As usual, the letters give no dates. Therefore one has to compare and connect events mentioned in them with specific datable events known from other sources, mainly from the royal inscriptions. By doing this it is possible to place a handful of letters within the chronological sequence provided by these other sources. These "dated" letters can be related to tohers which refer to the same persons, places and affairs. In addition, letters from the same sender or from different senders mentioning each other form clusters. The chronological sequence within these clusters must be inferred from the context. Among the letters of this volume, there is not a single letter which can be definitely assigned to an event before 710 and after the beginning of 706. But a large number of them can be placed in this short period, either directly or indirectly.[[114]]
114 This is true only for the letters of this volume. Among the letters published in SAA 5 at least some can be dated to earlier years of Sargon's reign. The Urarṭian king Ursa, who died in 713 was still alive when SAA 5 162 and perhaps 31 were written; the appearance of the Assyrian king with his troops before Andia and Zikirtu as described in SAA 5 164 can be dated to the year 714 only (cf. TCL 3 lme 76); the mention of Azâ (SAA 5 216) and Aššur-le'i (SAA 5 218-219) even point to 716, Sargon's 6th year of reign (cf. Ann. 78ff).
Andreas Fuchs
Andreas Fuchs, 'An Attempt to Provide a Chronological Framework', The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part III: Letters from Babylonia and the Eastern Provinces, SAA 15. Original publication: Helsinki, Helsinki University Press, 2001; online contents: SAAo/SAA15 Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2021 [http://oracc.org/saao/saa15/anattempttoprovideachronologicalframework/]