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93-596: Ilku of Kish was the twentieth Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish, according to the Sumerian King List . His name does not appear in Early Dynastic inscriptions, meaning that he is unlikely to have been a real historical person. This Ancient Near East biographical article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Kish (Sumer) Kish was occupied from

186-501: A Japanese team from the Kokushikan University led by Hideo Fuji and Ken Matsumoto excavated at Tell Uhaimir in 1989–89, 2000, and 2001. The final season lasted only one week. Work was focused mainly on Tell A with some time spent at the plano-convex building. In February 2022 Iraqi archaeaologists conducted Ground Penetrating Radar and Electrical Resistivity scans of a test 30 meter by 30 meter section at Kish. In

279-519: A cemetery and an Early Dynastic III palace, was discovered during 1922–1925 excavations conducted by Ernest Mackay, under the Field Museum and Oxford University. Although it was earlier a part of the Ingharra mounds lying about 70 meters to the north, it is now separated by an alluvial valley. The seals and other artifacts found in the graves, dating back to a later age than the palace, show that

372-474: A clay sealing of Tar'am-Agade (Akkad loves <her>), a previously unknown daughter of Naram-Sin , who was possibly married to an unidentified local endan (ruler). So great was the Akkadian Empire, especially Sargon and Narim-Sin, that its history was passed down for millennia. This ranged on one end to purported copies of still existing Sargonic period inscriptions to literary tales made up from

465-572: A coalition army led by the King of Awan and forced the vanquished to become his vassals. Also shortly after, another revolt took place: the Subartu the upper country—in their turn attacked, but they submitted to his arms, and Sargon settled their habitations, and he smote them grievously. The Bible refers to the city of Akkad in the Book of Genesis , which states: " Cush [grandson of Noah ] became

558-686: A crew of 20 men for a number of months. Austen Henry Layard and also Julius Oppert dug some trenches there in the early 1852 though the finds were lost in the Qurnah Disaster . None of this early work was published. The name of the site as Kish was determined by George Smith in 1872 based on an inscribed brick of Adad-apla-iddina which had been discovered 60 years before. A French archaeological team under Henri de Genouillac excavated at Tell Uhaimir for three months in January 1912, finding some 1,400 Old Babylonian tablets which were distributed to

651-399: A highly placed family could achieve such a position. Originally a cupbearer ( Rabshakeh ) to a king of Kish with a Semitic name, Ur-Zababa , Sargon thus became a gardener, responsible for the task of clearing out irrigation canals. The royal cupbearer at this time was in fact a prominent political position, close to the king and with various high level responsibilities not suggested by

744-460: A king punishing a prisoner. In the 1923–1933 Expedition, Tell H became the focus of its final three seasons (1930–1933). For personal reasons of the excavators, the Kish material in this section remained selective, mainly yielding Sasanian pottery, coins, incantation bowls and so on. The dating of this section crossed a range of periods, with layer upon layer built on the site. Evidence shows that in

837-583: A sizeable town with a large mud-brick fortress. During the Sasanian period, the site of the old city was completely abandoned in favor of a string of connected settlements spread out along both sides of the Shatt en-Nil canal. This last incarnation of Kish prospered under Sasanian and then Islamic rule, before being finally abandoned during the later years of the Abbasid Caliphate (750–1258). Kish

930-598: A strong political and symbolic significance. Its influence reached as far west as the city of Ebla near the Mediterranean Sea , as shown by the Ebla tablets . According to the Ebla tablets , Kish was defeated in the time of Ebla ruler Ishar-Damu, probably by Uruk. Shortly afterward Kish joined Ebla in defeating Mari , followed by the marriage of the Eblan princess Keshdut to a king of Kish. Just as with Nippur to

1023-469: A transfer station between Ctesiphon and Hira, Bahram V built palaces for summer entertainment, which explains why one of the buildings has a huge water tank in the middle, probably functioning to cool down the court in summers. Around Bahram V's palaces, a group of Sasanian people also took residence and developed a system of settlement and commercial activities. The Sumerian King List (SKL) lists only 39 rulers among four dynasties of Kish. A fifth dynasty

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1116-524: Is actually a sentence in Akkadian meaning "All of them were lord". Thus, some scholars have suggested that this may have been intended to signify the absence of a central authority in Kish for a time. The names of the next nine kings of Kish preceding Etana are Nanĝišlišma, En-tarah-ana, Babum, Puannum, Kalibum, Kalumum, Zuqaqip, Aba, Mašda, and Arwium. Archaeological finds from the Uruk period indicate that

