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as members of the royal court. They engaged in business transac-
tions such as trade and loans and show a special tie to the king him-
self.^32 The king had the power to promote individuals to the maryannu
category, as shown by AT 15. This and other documents (e.g., AT
91) make it clear that this status was transferred by inheritance.4.3 Gender and Age
4.3.1 To judge from AT 91, women could also belong to the
maryannuclass, presumably as transmitted from the head of the house-
hold, to whom they always appear subordinate. Women were not
competent to act as witnesses in legal transactions. They did, how-
ever, have the capacity to own property as well as to grant it (AT
88). Most of the information concerning the position of women comes
from the marriage documents (see 5.1 below).4.3.2 As for children, little can be deduced from our material. In
one loan document (AT 48), the debtor’s children (as well as the
wife) are liable to seizure as pledges if the head of the family, who
temporarily works for the creditor, runs away, disappears, or dies.
A boy (ßu¢àru) is sold in a sale document (AT 69) and another is
given as security in a suretyship document (AT 89), together with
three women. The age covered by such term(s), however, cannot be
established.4.4 Slavery^33
It is clear from the treaty text AT 2 that a man or a woman could
be treated as an item of property owned by a master, just like an
ox, a donkey, or a horse. Slavery, in this strict sense, is well attested
in early Late Bronze Age Alalakh. The same treaty informs us that
slaves bore foot fetters (kurßû) and a distinctive mark, a kind of hair-
style (well known from other ancient Near Eastern contexts) called
abbuttu.^34 No doubt, this mark was meant to quickly identify a slave
especially in case of flight, although as stated in this very text, it
could simply be shaved off.(^32) See Márquez Rowe, “A Number or a Measure?.. .,” 254ff. For a recent review
of the maryannuin the ancient Near East, see Wilhelm, “Maryannu...”
(^33) See Mendelsohn, “On Slavery in Alalakh”; Klengel, “Zur Sklaverei in Alalah.”
(^34) AT 2:39–40.
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