Abstract
When Samsi-Addu succeeded in creating a vast empire in Upper Mesopotamia, he accompanied his military conquests with cultural measures. The construction of temples in several cities was perhaps the most visible of these. Administration was also standardized. The cylinder seals of Samsi-Addu's servants are easily recognizable and have been studied by A. Otto. Other standardization measures concern time management : the introduction of a new calendar and the use of eponyms throughout the territory have been studied.
As part of the PCEHM project (" Power and written culture in Upper Mesopotamia in the 18thcentury "), this paper examines the written word as such. What innovations and uses were there in a world where the written word was at its apogee ?
