Ama-e
Ancient Sumerian businesswoman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ama-e (fl. c. 2330 BC) was an Ancient Sumerian businesswoman. She is one of the earliest individual businesswomen of which any significant amount of information is known.
Ama-e | |
|---|---|
| Years active | c. 2330 BC |
| Spouse | Ur-Sara |
Background
She lived in the city of Umma during the reign of Sargon of Akkad.[1] She was married to Ur-Šara and her business transactions are well documented in the so-called Ur-Sara family archive.[2] While it does not appear to have been uncommon for women to conduct business, as it was regarded as a part of the household duties, no other individual businesswoman and her transactions from this period or before is as well documented as Ama-e.[citation needed]
Business
She rented land from the crown for cultivating, invested in buildings, traded in barley and metal, and had a network of business agents through which she bought and sold silver, wood, wool, food and perfume.[3]
Translator H. J. Marsman wrote:
In early Mesopotamian society, women appear to have acted quite independently [and] could stand surely for someone else [as with] the businesswoman Ama-e, who lived in Sargonic Umma. She engaged in trade involving grain, wool, and metals.[4]
Family business records show that she invested some of the profits in real estate and building projects and oversaw a widespread trade network.[5]
