Awan (Sumerian cuneiform: 𒀀𒉿𒀭𒆠 a-wa-anki, "Country of Awan") was an ancient city-state or region of Elam in the western area of modern-day Iran. It often appears together with the cities of Susa and Anshan in the early history of Mesopotamia, having many conflictual interactions with Sumer.[1]
𒀀𒉿𒀭𒆠 | |
  Shown within Near East  Awan (ancient city) (Iran) | |
| Location | Uncertain; somewhere in the Lorestan province of the Islamic Republic of Iran |
|---|---|
| Region | Western Iran |
| Coordinates | 33°29′13.6″N 48°21′13.7″E / 33.487111°N 48.353806°E |
| Type | City |
| History | |
| Founded | c. 2600 BC |
| Abandoned | c. 2015 BC |
| Periods | Early Dynastic I, II, and III, Akkadian, Ur III, Old Elamite I |
| Cultures | Elam |
| Associated with | Elamites |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | Lost city |
Location
editThe city of Awan still has not been located archaeologically. Given the 15th year name of Ibbi-Sin, the fifth and last ruler of the Ur III empire "The year Ibbi-Sîn, king of Ur, roared like a storm against Susa, Adamdun, (and) the land of Awan; made them submit in a single day; and took their lord(s) as bound captive(s)" Awan is thought to be close to Susa and Adamdun (thought to be Andimeshk).[2]
An inscription of Rimush (c. 2279–2270 BC) second ruler of the Akkadian Empire states that he fought a battle "between Awan and Susa" near the "Qablitum River" (Qablitum=Middle).[3]
"<Rimus, king of the world, in battle> was victorious over Abalgamas, king of Parahsum. Zahar, Elam, [G]upin, and [Me]luhha assembled in Pa[rah]sum for battle, but he, (Rimus) captured S[idga'u], general of [Parahsum] (and) [the king(?) of] Elam i[nbetwe]en (the cities of) [Aw]an and [Susa], by the '[Mid]dle Ri[ver]'. [Further], he [h]eaped up over [them] a [burial mo]und i[n] the [are]a of the city. In addition, he tore out the [fo]undation of Parahsum from the land of Elam and (thereby) Rimus, king of the world, rule[d] Elam .... "[4]
History
edit
A dynasty of Elamite rulers was named after the city, the Awan Dynasty. It was founded by a ruler named Peli, and is therefore sometimes called "the dynasty of Peli".[1] According to the Sumerian King List, Awan put an end to the First Dynasty of Ur circa 2450 BC, and three kings of Awan then ruled over the southern regions of Sumer. Unfortunately, the names of the three rulers are broken off in the text. The primary source of this information is a much later king list, recorded on an Old Babylonian period tablet. The tablet has two lists, twelve rulers of Awan and twelve of Šimaški.[5][6][7] Doubts have been raised about the list, especially the Awan section.[8][9] Only two of the rulers on the Awan list are known with certainty from contemporary records Luh-ishan and Puzur-Inshushinak, and a third Khita has been suggested but is not at all certain.[10]
On a monument recording one of his military campaigns, Sargon of Akkad (c. 2334–2279 BC), first ruler of the Akkadian Empire, lists captives and loot acquired including "booty of Awan".[4] An unknown king of Awan (sometimes speculated to be Khita) is recorded as having signed a peace treaty, in Old Elamite language written in an Old Akkadian ductus, with Naram-Sin (not deified in the text), stating: "The enemy of Naram-Sin is my enemy, the friend of Naram-Sin is my friend".[11][12][13] Old Elamite is poorly understood (all other texts being very short) as yet making interpretation of the text challenging. The text mentions about twenty gods, mostly Elamite but with a few Sumerian and Akkadian, including Inshushinak, Humban, Nahiti, Simut, and Pinikir. It has been suggested that the formal treaty allowed Naram-Sin to have peace on his eastern borders, so that he could deal more effectively with the threat from Gutium.[14][15]
Awan wrestled independence from the Akkadians during the reign of Shar-Kali-Sharri. But some time later, the Awan Dynasty ended with the defeat of its last king, Puzur-Inshushinak by Ur-Nammu (c. 2112–2094 BC), followed by the control of the Third Dynasty of Ur over the region.[1][10]
The last mention of Awan was during the reign of Ibbi-Sin (c. 2028–2004 BC), final ruler of the Ur III Empire, and then only as a geographical area.[16]
