ESHNUNNA
Eshnunna
c. 3000 BC - c. 1700 BC :
![](eshnunna.png)
Location
of Eshnunna
Capital
: Eshnunna
Coordinates
: 33°29'3 N 44°43'42 E
Government
: Monarchy
•
c. 2000 BC : Urguedinna (first)
•
c. 1700 BC : Silli-Sin (last)
Historical
era : Bronze Age
•
Established : c. 3000 BC
•
Disestablished : c. 1700 BC
Preceded
by : Apum
Succeeded
by : First Babylonian dynasty
Today
part of : Iraq
Eshnunna
(modern Tell Asmar in Diyala Governorate, Iraq) was an ancient Sumerian
(and later Akkadian) city and city-state in central Mesopotamia.
Although situated in the Diyala Valley north-west of Sumer proper,
the city nonetheless belonged securely within the Sumerian cultural
milieu.
The
tutelary deity of the city was Tishpak (Tišpak).
History
:
![](448px-Mesopotamia_male_worshiper_2750-2600_B.C.jpg)
Sumerian
male worshiper, in alabaster with shell eyes. It is of the twelve
statues found in the Tell Asmar Hoard
![](Third_Mari.png)
Extent
of Eshnunna's influence c. 1764 BC (in light blue)
Occupied
since the Jemdet Nasr period around 3000 BCE, [clarification needed]
Eshnunna was a major city during the Early Dynastic period of Mesopotamia,
beginning with the rise of the Akkadian Empire. The first king of
the city was a governor under the Third dynasty of Ur named Ituria.
Ituria built a palace and a temple dedicated to Shu-Sin. The next
king was Shu-ija, who declared independence from Ur in 2026 BCE.
Shu-ija's successors used the title of governor, not king, as the
title of king of the city belonged to Tishpak, the city's god.
In
2010 BCE, King Nurahum I of Eshnunna and the city of Isin won a
battle against the city of Subartu. The following kings, named Kirikiri
and Bilalamaboth, had Elamite names, suggesting that Eshnunna retained
good relationships with the Elamites, although it seems unlikely
they were conquered by them. The city was later sacked, possibly
by Anum-Muttabbil of Der. As such, little is known about its next
kings. By 1870 BCE, Eshnunna was revived. This could have occurred
due to the decline of the cities of Isin and Larsa.
During
the years in between 1862 and 1818 BCE, King Ipiqadad II conquered
the cities of Nerebtum and Dur-Rimush. From 1830-1815 BCE, king
Naramsin expanded Eshnunna's territory to Babylon, Ekallatum, and
Ashur. In 1780 BCE the kingdom of Assyria, led by Shamshi-Adad I,
attacked Eshnunna and reconquered the cities of Nerebtum and Shaduppum.
These cities were later conquered by Eshnunna in 1776 BCE following
Shamshi-Adad's death. In 1764 BCE, King Silli-Sin formed a coalition
with Mari to attack Babylon, but this failed. Following Eshnunna's
capture by Babylon in 1762 BCE, the city suffered a great flood.
During 1741-1736 BCE Eshnunna's governor Anni sided with a king
of Larsa in a rebellion against Babylon. Anni was captured and executed
by the Babylonians, and the city itself was destroyed by Hammurabi.
Because
of its promise of control over lucrative trade routes, Eshnunna
could function somewhat as a gateway between Mesopotamian and Elamite
culture. The trade routes gave it access to many exotic, sought-after
goods such as horses from the north, copper, tin, and other metals
and precious stones. In a grave in Eshnunna, a pendant made of copal
from Zanzibar was found. A small number of seals and beads from
the Indus Valley Civilization were also found.
