TheJOURNAL OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS(JAC) is published annually in two fascicles by the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC,Northeast Normal University,Changchun,Jilin Province,People’s Republic of China).

The aim ofJACis to provide a forum for the discussion of various aspects of the cultural and historical processes in the Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean world,encompassing studies of individual civilizations as well as common elements,contacts and interactions among them (e.g.in such traditional fields as Assyriology,Egyptology,Hittitology,Classics,Byzantine Studies,and Sinology among others).Hence,we publish the work of international scholars while also providing a showcase for the finest Chinese scholarship,and so welcome articles dealing with history,philology,art,archaeology and linguistics that are intended to illuminate the material culture and society of the Ancient Near East,the Mediterranean region,and ancient China.Articles discussing other cultures will be considered for publication only if they are clearly relevant to the ancient Mediterranean world,the Near East,and China.Information about new discoveries and current scholarly events is also welcome.Publishers are encouraged to send review copies of books in the relevant fields.

JACis a double blind peer-reviewed journal.Articles must not have been published in,or submitted to,another publication at the time of submission.All submitted articles are first carefully read by at least two editors ofJAC,who will give a feedback to the author.Articles (excluding book reviews or research reports) are afterwards reviewed anonymously by at least two referees in the specific field,appointed by the editorial board.The whole peer-review process as well as any judgment is based on the quality of the article and the research conducted therein only.In cases where the reviewers recommend changes in the manuscript,authors are requested to revise their articles.The final approval of articles is at the editorial board.Throughout the whole peer-review process,articles are treated confidentially.In case of (alleged or supposed) interest conflict,misconduct or plagiarism of any party involved the editor in chief and/or the executive editor in chief (or,if necessary,another member of the editorial board) will pursue the case and should the situation of taking action arise,will notify the respective party.From time to time,we will publish a list of the referees on our homepage (http://ihac.nenu.edu.cn/JAC.htm),to make the double blind peer-review process transparent and comprehensible.

This issue comprises articles that question common frames of ancient historical material and related modern scholarship.Marta Pallavidini looks at formulas used in Hittite diplomatic treaties while Xiaoli Ouyang and Michela Piccin both examine lists as stores of historical narratives in different ANE sources.The latter two articles derive from a workshop at the64th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationalein Innsbruck 2018,and all three provide useful insights into the potential of so-called documentary sources beyond the mere“facts.”Peter Herz challenges the widespread view that the Athenian Empire in the 5th century BC brought democratic happiness and economic prosperity to all the polities related to Athens;instead he shows the dark,exploitative side of Athens’arche.Finally,Kai Ruffing investigates the use of papyrological evidence in the history of studies in ancient economies.Interpretation along the primitivist-modernist schism and recent rise of studies in economic papyri based onNew Institutional Economicsmirror the importance of current research frames for examining ancient sources,and remind of a perpetual critical review of all historians’“Standortgebundenheit”as Johann Gustav Droysen has stated in hisHistorik.

All communications,manuscripts,disks and books for review should be sent to the Assistant Editor,Journal of Ancient Civilizations,Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations,Northeast Normal University,130024 Changchun,Jilin Province,People’s Republic of China (e-mail:jac@nenu.edu.cn),or to the Executive Editor in Chief,Prof.Dr.Sven Günther,M.A.(e-mail:svenguenther@nenu.edu.cnorsveneca@aol.com).