1209-670: Is clear, while noting that the Ur III version of the Sumerian King List inverts the order of Rimush and Manishtushu. The absolute dates of their reigns are approximate (as with all dates prior to the Late Bronze Age collapse c. 1200 BC). The Akkadian Empire takes its name from the region and the city of Akkad, both of which were localized in the general confluence area of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Although

1302-463: Is known and it was an Amorite dynasty unnamed on the SKL . The following list should not be considered complete: "After the flood had swept over, and the kingship had descended from heaven , the kingship was in Kish." "1,560 are the years of the dynasty of En-me-nuna." "1,525 are the years of the dynasty of En-me-barage-si. 23 kings; they ruled for 24,510 years, 3 months, and 3½ days. Then Kish

1395-547: Is located 12 km (7.5 mi) east of the ancient city of Babylon and 80 km (50 mi) south of modern Baghdad . The Kish archaeological site is an oval area roughly 8 by 3 km (5 by 2 mi), transected into east and west sections by the dry former bed of the Euphrates River , encompassing around 40 mounds scattered over an area of about 24 square kilometers, the largest being Uhaimir and Ingharra. After irregularly excavated tablets began appearing at

1488-446: Is the stucco decoration in the first two buildings, while the 1923–1933 team also figured out the floor plan and architectural structure of others. It was partly through these stucco decorations that researchers identified the royal resident to be Bahram V (420–438 AD)—Sasanian kings had their distinctive crowns separately, and the unique crown pattern on stucco served as evidence to support this argument. In Kish, which once functioned as

1581-504: Is the first name confirmed by archaeological finds from his reign. He is also known through other literary references, in which he and his son Aga of Kish are portrayed as contemporary rivals of Dumuzid, the Fisherman , and Gilgamesh , early rulers of Uruk . Some early kings of Kish are known through archaeology, but are not named on the SKL . It can be difficult to determine if these are actually rulers of Kish or had merely adopted

1674-441: Is the great city." Nimrod 's historical inspiration remains uncertain, but he has been identified with Sargon of Akkad by some scholars who also propose that the name of Sargon's grandson and successor Naram-Sin is the root of Nimrod's, while others have noted similarities between Nimrod and the legendary Gilgamesh , king of Uruk ( Erech ). Sargon had crushed opposition even at old age. These difficulties broke out again in

1767-460: Is thought to be Akkadian continues to be in use into the Ur III period . There is a similar issue with cuneiform tablets. In the early Akkadian Empire tablets and the signs on them are much like those from earlier periods, before developing into the much different Classical Sargonic style. With the capital, Akkad, still unlocated, archaeological remains of the empire are still to be found, mainly at

1860-466: The Amarna Period ) and Anatolia , to Persia ( Behistun ). The submission of some Sumerian rulers to the Akkadian Empire, is recorded in the seal inscriptions of Sumerian rulers such as Lugal-ushumgal , governor ( ensi ) of Lagash ("Shirpula"), circa 2230–2210 BC. Several inscriptions of Lugal-ushumgal are known, particularly seal impressions, which refer to him as governor of Lagash and at

1953-629: The Istanbul Archaeology Museum and the Louvre . He also excavated at a Neo-Babylonian monumental building on Tell Ingharra. At Tell Bander he uncovered Parthian materials. Later, a joint Field Museum and University of Oxford team under Stephen Langdon excavated from 1923 to 1933, with the recovered materials split between Chicago and the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford. Seventeen different mounds were excavated but

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2046-766: The Sumerian king Lugal-zage-si at the Battle of Uruk and conquered his former territory, establishing the Akkadian Empire. Sargon was claimed to be the son of a gardener in the Sumerian King List . Later legends named his father as La'ibum or Itti-Bel and his birth mother as a priestess (or possibly even a hierodule ) of Ishtar , the Akkadian equivalent of the Sumerian goddess Inanna . One legend of Sargon from Neo-Assyrian times quotes him as saying My mother

2139-524: The Ubaid period (c.5300–4300 BC), gaining prominence as one of the pre-eminent powers in the region during the Early Dynastic Period when it reached its maximum extent of 230 hectares. The Sumerian King List (SKL) states that Kish was the first city to have kings following the deluge. The 1st dynasty of Kish begins with Ĝushur . Ĝushur's successor is called Kullassina-bel , but this

2232-405: The 24th and 22nd centuries BC, following the conquests by its founder Sargon of Akkad . Under Sargon and his successors, the Akkadian language was briefly imposed on neighboring conquered states such as Elam and Gutium . Akkad is sometimes regarded as the first empire in history, though the meaning of this term is not precise, and there are earlier Sumerian claimants. Epigraphic sources from

