#choghazanbil

Choga Zanbil: El «montículo en forma de canasta» de los dioses

Choga Zanbil es un complejo de templos elamitas situado en la actual provincia de Juzestán. El significado literal del término es «montículo en forma de canasta», aunque también se conoce como Dur-Untash, «Fortaleza» o «Ciudad» o «Poblado de Untash», como Tchogha Zanbil, y como Al Untash Napirisha, «Lugar de Untash Napirisha». En Choga Zanbil se encuentra el mayor y mejor preservado zigurat del mundo ubicado fuera de Mesopotamia.

Diez datos del antiguo Elam que deberías conocer

Elam, ubicada en la región de las actuales provincias de Ilam y Juzestán en Irán, fue una de las civilizaciones más impresionantes del mundo antiguo. Nunca fue un reino ni un sistema político étnico cohesionado, sino una federación de diferentes tribus gobernadas en diversas épocas por ciudades como Susa, Anshan y Shimashki, hasta que se unificó brevemente como imperio durante el período elamita medio.

Chogha Zanbil: Le "monticule-panier" des dieux

Chogha Zanbil (littéralement "monticule-panier") est un ancien complexe de temples élamites situé dans la province actuelle du Khouzistan, en Iran. Il est également connu sous les noms de Dur-Untash (forteresse/ville/bourg d'Untash), Tchogha Zanbil et Al Untash Napirisha ("lieu d'Untash Napirisha") et abrite la plus grande ziggourat au monde en dehors de la Mésopotamie, qui est également la mieux conservée.

Elam: La región alta de la Antigüedad

Elam era una región del Cercano Oriente que correspondía a las actuales provincias de Ilam y Juzestán, en el sur de Irán (aunque también incluía parte del actual sur de Irak), cuya civilización se extendió miles de años, alrededor de 3200 a.C. hasta aproximadamente 539 a.C.

Dix choses à savoir sur l'Élam ancien

L'Élam, situé dans la région des provinces actuelles de l'Ilam et du Khouzistan en Iran, était l'une des civilisations les plus impressionnantes du monde antique. Il n'a jamais constitué un royaume ou une entité ethnique cohérente, mais plutôt une fédération de différentes tribus gouvernées à diverses époques par des villes telles que Suse, Anshan et Shimashki, jusqu'à ce qu'il ne soit brièvement unifié au cours de la période médio-élamite, sous la forme d'un empire.

Chogha Zanbil: The "Basket Mound" of the Gods

Chogha Zanbil (literally "basket mound") is an ancient Elamite temple complex located in the modern-day province of Khuzestan, Iran. It is also known as Dur-Untash (Fortress/City/Town of Untash), Tchogha Zanbil, and Al Untash Napirisha ("Place of Untash Napirisha") and features the largest ziggurat in the world outside of Mesopotamia and the best preserved.

It was built circa 1250 BCE during the Middle Elamite Period (circa 1500 to circa 1100 BCE) by the Elamite king Untash-Napirisha (reign circa 1275-1240 BCE) and dedicated to the Elamite gods Insushinak and Napirisha but also included shrines to other gods, many of Mesopotamian origin, in order to provide the diverse population of Elam with an all-inclusive center of worship.

Untash-Napirisha originally dedicated the site solely to Insushinak, the patron deity of nearby Susa, and it is thought he intended to draw attention away from Susa as one of the royal cities of Elam and establish his new city as a capital. He changed his mind, however, possibly after considering the wide array of religious traditions and diverse gods followed by the people of Elam, had the original ziggurat dedicated to Insushinak torn down, and built a much grander complex with a larger ziggurat, temples, and shrines, and housing for priests all enclosed behind three massive concentric walls.

The temple complex was never used, however, as it was incomplete at the time of the king's death and abandoned sometime afterwards. Archaeological finds at the site give evidence that it continued as a pilgrimage site up through 1000 BCE, but the complex was never completed, as is made clear by mud bricks still stacked for use in construction and unfinished temples at the site.

The complex was sacked by the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (reign 668-627 BCE) when he invaded Elam in 647-646 BCE, but, contrary to his boasts and the claims of later historians, he did not destroy the site. After circa 1000 BCE, Chogha Zanbil was forgotten until it was rediscovered in 1935. To fully appreciate the significance of the site, one must understand the culture of Elam, which produced it.

Elam

Elam was a region with a diverse population, who were most likely indigenous, stretching from the Zagros Mountains in the north across the Iranian Plateau southwards, corresponding roughly to the modern-day provinces of Ilam and Khuzestan in southern Iran and part of southern Iraq. It was never a cohesive polity except for the brief period of the Elamite Empire founded in the Middle Elamite Period by King Shutruk-Nakhkunte (reign 1184-1155 BCE), who chose the city of Susa as his capital.