List of rulers
edit| Portrait or inscription | Ruler | Approx. date and length of reign (Middle Chronology) | Comments, notes, and references for mentions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Dynastic IIIa period (c. 2600 – c. 2500 BC) | |||
| Awanite dynasty of Sumer (c. 2600 – c. 2500 BC) | |||
| |||
|
Unknown | fl. c. 2600 BC |
|
|
...Lu | fl. c. 2580 BC |
|
|
Kur-Ishshak 𒆪𒌌 |
fl. c. 2550 BC (36 years) |
|
| |||
| Portrait or inscription | Ruler | Approx. date and length of reign (MC) | Comments, notes, and references for mentions |
| Early Dynastic IIIb period (c. 2500 – c. 2350 BC) | |||
| Dynasty of Peli (c. 2500 – c. 2015 BC) | |||
|
|
Peli or Feyli | reigned c. 2500 BC |
|
| Tata 𒋫𒀀𒅈 |
r. c. 2450 BC |
| |
| Ukku-Tanhish | r. c. 2400 BC |
| |
| Hishutash | fl. c. 2400 – c. 2350 BC |
| |
| Shushun-Tarana 𒋗𒋗𒌦𒋫𒊏𒈾 |
| ||
| Napi-Ilhush 𒈾𒉿𒅍𒄷𒄷 |
| ||
| Kikku-Siwe-Temti |
| ||
| Portrait or inscription | Ruler | Approx. date and length of reign (MC) | Comments, notes, and references for mentions |
| Proto-Imperial period (c. 2350 – c. 2334 BC) | |||
|
Luh-ishan 𒇻𒄴𒄭𒅖𒊮𒀭 |
d. c. 2325 BC | |
| Portrait or inscription | Ruler | Approx. date and length of reign (MC) | Comments, notes, and references for mentions |
| Akkadian period (c. 2334 – c. 2154 BC) | |||
| Sanam-Shimut | fl. c. 2325 BC |
| |
|
Hishep-Ratep I | fl. c. 2320 BC |
|
| Zinuba | fl. c. 2315 BC |
| |
| Helu | fl. c. 2300 BC |
| |
| Emahsini | fl. c. 2280 BC |
| |
|
Epirmupi 𒂊𒉆𒈬𒉈 |
fl. c. 2279 BC |
|
|
Enammuna | Uncertain |
|
| Autalummash | fl. c. 2270 BC |
| |
|
Eshpum 𒀹𒅗 |
fl. c. 2269 BC |
|
| Lamgium | Uncertain |
| |
| Uba | Uncertain |
| |
| Ur-Ili-Adad[18] | Uncertain |
| |
|
|
Khita 𒄭𒋫𒀀 |
fl. c. 2250 BC |
|
|
Ili-ishmani 𒉌𒉌𒅖𒈠𒉌[18] |
fl. c. 2200 BC |
|
|
Hita'a 𒄭𒋫𒀀 |
Uncertain |
|
| Shinpi-hish-huk[18] | Uncertain |
| |
| Portrait or inscription | Ruler | Approx. date and length of reign (MC) | Comments, notes, and references for mentions |
| Gutian period (c. 2154 – c. 2112 BC) | |||
|
Puzur-Inshushinak 𒅤𒊭𒀭𒈹𒂞 |
r. c. 2150 BC |
|
See also
editReferences
editNotes
editCitations
edit- ^ a b c Gershevitch, I. (1985). The Cambridge History of Iran. Cambridge University Press. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-521-20091-2.
- ^ Frayne, Douglas, "Ibbi-Sin", Ur III Period (2112-2004 BC), Toronto: University of Toronto Press, pp. 361-392, 1997
- ^ Laurito, Romina, and Mariapaola Pers, "Attestations of Canals in the Royal Sources from the Sumerian to the PaleoBabylonian Period", Egitto e Vicino Oriente, vol. 25, pp. 275–325, 2002
- ^ a b [1] Douglas R. Frayne, "Akkad", The Sargonic and Gutian Periods (2334–2113), University of Toronto Press, pp. 5-218, 1993 ISBN 0-8020-0593-4
- ^ Scheil, V., "Dynasties Élamites d’Awan et de Simaš’, Revue d’Assyriologie et d’archéologie orientale,28(1), pp. 1–8, 46, 1931
- ^ Gelb, I. J. and B. Kienast, "Die altakkadischen Königsinschriften des Dritten Jahrtausends v. Chr", (Freiburger altorientalische Studien, Bd. 7), Stuttgart: F. Steiner, 1990
- ^ Sallaberger, W. and I. Schrakamp, "Part I: Philological Data for a Historical Chronology of Mesopotamia in the 3rd Millennium", in W. Sallaberger and I. Schrakamp (eds), ARCANE (Associated Regional Chronologies for the Ancient Near East and the Eastern Mediterranean)III: History and Philology, Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 1–136, 2015
- ^ Glassner, J.-J., "Les dynasties d’Awan et de Shimashki", Nouvelles assyriologiques brèves et utilitaires, 34, 1996
- ^ Steinkeller, "New Light on Šimaški and Its Rulers", Zeitschrift fürAssyriologie, 97, pp. 215–32, 2007
- ^ a b [2]Pittman, Holly, "The “Jeweler’s” Seal from Susa and Art of Awan", Leaving No Stones Unturned: Essays on the Ancient Near East and Egypt in Honor of Donald P. Hansen, edited by Erica Ehrenberg, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 211-236, 2002
- ^ Hinz, Walther, "Elams Vertrag mit Narām-Sîn von Akkade", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 58, no. Jahresband, pp. 66-96, 1967
- ^ "Site officiel du musée du Louvre". cartelfr.louvre.fr.