2325-522: The Akkadian governor in Adab . Internal evidence allows their dating to the Sargonic period and sometimes to the original location. Archives are especially important to historians and only a few have become available. The Me-sag Archive, which commenced publication in 1958, is considered one of the most significant collections. The tablets, about 500 in number with about half published, are held primarily at

2418-594: The Akkadian period, the Akkadian language became the lingua franca of the Middle East, and was officially used for administration, although the Sumerian language remained as a spoken and literary language. The spread of Akkadian stretched from Syria to Elam, and even the Elamite language was temporarily written in Mesopotamian cuneiform . Akkadian texts later found their way to far-off places, from Egypt (in

2511-498: The Akkadian rulers have also been found. Most of the original examples are short, or very fragmentary like the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin and the Sargonic victory stele from Telloh. A few longer ones are known because of later copies made, often from the much later Old Babylonian period. While these are assumed to be mostly accurate, it is difficult to know if they had been edited to reflect current political conditions. One of

2604-637: The Babylonian Collection of the Yale University and Baghdad Museum with a few others scattered about. The tablets date to the period of late in the reign of Naram-Sin to early in the reign of Shar-kali-shari. They are believed to be from a town between Umma and Lagash and Me-sag to be the governor of Umma. An archive of 47 tablets was found at the excavation of Tell el-Suleimah in the Hamrin Basin. Various royal inscriptions by

2697-725: The Chicago expedition to Kish in 1923–1933, several other sections are included: This site consists of three subtells (T, X, and Z). Tell Z was the location of one of the main ziggurats and where temples had been built and rebuilt from the Old Babylonian to the Neo-Babylonian periods. At Tell X a 1st Millennium BC fort was uncovered and at Tell T some Old Babylonian structures were found. Between Uhaimir and Ingharra are three smaller tells and further east Tell W where Neo-Assyrian tablets as well as an entire Neo-Babylonian archive

2790-706: The Early Dynastic III Period, there once even existed a twin city. Therefore, the city occupies a relatively unsettled presence in chronology. But from the excavation, eight buildings were identified as from the Sasanian period, thus making this place primarily identified as the Sasanian Settlement. Researchers suspect that some of the buildings might function together as a complex serving different purposes, including royal residence, storage, and administration. The most prominent finding

2883-527: The PCB suffered significant destruction twice during the late ED III period. After its destruction, the PCB was abandoned. Located above later floors of the PCB were scattered burials during the Akkadian period. The Plano-convex building was a fortified construction built extensively with plano-convex bricks . It displayed the socio-economic dynamics at Kish during the ED III period. No characteristic linking

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2976-481: The Sargonic (Akkadian Empire) period are in relatively short supply, partly because the capital Akkad , like the capitals of the later Mitanni and Sealand , has not yet been located, though there has been much speculation. Some cuneiform tablets have been excavated at cities under Akkadian Empire control such as Eshnunna and Tell Agrab . Other tablets have become available on the antiquities market and are held in museums and private collections such as those from

3069-450: The Sumerian city-states, and maintained meticulous records of his destructions. Most of the major Sumerian cities were destroyed, and Sumerian human losses were enormous: Rimush's elder brother, Manishtushu (2269–2255 BC) succeeded him. The latter seems to have fought a sea battle against 32 kings who had gathered against him and took control over their pre- Arab country, consisting of modern-day United Arab Emirates and Oman . Despite

3162-720: The Sumerian deities, particularly Inanna ( Ishtar ), his patroness, and Zababa , the warrior god of Kish. He called himself "The anointed priest of Anu " and "the great ensi of Enlil " and his daughter, Enheduanna , was installed as priestess to Nanna at the temple in Ur . Troubles multiplied toward the end of his reign. A later Babylonian text states: In his old age, all the lands revolted against him, and they besieged him in Akkad (the city) [but] he went forth to battle and defeated them, he knocked them over and destroyed their vast army. It refers to his campaign in "Elam", where he defeated

3255-409: The annex, which was added later to the south of the building, had comparatively thinner walls. A 2.30 m wide passage was constructed within the outer wall of the original building to prevent invaders from entering the structure. The archaeological findings within the palace lack pottery items, the most remarkable among them was a fragment of slate and limestone inlay work, which represents the scene of

3348-414: The beginning of the twentieth century, François Thureau-Dangin identified the site as being Kish. Those tablets ended up in a variety of museums. Because of its close proximity to Babylon (of which early explorers believed it was part) the site was visited by a number of explorers and travelers in the 19th century, some involving excavation, most notably by the foreman of Hormuzd Rassam who dug there with