Aside from the period of the empire (which did not last long beyond the reign of Shutruk-Nakhkunte's youngest son), the region was a federation of tribes ruled, at different times and with varying authority, by the cities of Awan/Anshan, Shimashki, and Susa. The history of the region is divided by modern-day scholars into four periods:

Proto-Elamite Period (c. 3200 to c. 2700 BCE)

Old Elamite Period (c. 2700 to c. 1600 BCE)

Middle Elamite Period (c. 1500 to c. 1100 BCE)

Neo-Elamite Period (c. 1100 to c. 539 BCE)

Of these four, the Middle Elamite Period is the best documented. Elamite is a language isolate, meaning it corresponds to no other known language, and Elamite script, in use throughout the Proto-Elamite Period, has remained a mystery until 2017-2020, when it was finally deciphered. After 2700 BCE, and closer contact with the Mesopotamian city-states of Sumer, the Elamites adopted cuneiform script for their language but, before this, used Elamite script and, since this has long gone undeciphered, the early history was unknown. Now, with the decipherment of the Elamite script, more of their history will no doubt come to light. Even so, their cuneiform inscriptions and documents (found primarily at Susa) are incomplete, and so a large swath of Elamite history has only been known from Sumerian, Akkadian, and Assyrian records, which often give brief descriptions without elaboration. Perhaps records that were kept in Elamite script will give more in-depth information but this is not yet known.

During the Old Elamite Period, the region was conquered by the Sumerian king Enemebaragesi of Kish in 2700 BCE, in the first recorded war in history, which introduced cuneiform to Elam. The Akkadians under Sargon of Akkad (reigned 2334-2279 BCE) next took Elam and held it until the Akkadian Empire fell to the invading Gutians, who were driven out by the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu (rreigned 2047-2030 BCE) and his son Shulgi of Ur (reigned 2029-1982 BCE), who then established Sumerian rule in Elam.

It was not until nearly the end of this period that the Elamite kings were able to assert their autonomy, defeat the Sumerians, and establish themselves as a significant power in the region. The kings of the Sukkalmah Dynasty of Elam (circa 1970 to circa 1770 BCE) provided the stability that would allow the rulers of the next period to concentrate more on domestic policies and building projects than defense of their homeland from invasion.

Read More

Ten Ancient Elam Facts You Need to Know

Elam, located in the region of the modern-day provinces of Ilam and Khuzestan in Iran, was one of the most impressive civilizations of the ancient world. It was never a cohesive ethnic kingdom or polity but rather a federation of different tribes governed at various times by cities such as Susa, Anshan, and Shimashki until it was united during the Middle Elamite Period, briefly, as an empire.

The name Elam was given to the region by others – the Akkadians and Sumerians of Mesopotamia – and is thought to be their version of what the Elamites called themselves – Haltami (or Haltamti) – meaning "those of the high country." 'Elam', therefore, is usually translated to mean "highlands" or "high country," as it was comprised of settlements on the Iranian Plateau which stretched from the southern plains to the elevations of the Zagros Mountains. The Bible's claim from Genesis 10:22 that the land was named for Elam, son of Shem, son of Noah, has no support outside of the biblical narrative.

The Elamites were most likely the indigenous people of the region whose civilization began to develop about the same time as the Mesopotamian Ubaid Period (circa 5000-4100 BCE). They had built Susa, one of the oldest cities in the world, and developed a script by c. 3200 BCE, toward the end of the Predynastic Period in Egypt (circa 6000 to circa 3150 BCE), centuries before the pyramids of Giza were erected. Their history is divided into four periods by modern-day scholars:

Proto-Elamite Period (c. 3200 to c. 2700 BCE)

Old Elamite Period (c. 2700 to c. 1600 BCE)

Middle Elamite Period (c. 1500 to c. 1100 BCE)

Neo-Elamite Period (c. 1100 to c. 539 BCE)

These periods trace the development of the Elamite civilization from its earliest known existence through its progress and down to its decline and assimilation but too often omit the significant contributions it made to the culture of the Near East and the rest of the world. Elam was a central participant in the history of the Near East between circa 3200 and circa 539 BCE. It fought with Sumer, was conquered by the Akkadian Empire, allied with and was betrayed by Hammurabi of Babylon, founded its own empire, helped topple the great Neo-Assyrian Empire, and was finally absorbed by the Achaemenid Empire circa 539 BCE, after which Elamite culture continued to exert a significant influence.

The artisans of the early Proto-Elamite Period were unparalleled in their era, women's equality was recognized, as was the legitimacy of differing religious beliefs, and the cultures of other civilizations were respected, even when the Elamites were at war with them.

Below are ten important facts concerning the ancient Elamites, who, although they disappeared completely from the historical record after their last nation-state, Elymais, was taken by the Sassanian Empire in 224, left their mark on history through their contributions to Persian culture.

