]) from the fields of Maškan-Tupšikka, which Steinkeller locates in the Diyala region (NATN 236, Šu.30.11.00; Steinkeller 2022d; Steinkeller 2010: 370 + fn. 6).

The following table outlines all the evidence regarding Guzana and the procurement of sesame.

Commentary on JCS 19 28 3:

tablet o. 2, case o. 2 The tablet (o. 2) registers „sesame“ (še-ĝeš-i3) for „oil allotments for soldiers“ (i3-ba aga3-us2), whereas the envelope (o. 2) indicates sesame for the „oil allotments for the Elamites (on their way) to Šuruppag“ (i3-ba elam šuruppag^ki-še3), i. e. allotments for Elamite soldiers, see Michalowski 2008: 111.

case o. 4 The „responsible official“ (ĝiri3) here is Ḫunnu, whereas  MVN 03 305 r. 2 calls him Ḫunnuwa; a Ḫunnubu, most certainly another spelling of this individual’s name, received „sesame oil“ (i3-ĝeš) according to SAT 3 1902.