3441-471: The building to a religious construct. Instead, the Plano-convex building is recognized as a public building associated with the economical production of beer, textile and oil. The PCB might have also housed the administrative center powered by the elites. First recognized by Margueron, scholars have divided the building into four main sectors based on the architectural layout: Mound A, which includes

3534-525: The capital from Babylon to Dur-Kurigalzu and Kish was diminished. There is some evidence of Kassite activity in Kish. Afterward Kish appears to have significantly declined in importance, as it is only mentioned in a few documents from the later second millennium BC. During the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian periods, Kish is mentioned more frequently in texts. However, by this time, Kish proper (Tell al-Uhaymir) had been almost completely abandoned, and

3627-544: The cities where they established regional governors. An example is Adab where Naram-Sin established direct imperial control after Adab joined the "great revolt". After destroying the city of Mari the Akkadian Empire rebuilt it as an administrative center with an imperial governor. The city of Nuzi was established by the Akkadians and a number of economic and administrative texts were found there. Similarly, there are Marad , Nippur , Tutub and Ebla . Excavation at

3720-579: The city of Akkad ( / ˈ æ k æ d / ) and its surrounding region, the empire united Akkadian and Sumerian speakers under one rule and exercised significant influence across Mesopotamia, the Levant , and Anatolia , sending military expeditions as far south as Dilmun and Magan (modern United Arab Emirates , Saudi Arabia , Bahrain , Qatar and Oman ) in the Arabian Peninsula . The Akkadian Empire reached its political peak between

3813-429: The city of Akkad has not yet been identified on the ground, it is known from various textual sources. Among these is at least one text predating the reign of Sargon. Together with the fact that the name Akkad is of non- Akkadian origin, this suggests that the city of Akkad may have already been occupied in pre-Sargonic times. The earliest records in the Akkadian language date to the time of Sargon of Akkad, who defeated

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3906-651: The city wall. By this time, the eastern settlement at Hursagkalama had become viewed as a distinct city, and it was probably not included in the walled area. At some period or periods within the Old Babylonian period, Kish was under the control of a series of rulers generally called the Manana Dynasty . Most of what is known comes from two illicitly excavated archive thought to be from the town of Damrum, near Kish. These rulers include Iawian, Halium, Abdi-Erah, Manana, and four others. Several year names of Iawium are known including "Year Sumu-ditana died". Samsu-Ditana

3999-450: The common appellation "King of Kish". This includes Mesilim , who built temples in Adab and Lagash , where he seems to have exercised some control. Two other examples were the sleeve of an Early Dynatic II bronze sword found at Girsu which read "Lugal-namni[r]-sum (is) king of Kis" and a statue fragment found at Nippur which read "Enna-il, king of Kis". After its early supremacy, Kish declined economically and militarily, but retained

4092-518: The confiscation of the wealth of other peoples. In later Assyrian and Babylonian texts, the name Akkad , together with Sumer , appears as part of the royal title, as in the Sumerian LUGAL KI-EN-GI KI-URI or Akkadian Šar māt Šumeri u Akkadi , translating to "king of Sumer and Akkad". This title was assumed by the king who seized control of Nippur , the intellectual and religious center of southern Mesopotamia. During

4185-493: The contemporary excavation here, and the building remained partially uncovered. Revealed by its stratigraphy and pottery assemblage was the existence of three distinct architectural phases. The earliest archaeological occupation dates back to the ED II period. Above it, rested the massive ED III construction – the PCB. Multiple rooms in the PCB exhibited layers of ashes and charcoals with arrowheads and copper blades, attested that

4278-426: The drawer of water. Akki, the drawer of water, took me as his son and reared me. Akki the drawer of water, appointed me as his gardener. While I was gardener Ishtar granted me her love, and for four and (fifty?) ... years I exercised kingship. Later claims made on behalf of Sargon were that his mother was an " entu " priestess (high priestess). The claims might have been made to ensure a pedigree of nobility, since only

4371-416: The earlier opposing rulers with noble citizens of Akkad, his native city where loyalty was thus ensured. Trade extended from the silver mines of Anatolia to the lapis lazuli mines in modern Afghanistan , the cedars of Lebanon and the copper of Magan . This consolidation of the city-states of Sumer and Akkad reflected the growing economic and political power of Mesopotamia. The empire's breadbasket

4464-879: The fact that he protected the foundations of his city from danger, (the citizens of his city requested from Astar in Eanna, Enlil in Nippur, Dagan in Tuttul, Ninhursag in Kes, Ea in Eridu, Sin in Ur, Samas in Sippar, (and) Nergal in Kutha, that (Naram-Sin) be (made) the god of their city, and they built within Agade a temple (dedicated) to him. As for