Archaeology
:
![](408px-Old-Babylonian_plaque_of_a_nude_female,_from_Tell_Asmar,_Iraq.jpg)
Old-Babylonian
plaque of a nude female, from Tell Asmar, Iraq
The remains of the ancient city are now preserved in the tell, or
archaeological settlement mound, of Tell Asmar, some 38 km northeast
of Baghdad and 15 km in a straight line east of Baqubah. It was
first located by Henri Pognon in 1892 but he neglected to report
the location before he died in 1921. It was refound and excavated
in six seasons between 1930 and 1936 by an Oriental Institute of
the University of Chicago team led by Henri Frankfort with Thorkild
Jacobsen and Seton Lloyd. The expedition's field secretary was Mary
Chubb.
Despite
the length of time since the excavations at Tell Asmar, the work
of examining and publishing the remaining finds from that dig continues
to this day. These finds include roughly 1,500 cuneiform tablets.
In
the late 1990s, Iraqi archaeologists worked at Tell Asmar. The results
from that excavation have not yet been published.
![](400px-Stele_of_Dadusha.jpg)
Stele
of Dadusha
Laws of Eshnunna :
The Laws of Eshnunna consist of two tablets, found at Shaduppum
(Tell Harmal) and a fragment found at Tell Haddad, the ancient Mê-Turan.
They were written sometime around the reign of king Dadusha of Eshnunna
and appear to not be official copies. When the actual laws were
composed is unknown. They are similar to the Code of Hammurabi.
Square
Temple of Abu :
![](640px-Head_of_a_statue_from_Tell_Asmar,_excavated_by_the_Oriental_Institute_in_1933._The_Sulaymaniyah_Museum.jpg)
Head
of a statue from Tell Asmar, excavated by the Oriental Institute
in 1933. The Sulaymaniyah Museum
During the Early Dynastic period, the Abu Temple at Tell Asmar (Eshnunna)
went through a number of phases. This included the Early Dynastic
Archaic Shrine, Square Temple, and Single-Shrine phases of construction.
They, along with sculpture found there, helped form the basis for
the three part archaeological separation of the Early Dynastic period
into ED I, ED II, and ED III for the ancient Near East. A cache
of 12 gypsum temple sculptures, in a geometric style, were found
in the Square Temple; these are known as the Tell Asmar Hoard. They
are some of the best known examples of ancient Near East sculpture.
The group, now split up, show gods, priests and donor worshippers
at different sizes, but all in the same highly simplified style.
All have greatly enlarged inlaid eyes, but the tallest figure, the
main cult image depicting the local god, has enormous eyes that
give it a "fierce power".
Rulers
:
Ruler |
Particulars |
Urguedinna |
Proposed
reign : ~ 2247 BC
Governor
under Shulgi of the Third Dynasty of Ur |
Kallamu |
Governor
under Shulgi of the Third Dynasty of Ur |
Ituria |
Governor
under Shu-Sin of the Third Dynasty of Ur |
Ilushuilia |
Governor
under Ibbi-Sin of the Third Dynasty of Ur |
Nurakhum |
Governor
under Ibbi-Sin of the Third Dynasty of Ur, Contemporary
of Ishbi-Erra of Isin |
Kirikiri |
--- |
Bilalama |
Contemporary
of Tan-Ruhuratir of Elam |
Isharramashu |
--- |
Usurawasu |
--- |
Ur-Ninmar |
--- |
Ur-Ningizzida |
--- |
Ipiq-Adad
I |
Contemporary
of Abdi-Erah of Tutub and Sumu-abum of Babylon |
Sarriia |
--- |
Warassa |
--- |
Belakum |
--- |
Ibal-pi-El
I |
--- |
Ipiq-Adad
II |
Proposed
reign : ~ 1700 BC
Reigned
at least 36 years |
Naram-Sin |
Son
of Ipiq-Adad II, Contemporary of Shamshi-Adad I |
Dannum-tahaz |
Approximate
position |
Dadusha |
Son
of Ipiq-Adad II, Contemporary of Shamshi-Adad I |
Ibal-pi-El
II |
Contemporary
of Zimri-Lim of Mari, Killed by Siwe-palar-huppak
of Elam who captured Eshnunna |
Silli-Sin |
--- |
|
Source
:
https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Eshnunna