The Assyrian merchants established in the lower town of Kültepe, ancient Kaneš, during the 19th and 18th centuries BC, left in their houses part of their private archives. The 22 500 cuneiform clay tablets excavated up to now at Kaneš document mainly their commercial activities, but they also provide data on their relationships with the local population over several generations. Written evidence combined with archaeological data gives a lively insight into this trade district, its inhabitants, their daily life, cultural and religious practices, and allows a better understanding the status of the Assyrian settlement at Kaneš.