4557-466: The father of Nimrod ; he was the first on earth to become a mighty warrior. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” The beginning of his kingdom was Babel , Erech , and Accad , all of them in the land of Shinar . From that land he went into Assyria , and built Nineveh , Rehoboth-ir , Calah , and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that

4650-595: The founder of the Akkadian Empire , came from the area near Kish, called Azupiranu according to a much later Neo-Assyrian text purporting to be an autobiography of Sargon. By the early part of the First Dynasty of Babylon Kish was under the control of Babylon with the tenth year name of ruler Sumu-abum (c. 1897–1883 BC) being "Year in which (Sumu-abum) made for Kish its city wall (reaching) heaven" (repeated in following year). Not long afterward, Kish

4743-511: The heros (Zababa), was built". At this point Kish came under the control of the city-state of Eshnunna under rulers Ipiq-Adad II and Naram-Sin . By the time of Babylon ruler Sin-Muballit (c. 1813–1792 BC), father of Hammurabi , Kish was firmly under the control of Babylon and would stay that way until the waning days of the First Dynasty of Babylon . The rulers of Babylon at its peak of power, Hammurabi and Samsu-iluna , are known to have done extensive construction at Kish, including rebuilding

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4836-487: The highways, the courier's boat no longer passed along the rivers. The Gutians drove the trusty (?) goats of Enlil out of their folds and compelled their herdsmen to follow them, they drove the cows out of their pens and compelled their cowherds to follow them. Prisoners manned the watch. Brigands occupied the highways. The doors of the city gates of the Land lay dislodged in mud, and all the foreign lands uttered bitter cries from

4929-684: The history of the Akkadian Empire. As an example, from one year-name, we know that the empire was in conflict with the Gutians long before its end. It attests the name of a Gutian ruler and marks the construction of two temples in Babylon as recognition of Akkadian victory. "In the year in which Szarkaliszarri laid the foundations of the temples of the goddess Annunitum and of the god Aba in Babylon and when he defeated Szarlak, king of Gutium" The final contemporary source are seals and their sealing dates. These are especially important here, as markers, with

5022-501: The larger ziggurat while there had been only one report on the smaller one by Mackay. Based on the findings from the larger ziggurat, it is suggested that the structures were built at the end of the Early Dynastic IIIa period to commemorate the city. The fascination of the ziggurats was interesting to the excavators as it was the only Early Dynastic structure that was not destroyed or obscured by later reconstructions, which

5115-598: The longer surviving examples is the Bassetki Statue , the copper base of a Narim-Sin statue: "Naram-Sin, the mighty, king of Agade, when the four quarters together revolted against him, through the love which the goddess Astar showed him, he was victorious in nine battles in one in 1 year, and the kings whom they (the rebels[?]) had raised (against him), he captured. In view of

5208-407: The main focus of the excavations was at Tell Ingharra and Tell Uhaimir. The actual excavations at Tell Uhaimir were led initially by E. MacKay and later by L. C. Watelin. Work on the faunal and flora remains was conducted by Henry Field . Even by the standards of the day, the documentation of this excavation (findspots provenance etc.), were sorely lacking. This was compounded by the death of

5301-576: The main roads. The chief threat seemed to be coming from the northern Zagros Mountains, the Lulubis and the Gutians. A campaign against the Lullubi led to the carving of the "Victory Stele of Naram-Suen", now in the Louvre . Hittite sources claim Naram-Sin of Akkad even ventured into Anatolia , battling the Hittite and Hurrian kings Pamba of Hatti , Zipani of Kanesh , and 15 others. The economy

5394-436: The modern site of Tell Brak has suggested that the Akkadians rebuilt a city ("Brak" or "Nagar") on this site, for use as an administrative center. The city included two large buildings including a complex with temple, offices, courtyard, and large ovens. The Akkadian period is generally dated to 2334–2154 BC (according to the middle chronology ). The short-chronology dates of 2270–2083 BC are now considered less likely. It

5487-434: The mountains those who do not resemble other people, who are not reckoned as part of the Land, the Gutians, an unbridled people, with human intelligence but canine instincts and monkeys' features. Like small birds they swooped on the ground in great flocks. Because of Enlil, they stretched their arms out across the plain like a net for animals. Nothing escaped their clutches, no one left their grasp. Messengers no longer traveled

5580-433: The one who removes this inscription, may the gods Samas, Astar, Nergal, the bailiff of the king, namely all those gods (mentioned above) tear out his foundations and destroy his progeny." A number of fragments of royal statues of Manishtushu all bearing portions of a "standard inscription". Aside from a few minor short inscriptions this is the only known contemporary source for this ruler. An excerpt: "Man-istusu, king of

