Editing Hurrians (section)

==Culture and society==
[[File:Incense_burner._Hurrian_period,_1300-1000_BC._From_Tell_Basmosian,_Dukan,_Iraq._Erbil_Civilization_Museum.jpg|thumb|right|Incense burner. Hurrian period, 1300–1000 BC. From Tell Basmosian (also Tell Bazmusian), modern-day Lake Dukan, Iraq. Currently displayed in Erbil Civilization Museum.]]

Knowledge of Hurrian culture relies on archaeological excavations at sites such as Nuzi and [[Alalakh]] as well as on cuneiform tablets, primarily from [[Hattusa]] (Boghazköy), the capital of the Hittites, whose civilization was greatly influenced by the Hurrians. Tablets from Nuzi, Alalakh, and other cities with Hurrian populations (as shown by personal names) reveal Hurrian cultural features even though they were written in Akkadian. Hurrian [[cylinder seal]]s were carefully carved and often portrayed mythological motifs. They are a key to the understanding of Hurrian culture and history.

The 2nd millennium Hurrians were masterful ceramists. Their pottery is commonly found in Mesopotamia and in the lands west of the Euphrates; it was highly valued in distant Egypt, by the time of the [[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]]. Archaeologists use the terms [[Khabur ware]] and [[Nuzi ware]] for two types of wheel-made pottery used by the Hurrians. Khabur ware is characterized by reddish painted lines with a geometric triangular pattern and dots, while Nuzi ware has very distinctive forms, and are painted in brown or black.<ref>[https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/231054546.pdf] Oguchi, Hiromichi, "The Date of The Beginning of Khabur Ware Period 3: Evidence from the Palace of Qarni-Lim at Tell Leilan", Al-Rafidan 27, pp. 45–59, 2006</ref><ref>Paul Zimansky, "The Origin of Nuzi Ware: A Contribution From Tell Hamida", In: David I. Owen and Martha A. Morrison (Hrsg.): General Studies and Excavations at Nuzi 9/1, Pennsylvania State University Press, Philadelphia, 1995 ISBN 978-0-931464-37-9</ref> They were also skilled at glass working.<ref>Vandiver, Pamela, "GLASS TECHNOLOGY AT THE MID-SECOND-MILLENNIUM B.C. HURRIAN SITE OF NUZI", Journal of Glass Studies, vol. 25, pp. 239–47, 1983</ref>

The Hurrians had a reputation in [[metallurgy]]. It is proposed that the [[Sumer]]ian term for "coppersmith" ''tabira''/''tibira'' was borrowed from Hurrian, which would imply an early presence of the Hurrians way before their first historical mention in Akkadian sources.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wilhelm |first=Gernot |year=1989 |title=The Hurrians |location=Warminster |url=https://archive.org/download/WilhelmHurrians/Wilhelm_Hurrians.pdf |publisher=Aris & Phillips |isbn=0-85668-442-2}} Pp. 8–9.</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Kassian |first=Alexei |year=2014 |title=Lexical Matches between Sumerian and Hurro-Urartian: Possible Historical Scenarios |journal=Cuneiform Digital Library Journal |issue=4 |url=https://cdli.ucla.edu/pubs/cdlj/2014/cdlj2014_004.html }}</ref> Copper was traded south to [[Mesopotamia]] from the highlands of [[Anatolia]]. The Khabur Valley had a central position in the metal trade, and copper, silver and even tin were accessible from the Hurrian-dominated countries [[Kizzuwatna]] and [[Ishuwa]] situated in the Anatolian highland. Gold was in short supply, and the [[Amarna letters]] inform us that it was acquired from Egypt. Not many examples of Hurrian metal work have survived, except from the later Urartu. Some small fine bronze lion [[Hurrian foundation pegs|foundation pegs]] were discovered at Urkesh.<ref>Muscarella, Oscar White, "Bronze and Iron: Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art", Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1988 {{ISBN|9780870995255}}</ref>

Among the Hurrian texts from Ugarit are the oldest known instances of [[Hurrian song|written music]], dating from c. 1400 BC.<ref>Güterbock, Hans Gustav, "Musical Notation in Ugarit", Revue d'Assyriologie 64, pp. 45–52, 1970</ref><ref>Duchesne-Guillemin, Marcelle, "A Hurrian Musical Score from Ugarit: The Discovery of Mesopotamian Music", Sources from the ancient near east, vol. 2, fasc. 2. Malibu, CA: Undena Publications, 1984. {{ISBN|0-89003-158-4}}</ref><ref>Kilmer, Anne Draffkorn, "The Cult Song with Music from Ancient Ugarit: Another Interpretation", Revue d'Assyriologie, 68, pp. 69–82, 1974</ref> Among these fragments are found the names of four Hurrian composers, Tapšiẖuni, Puẖiya(na), Urẖiya, and Ammiya.<ref>West, M[artin] L[itchfield], "The Babylonian Musical Notation and the Hurrian Melodic Texts", Music and Letters 75, no. 2, pp. 161–79, May 1994</ref>