- ^ Scheil, V, "Textes Élamites-Anzanites", MDP XI, 1911
- ^ Cameron, G.G., "History of Early Iran", Chicago/London: University of Chicago, 1936
- ^ Westenholz, Aage, Pascal Attinger, and Markus Wäfler, "The Old Akkadian Period: History and Culture", Mesopotamien. Annäherungen 3: Akkade-Zeit und Ur III-Zeit, pp. 17-117, 1999
- ^ Steinkeller, "The Birth of Elam in History", in J. Álvarez-Mon, G. P. Basello and Y. Wicks (eds), The Elamite World (Routledge Worlds), London: Routledge, pp. 177–202, 2018
- ^ Stolper 1987.
- ^ a b c Legrain 1922, pp. 10–22.
Bibliography
edit- Cameron, G. (1936). History of Early Iran (Thesis). United States: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780608165332.
- Daryaee, T. (2012). The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780190208820.
- Diakonoff, I. (1956). История Мидии От Древнейших Времен До Конца IV Века До Н.э. [The history of Media from ancient times to the end of the 4th century BCE] (in Russian). Moscow and Leningrad.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Edwards, I.; Gadd, C.; Hammond, N. (1970). "II". Early history of the Middle East. The Cambridge Ancient History. Vol. I (revised ed.). London; New York: CUP. ISBN 9780521070515.
- Gershevitch, I. (1968). The Median and Achaemenian periods. The Cambridge History of Iran. Vol. 2. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521200912.
- Hansen, D.; Ehrenberg, E. (2002). Leaving No Stones Unturned: Essays on the Ancient Near East and Egypt in Honor of Donald P. Hansen. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9781575060552.
- Hansman, J. (1985). "Anshan". Encyclopædia Iranica. 1. Vol. II. pp. 103–107.
- Hayes, W.; Rowton, M.; Stubbings, F. (1964). "VII". Chronology. The Cambridge Ancient History. Vol. I (Revised ed.). Bureau of Military History: CUP (published 1961).
- Hinz, W. (1972). Written at United Kingdom. The Lost World of Elam: Re-creation of a Vanished Civilization. Translated by Barnes, J. University of California: Sidgwick & Jackson. ISBN 9780283978630.
- Jacobsen, T. (1939). Sumerian King List (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Oriental Institute. ISBN 9780226622736.
- Kramer, S. (1963). The Sumerians: their history, culture, and character. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226452388. LCCN 63011398.
- Kriwaczek, P. (2010). Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization. Atlantic Books. ISBN 9781429941068.
- Legrain, L. (1922). Historical Fragments. Vol. XIII. United States: University of Pennsylvania Museum. ISBN 9780598776341.
- Leick, G. (2001). Who's Who in the Ancient Near East. Who's Who series. Psychology Press. ISBN 9780415132312.
- Liverani, M. (2013). The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy. Routledge. ISBN 9781134750849.
- Majidzadeh, Y. (1991). تاريخ و تمدن ايلام [History and civilization of Elam] (in Persian). Iran: University of Tehran Press.
- Majidzadeh, Y. (1997). تاريخ و تمدن بين النهرين [History and civilization of Mesopotamia] (in Persian). Vol. 1. Iran: University of Tehran Press. ISBN 9789640108413.
- Scheil, V. (1931). "Dynasties Élamites d'Awan et de Simaš". Revue d'Assyriologie et d'archéologie orientale. 28 (1). Presses Universitaires de France: 1–46. ISSN 0373-6032. JSTOR 23283945.
- Stolper, M. (1987). "AWAN". Encyclopædia Iranica. 2. Vol. III. pp. 113–114.
- Vallat, F. (1998). "ELAM i. The history of Elam". Encyclopædia Iranica. 3. Vol. VIII. pp. 301–313.