5673-426: The presumed 40 Sargon year-names are known, 1 (presumed 9) of Rimush, 20 (presumed 56) of Naram-Sin, and 18 (presumed 18) of Shar-kali-shari. Recently, a single year-name had been found "In the year that Dūr-Maništusu was established.” There are also, perhaps, a dozen more known, which cannot be firmly linked to a ruler. Especially with the paucity of other inscriptions, year-names are extremely important in determining

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5766-696: The previous religious belief that kings were only representatives of the people towards the gods. He also faced revolts at the start of his reign, but quickly crushed them. Naram-Sin also recorded the Akkadian conquest of Ebla as well as Armanum and its king. To better police Syria, he built a royal residence at Tell Brak, a crossroads at the heart of the Khabur River basin of the Jezirah . Naram-Sin campaigned against Magan which also revolted; Naram-Sin "marched against Magan and personally caught Mandannu, its king", where he instated garrisons to protect

5859-456: The principals within a few years and the beginning of World War II. In recent decades there has been a major effort to recreate the data from all the old field notes and finds. A bone awl from Phase 2 in the YWN area, the transition between Early Dynastic and Akkadian periods, was accelerator radiocarbon dated to 2471–2299 BC (3905 ± 27 C14 years BP). A surface survey of Kish and the area around it

5952-410: The quay of Agade" Before the Akkadian Empire, calendar years were marked by Regnal Numbers. During Sargonic times, a system of year-names was used. This practice continued until the end of the Old Babylonian period, for example, "Year in which the divine Hammu[rabi] the king Esznunna destroyed by a flood.” Afterwards, Regnal Numbers were used by all succeeding kingdoms. During the Akkadian Empire 3 of

6045-408: The reign of Akshak was abolished and the kingship was taken to Kish." "8 kings; they ruled for 485 years. Then the reign of Kish was abolished and the kingship was returned a third time to Uruk ." Akkadian Empire The Akkadian Empire ( / ə ˈ k eɪ d i ən / ) was the first known ancient empire of Mesopotamia , succeeding the long-lived civilization of Sumer . Centered on

6138-454: The reign of his sons, where revolts broke out during the nine-year reign of Rimush (2278–2270 BC), who fought hard to retain the empire, and was successful until he was assassinated by some of his own courtiers. According to his inscriptions, he faced widespread revolts, and had to reconquer the cities of Ur , Umma , Adab , Lagash , Der , and Kazallu from rebellious ensis : Rimush introduced mass slaughter and large scale destruction of

6231-449: The roughly 130 meter square Neo-Babylonian temple, built on an Early Dynastic plano-copnvex platform, was one of the two buildings that was properly described in a published report. The twin ziggurats were built of small plano-convex bricks in a herringbone fashion on the summit of Tell Ingharra. The larger one is located on the south-west side of the temple and the smaller one on the south-east side. The excavation report mainly focused on

6324-536: The settlement which texts from this period call "Kish" was probably Hursagkalama (Tell Ingharra). After the Achaemenid period, Kish completely disappears from the historical record; however, archaeological evidence indicates that the town remained in existence for a long time thereafter. Although the site at Tell al-Uhaymir was mostly abandoned, Tell Ingharra was revived during the Parthian period, growing into

6417-517: The shortage of other Akkadian Empire epigraphics and very useful to historians. As an example, two seals and one sealing were found in the Royal Cemetery at Ur which contained the name of Sargons's daughter En-hedu-ana. This provided confirmation of her existence. The seals read "En-hedu-ana, daughter of Sargon: Ilum-pal[il] (is) her coiffeur" and "Adda, estate supervisor/majordomo of En-hedu-ana". At Tell Mozan (ancient Urkesh) brought to light

6510-514: The site was part of the Uruk Expansion and hence originally Sumerian language speaking. Ignace Gelb identified Kish as the center of the earliest East Semitic culture which he calls the Kish civilization , however the concept has been challenged by more recent scholarship. Of the twenty-first king of Kish on the list, Enmebaragesi , who is said to have captured the weapons of Elam ,

6603-548: The site was used as a cemetery from the end of the Early Dynastic period until the early Akkadian Empire period. The palace, which was unearthed beneath the mound, had fallen into decay and was used as a burial ground during Early Dynastic III. It comprises three sections – the original building, the eastern wing and stairway, and the annex. The original building, which was composed of unbaked plano-convex bricks (23 × 15 × 3.5–6 cm), had extremely thick walls, while

