ELAMITE

The Elamites originated somewhere around 3200 BCE and are thought to be the indigenous people of the Iranian plateau. The first mention of the Empire was a piece of Sumerian text that discussed the first ever recorded war between the Elamites and Sumerians. The decline of power came during King Shutruk-Nakhkunte’s reign from 1184–1155 BCE, when the Elamite Empire joined with the Medes [i] and others to topple the Assyrian Empire. In the years following, the Elamites were initially contained to a territory under the control of the Medes, followed by the Achaemenids [ii], which would eventually turn into the famous Persian Empire.

The economic ties built by trade in the Proto Elamite and Old Elamite periods were not strong enough to help the Elamites overcome their biggest rivals, the Assyrians. Sargon II [iii] was the first Assyrian King to militaristically oppose the Elamite Civilization regarding the freedom of Babylon [iv] circa 722–710. However, he would not be the last, as the Elamite capital of Susa fell to the last Assyrian King Ashurbanipal around 647. The Elamites claimed victory over their rivals in 612 BCE when they joined with the Medes, Babylonians, and other Empires to ransack Assyrian cities and witness the fall of the Assyrians.

The Elamite Empire, documented in Acadian, Sumerian, Assyrian, and biblical texts, had widespread influence that spanned well beyond its borders. The Empire had its own script [v], Elam, which was adapted as a Cuneiform from Mesopotamian influence. After the Empire fell, the capitals of Susa and Anshan were seen as thriving cities. Darius I [vi] (“The Great”) proclaimed Elam to be a treasured language, and the leader of the Achaemenid Empire rebuilt Susa and made it a major trading and travel hub. The Achaemenids learned from the Elamites’ expert craftsmanship, leading the Elamite religion to influence Persian culture along with present day Iran.

The Elamites began as a federation of cities living under one overlord who resided in Susa or Anshan. In the Middle-Elamite period, kings used ‘Elamization’ [viii] to spread the ruling dynasty’s culture onto their people so as to form a single national identity to strengthen the central power. Kings then built various projects, such as Ziggurats [ix], in order to demonstrate the Empire’s extensive material strength. The title of the kingship was changed during the Kidinuid Dynasty [x] to “King of Anshan and of Susa,” to signify that the Northern and Southern cities, which usually alternated in power, would be combined into one seat.

Given that the Elamite Empire existed for so long, historians split its expansive time into four periods: The Proto Elamite Period [xi] (c. 3200-c. 2700 BCE), the Old Elamite Period [xii] (c. 2700c. 1600 BCE), the Middle Elamite Period [xiii] (c. 1500-c.1100 BCE), and the Neo Elamite Period [xiv] (c. 1100 - c. 539 BCE). Sumerian texts show that the Elamites engaged in the first war in recorded history [xv] in 2700 BCE and that their culture first began developing during the Mesopotamian Ubaid period (c. 3200 BCE). This is evidenced by how Mesopotamian and Elamite Gods were worshipped together beginning in the Old Elamite period.

The Middle Elamite period was characterized by many intricate building projects. Dur-Untash [xvi] was an impressive ziggurat (temple complex), whose ruins are standing today. The complex originally measured 345 feet on each side and 174 feet high, with a temple showcased in the middle. It was made of mud bricks and inscribed with Elamite and Akkadian words that described deities, as the Elamites followed a polytheistic religion [xvii]. The middle temple was reserved for the main deity, and was displayed with ornate beads, glass, and terracotta statues. In 1979 UNESCO added Dur- Untash [xviii] to the World Heritage List because of its longstanding preservation.

At their peak, trade relations in the Elamite Empire extended from Mesopotamia to India. The Elamites even traded with the Indus River Valley civilization [xix] before they disappeared around 1900 BCE. as evidenced by beads and shells from the Indus River Valley civilization found in Susa. Elamites traded [xx] silver, tin, and lumber for agricultural products in the Proto and Old Elamite periods, but trade decreased as conquering began in the Middle Elamite period because the influx of goods from conquest allowed Elamites to thrive without trade. This allowed Elamites to build ziggurats and art pieces such as golden statues or ornate textiles.