Dor in the Neo-Assyrian Period: A Provincial Capital without a Hinterland?

Discussions of whether Dor was an Assyrian provincial capital have focused on a limited group of texts and the material culture of Tel Dor. Here, we approach the issue by examining how Assyrian provinces were organized and the relationship between käru (trade centres) and these provinces. This article also surveys the archaeological evidence for rural settlements in the proposed boundaries of the Dor province and shows that occupation was minimal. Without surrounding rural settlements, Dor could not have functioned as the capital of an Assyrian province. Assyria found other ways to administer areas with no sedentary rural population. In regions whose importance derived solely from trade, officials known as rab käri (chief of trade) were appointed rather than placing such areas under the authority of a provincial governor.