6696-416: The south, control of Kish was a prime element in legitimizing dominance over the north of Mesopotamia. Because of the city's symbolic value, strong rulers later claimed the traditional title " King of Kish ", even if they were from Akkad , Ur , Assyria , Isin , Larsa or Babylon . One of the earliest to adopt this title upon subjecting Kish to his empire was King Mesannepada of Ur. Sargon of Akkad ,

6789-501: The success, like his brother he seems to have been assassinated in a palace conspiracy. Manishtushu's son and successor, Naram-Sin (2254–2218 BC), due to vast military conquests, assumed the imperial title "King Naram-Sin, king of the four-quarters " ( Lugal Naram-Sîn, Šar kibrat 'arbaim ), the four-quarters as a reference to the entire world. He was also for the first time in Sumerian culture, addressed as "the god (Sumerian = DINGIR, Akkadian = ilu ) of Agade" (Akkad), in opposition to

6882-559: The surrounding regions to create an empire that reached westward as far as the Mediterranean Sea and perhaps Cyprus ( Kaptara ); northward as far as the mountains (a later Hittite text asserts he fought the Hattian king Nurdaggal of Burushanda , well into Anatolia ); eastward over Elam ; and as far south as Magan ( Oman ) — a region over which he reigned for purportedly 56 years, though only four "year-names" survive. He consolidated his dominion over his territories by replacing

6975-524: The temple. An Early Dynastic I/IIIa cemetery extended to the south towards Mound A with a number of high status graves containing multiple burials and carts drawn by equids or bovids and are considered as predecessors to the royal burials at Ur. This area, north of tell W, was unearthed during the second excavation season (1923–1924) led by Mackay, which uncovered the 'Plano-convex building' (PCB). But outstanding discoveries in Palace A rapidly overshadowed

7068-444: The time a vassal ( 𒀵 , arad , "servant" or "slave") of Naram-Sin, as well as his successor Shar-kali-sharri . One of these seals proclaims: “Naram-Sin, the mighty God of Agade, king of the four corners of the world, Lugal-ushumgal, the scribe, ensi of Lagash , is thy servant.” It can be considered that Lugal-ushumgal was a collaborator of the Akkadian Empire, as was Meskigal , ruler of Adab . Later however, Lugal-ushumgal

7161-472: The title of the position itself. This gave him access to a disciplined corps of workers, who also may have served as his first soldiers. Displacing Ur-Zababa, Sargon was crowned king, and he entered upon a career of foreign conquest. Four times he invaded Syria and Canaan , and he spent three years thoroughly subduing the countries of "the west" to unite them with Mesopotamia "into a single empire". However, Sargon took this process further, conquering many of

7254-556: The walls of their cities ..." There were a number of these, passed down as part of scribel tradition including The Birth Legend of Sargon (Neo-Assyrian), Weidner Chronicle, and the Geographical Treatise on Sargon of Akkad's Empire. Identifying architectural remains is hindered by the fact that there are sometimes no clear distinctions between features thought to stem from the preceding Early Dynastic period , and those thought to be Akkadian. Likewise, material that

7347-474: The whole cloth at the other. A few examples: "... By the verdict of the goddess Astar-Annunltum, Naram-Sin, the mighty, [was vic]torious over the Kisite in battle at TiWA. [Further], Ili-resi, the general; Ilum-muda, Ibbi-Zababa, Imtalik, (and) Puzur-Asar, captains of Kis; and Puzur-Ningal, governor of TiWA; Ili-re'a, his captain; Kullizum, captain of Eres; Edam'u, captain of Kutha ..." "...Enlil brought out of

7440-618: The world: when he conquered Ansan and Sirihum, had ... ships cross the Lower Sea. The cities across the Sea, thirty-two (in number), assembled for battle, but he was victorious (over them). Further, he conquered their cities, [st]ru[c]k down their rulers and aft[er] he [roused them (his troops)], plundered as far as the Silver Mines. He quarried the black stone of the mountains across the Lower Sea, loaded (it) on ships, and moored (the ships) at

7533-455: The years of the campaigns against Canaan and against Sarlak , king of Gutium . He also boasted of having subjugated the "four-quarters" — the lands surrounding Akkad to the north, the south (Sumer), the east (Elam), and the west ( Martu ). Some of the earliest historiographic texts ( ABC 19, 20 ) suggest he rebuilt the city of Babylon ( Bab-ilu ) in its new location near Akkad. Sargon, throughout his long life, showed special deference to

7626-462: Was a changeling , my father I knew not. The brothers of my father loved the hills. My city is Azurpiranu (the wilderness herb fields), which is situated on the banks of the Euphrates. My changeling mother conceived me, in secret she bore me. She set me in a basket of rushes, with bitumen she sealed my lid. She cast me into the river which rose not over me. The river bore me up and carried me to Akki,

