LARSA
![](larsa.jpg)
Larsa
shown within Near East
![](400px-Worshipper_Larsa_Louvre_AO15704.jpg)
The
Worshipper of Larsa, a votive statuette dedicated to the god Amurru
for Hammurabi's life, early 2nd millennium BC, Louvre
Location
: Ishan
al-Bahriyat, Al-Qadisiyyah Governorate, Iraq
Region
: Mesopotamia
Coordinates
: 31°17'9
N 45°51'13 E
Type
:
Settlement
Larsa
(Sumerian logogram: UD.UNUGKI, read Larsamki) was an important city
state of ancient Sumer, the center of the cult of the sun god Utu.
It lies some 25 km (16 mi) southeast of Uruk in Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate,
near the east bank of the Shatt-en-Nil canal at the site of the
modern settlement Tell as-Senkereh or Sankarah.
History
:
The historical "Larsa" was already in existence as early
as the reign of Eannatum of Lagash (reigned circa 2500–2400
BCE), who annexed it to his empire.
The
city became a political force during the Isin-Larsa period. After
the Third Dynasty of Ur collapsed c. 2000 BC, Ishbi-Erra, an official
of Ibbi-Sin, the last king of the Ur III Dynasty, relocated to Isin
and set up a government which purported to be the successor to the
Ur III dynasty. From there, Ishbi-Erra recaptured Ur as well as
the cities of Uruk and Lagash, which Larsa was subject to. Subsequent
Isin rulers appointed governors to rule over Larsa; one such governor
was an Amorite named Gungunum. He eventually broke with Isin and
established an independent dynasty in Larsa. To legitimize his rule
and deliver a blow to Isin, Gungunum captured the city of Ur. As
the region of Larsa was the main center of trade via the Persian
Gulf, Isin lost an enormously profitable trade route, as well as
a city with much cultic significance.
Gungunum's
two successors, Abisare (c. 1841–1830 BC) and Sumuel (c. 1830–1801
BC), both took steps to cut Isin completely off from access to canals.
Isin quickly lost political and economic force.
Larsa
grew powerful, but never accumulated a large territory. At its peak
under king Rim-Sin I (c. 1758–1699 BC), Larsa controlled only
about 10-15 other city-states — nowhere near the territory
controlled by other dynasties in Mesopotamian history. Nevertheless,
huge building projects and agricultural undertakings can be detected
archaeologically. After the defeat of Rim-Sin I by Hammurabi of
Babylon, Larsa became a minor site, though it has been suggested
that it was the home of the First Sealand Dynasty of Babylon.
Larsa
is thought to be the source of a number of tablets involving Babylonian
mathematics, including the Plimpton 322 tablet that contains patterns
of Pythagorean triples.
![](640px-Hammurabi%27s_Babylonia_1.svg.png)
Mesopotamia
in the time of Hammurabi
Kings
of Larsa :
Ruler |
Particulars |
Naplanum |
Reigned
(short chronology) : c. 1961–1940 BC
Comments
:
Contemporary
of Ibbi-Suen of Ur III |
Emisum |
Reigned
(short chronology) : c. 1940–1912 BC |
Samium |
Reigned
(short chronology) : c. 1912–1877 BC |
Zabaia |
Reigned
(short chronology) : c. 1877–1868 BC
Comments
:
Son
of Samium, First royal inscription |
Gungunum |
Reigned
(short chronology) : c. 1868–1841 BC
Comments
:
Gained
independence from Lipit-Eshtar of Isin |
Abisare |
Reigned
(short chronology) : c. 1841–1830 BC |
Sumuel |
Reigned
(short chronology) : c. 1830–1801 BC |
Nur-Adad |
Reigned
(short chronology) : c. 1801–1785 BC
Comments
:
Contemporary
of Sumu-la-El of Babylon |
Sin-Iddinam |
Reigned
(short chronology) : c. 1785–1778 BC
Comments
:
Son
of Nur-Adad |
Sin-Eribam |
Reigned
(short chronology) : c. 1778–1776 BC |
Sin-Iqisham |
Reigned
(short chronology) : c. 1776–1771 BC
Comments
:
Contemporary
of Zambiya of Isin, Son of Sin-Eribam |
Silli-Adad |
Reigned
(short chronology) : c. 1771–1770 BC |
Warad-Sin |
Reigned
(short chronology) : c. 1770–1758 BC
Comments
:
Possible
co-regency with Kudur-Mabuk his father |
Rim-Sin
I |
Reigned
(short chronology) : c. 1758–1699 BC
Comments
:
Contemporary
of Irdanene of Uruk, Defeated by Hammurabi of Babylon, Brother
of Warad-Sin |
Hammurabi
of Babylon |
Reigned
(short chronology) : c. 1699–1686 BC
Comments
:
Official
Babylonian rule |
Samsu-iluna
of Babylon |
Reigned
(short chronology) : c. 1686–1678 BC
Comments
:
Official
Babylonian rule |
Rim-Sin
II |
Reigned
(short chronology) : c. 1678–1674 BC
Comments
:
Killed
in revolt against Babylon |
Archaeology
:
The
remains of Larsa cover an oval about 4.5 mi (7.2 km) in circumference.
The highest point is around 70 ft (21 m) in height.
The
site of Tell es-Senkereh, then known as Sinkara, was first excavated
by William Loftus in 1850 for less than a month. In those early
days of archaeology, the effort was more focused on obtaining museum
specimens than scientific data and niceties like site drawings and
findspots were not yet in common usage. Loftus recovered building
bricks of Nebuchadnezzar II of the Neo-Babylonian Empire which enabled
the site's identification as the ancient city of Larsa. Much of
the effort by Loftus was on the temple of Shamash, rebuilt by Nebuchadnezzar
II. Inscriptions of Burna-Buriash II of the Kassite dynasty of Babylon
and Hammurabi of the First Babylonian dynasty were also found. Larsa
was also briefly worked by Walter Andrae in 1903. The site was inspected
by Edgar James Banks in 1905. He found that widespread looting by
the local population was occurring there.
The
first modern, scientific, excavation of Senkereh occurred in 1933,
with the work of André Parrot. Parrot worked at the location
again in 1967. In 1969 and 1970, Larsa was excavated by Jean-Claude
Margueron. Between 1976 and 1991, an expedition of the Delegation
Archaeologic Francaise en Irak led by J-L. Huot excavated at Tell
es-Senereh for 13 seasons. In 2019 excavations were resumed.
![](335px-Kings_Larsa_Louvre_AO7025.jpg)
List
of the kings of Larsa, 39th year of Hammurabi's reign, Louvre
![](527px-Compilation_of_plane_geometry_problems_from_Larsa.jpg)
Compilation
of plane geometry problems from Larsa, Old Babylonian period
Detail
of a terracotta cylinder of Nabonidus, recording the restoration
work on the temple of Shamash at Larsa. 555 - 539 BCE. Probably
from Larsa, Iraq, housed in the British Museum
Source
:
https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Larsa