Script Only Recently Deciphered

The Elamite linear script, which documents their history circa 3200-2700 BCE, was only deciphered between 2017 and 2020. Their language has no known relatives (therefore, it is designated a language isolate). When Elam came into closer contact with Sumer and, later, with Akkad, it adopted cuneiform script for its records and correspondence. Elamite continued to be written using cuneiform from circa 2700 BCE until it vanished circa 224 CE. The Achaemenid Empire (circa 550-330 BCE) made use of cuneiform Elamite script, and Darius I (the Great, reign 522-486 BCE) used Elamite as one of the three languages of his famous Behistun Inscription. Prior to 2020, events of the Proto-Elamite Period were unknown, but now that the script is deciphered, the history of Elam will be given greater depth.

Read More

Elam: The Ancient High Country

Elam was a region in the Near East corresponding to the modern-day provinces of Ilam and Khuzestan in southern Iran (though it also included part of modern-day southern Iraq) whose civilization spanned thousands of years from circa 3200 to circa 539 BCE.

The name comes from the Akkadian and Sumerian for “highlands” or “high country,” while the Elamites referred to their land as Haltami (or Haltamti), which seems to have had the same meaning. The Bible (Genesis 10:22) claims the region is named for Elam, son of Shem, son of Noah, but this has no support outside of the biblical narrative.

Their language corresponds to no other and was only recently deciphered between 2017 and 2020. Prior to this breakthrough, their early history was known from Mesopotamian sources, as their language was preserved in cuneiform script after their contact with the Sumerians.

The origin of the Elamites is considered as mysterious as their language once was, but they were most likely the indigenous people of the Iranian Plateau whose culture first began to develop during the Mesopotamian Ubaid Period (c. 5000-4100 BCE). Their civilization has been divided by scholars into the following periods:

Proto-Elamite Period (c. 3200 to c. 2700 BCE)

Old Elamite Period (c. 2700 to c. 1600 BCE)

Middle Elamite Period (c. 1500 to c.1100 BCE)

Neo-Elamite Period (c. 1100 to c. 539 BCE)

The conclusion of Elamite civilization is given to correspond to the early years of the Persian Achaemenid Empire (c. 550-330 BCE) after the region was conquered by the first Achaemenid king, Cyrus II (the Great, reign circa 550-530 BCE), but Elamite culture continued to exert significant influence over the Achaemenids as evidenced by later Elamite written language (given in cuneiform script) used as one of the three languages of the Behistun Inscription of Darius I (the Great, reign 522-486 BCE). The Elamite pantheon seems to have also influenced ancient Persian religion prior to the establishment of Zoroastrianism in the region.

Much of the ancient documentation regarding Elam comes from Akkadian, Sumerian, and Assyrian texts and periodic mentions in the Bible. According to the inscription of the Neo-Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (reign 668-627 BCE), he conquered and thoroughly destroyed the cities of Elam c. 647-646 BCE, but archeological evidence has proven that claim to be an exaggeration, as Elamite cities and culture continued afterwards.

The Elamites were never a cohesive ethnic group but rather a federation of disparate peoples living in a specific region under the leadership of different cities such as Awan, Anshan, Shimashki, and Susa. Artifacts, primarily from Susa, give evidence of extensive trade relations as far east as India, and the Elamites were the conduit for trade between Mesopotamia and all points east. Elam reached its height during the Middle Elamite Period when it expanded its political power to establish the Elamite Empire.

Among the most famous kings of the Elamites were Untash-Napirisha (reign c. 1275-1240 BCE), who built the ziggurat and temple complex of Dur Untash (Chogha Zanbil) as well as over 50 other structures, and Shutruk-Nakhkunte (reign 1184-1155 BCE), who founded the short-lived Elamite Empire. Elam declined after joining the coalition of Medes, Babylonians, and others who toppled the Neo-Assyrian Empire, which elevated Media to supremacy in the region. Median rule was then replaced by the Persians under Cyrus II, and afterwards, Elam remained a part of successive empires until the fall of the Sassanian Empire in 651 to the Arab Muslims.

Proto-Elamite Period

Little was known of the so-called Proto-Elamite Period because its history is given in the linear script, only recently deciphered. The Proto-Elamite script developed sometime around 3200 BCE and remained in continuous use until c. 2700 BCE, when contact with Sumer introduced cuneiform script. The details of this era, therefore, have been vague, and archaeologists have only now begun to clarify it by translating the Proto-Elamite script. Prior to this, as scholar F. Vallat notes:

Elamite history remains largely fragmentary. Because there are few indigenous sources, attempts at reconstruction must be based primarily on Mesopotamian documentation. By far the largest proportion of the known Elamite texts have been excavated at Susa, a city that, from its foundation c. 4000 BCE, alternated between subjection to Mesopotamian and Elamite power.

(Encyclopedia Iranica, 2)

Based on artifacts found at Susa (primarily) and elsewhere, the Elamites were already skilled artisans at this time, creating exceptional ceramics and other works that have no relation to neighboring states. Elam enters the historical record via Sumerian historical texts circa 2700 BCE, which give an account of the first war in recorded history. The Sumerian king Enemebaragesi of Kish defeated the Elamites in battle and brought back rich spoils of war to Sumer. The account of Enemebaragesi's victory is given in the Sumerian King List, and this brief mention is the beginning of known Elamite history.

Read More