7719-670: Was a revival mostly centered around Uhaimir. The later half of the 2nd millennium BC showed light occupation, all on Mound W. In the Neo-Babylonian period the rivercourse shifted from north to west, with Uhaimir having a large temple with associated fort, a major temple on Ingharra, and a major town on Mound W. The Achaemenid/Seleucid settlement was limited to the western end of Uhaimir. The Parthian and Sassanian periods showed light occupation, except for Tell Bandar. As part of this survey soundings were made at Umm-el-Jir (the site named Umm el-Jerab that Oriental Institute had found Old Akkadian tablets in 1932) 27 kilometers from Kish. More recently,

7812-553: Was conducted in 1966–1967. It showed that there were villages at Uhaimir and Ingharra in the Ubaid and Protoliterate periods. These expanded into two cites in ED I and reached a peak in Ed III with Ingharra becoming the larger city at that time. The site was lightly occupied in the Akkadian period with modest towns on Ingharra and Mound W. During Ur III, Isin-Larsa, and Old Babylonian times there

7905-469: Was conquered by Sumuel of Larsa as reflected in his eleventh year name "Year the army of Kisz was smitten by weapons", repeated in the following three year names. In the 13th year of Sumu-la-El he reports destroying Kish (repeated in following four years) and then destroying the city wall of Kish in his 19th year and in his 30th year "Year the temple of Zababa, the Emeteursag / the house, ornament of

7998-408: Was defeated and the kingship was taken to Eanna ( Uruk )." "Then Awan was defeated and the kingship was taken to Kish." "8 kings; they ruled for 3,195 years. Then Kish was defeated and the kingship was taken to Hamazi ." "Then Mari was defeated and the kingship was taken to Kish." "1 king; she ruled for 100 years. Then Kish was defeated and the kingship was taken to Akshak ." "Then

8091-458: Was found consisting of about 1000 tablets. Located in the eastern side of the ancient Kish, Tell Ingharra was extensively explored during the Chicago excavation and provided the best known archaeological sequence in the 3rd millennium BC site. The site consists of several subtells (A, B, D, E, F, G, H, and Tell Bandar which is made up of Tells C and V). In particular, the 1923 excavation concentrated heavily on mound E with its twin ziggurats, while

8184-410: Was highly planned. Grain was cleaned, and rations of grain and oil were distributed in standardized vessels made by the city's potters. Taxes were paid in produce and labour on public walls, including city walls, temples, irrigation canals and waterways, producing huge agricultural surpluses. This newfound Akkadian wealth may have been based upon benign climatic conditions, huge agricultural surpluses and

8277-807: Was preceded by the Early Dynastic Period of Mesopotamia (ED) and succeeded by the Ur III Period , although both transitions are blurry. For example, it is likely that the rise of Sargon of Akkad coincided with the late ED Period and that the final Akkadian kings ruled simultaneously with the Gutian kings alongside rulers at the city-states of both Uruk and Lagash . The Akkadian Period is contemporary with EB IV (in Israel ), EB IVA and EJ IV (in Syria), and EB IIIB (in Turkey ). The relative order of Akkadian kings

8370-507: Was succeeded by Puzer-Mama who, as Akkadian power waned, achieved independence from Shar-Kali-Sharri , assuming the title of "King of Lagash" and starting the illustrious Second Dynasty of Lagash. The empire of Akkad likely fell in the 22nd century BC, within 180 years of its founding, ushering in a " Dark Age " with no prominent imperial authority until the Third Dynasty of Ur . The region's political structure may have reverted to

8463-420: Was the last ruler of the First Dynasty of Babylon. One ruler, Ashduniarim is known from a long inscription on a clay foundation cone found at Kish. "Ašdũni-iarīm, the mighty man, beloved of Ištar, favored by Zababa, king of Kiš, when the world quarters four became hostile to me, for eight years battle I waged, and in the eighth year my opponent to clay indeed turned. ... " The succeeding Kassite dynasty moved

8556-552: Was the rain-fed agricultural system and a chain of fortresses was built to control the imperial wheat production. Images of Sargon were erected on the shores of the Mediterranean, in token of his victories, and cities and palaces were built at home with the spoils of the conquered lands. Elam and the northern part of Mesopotamia were also subjugated, and rebellions in Sumer were put down. Contract tablets have been found dated in

8649-400: Was why it provided valuable evidence of that time period. As for the temple complex, the findings of the temple had determined that the mound was part of the city of Hursagkalama. It was used as an active religious centre until after 482 BC. They also had identified the builder as Nabonidus or Nebuchadnezzar II based on the bricks with inscriptions and barrel cylinder fragments reported in

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