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The ancient Elamite Empire, تمدن عیلام in Fārsi, lay to the east of Sumer and Akkad, in what is now southwestern Iran. The Elamites called their country Haltamti (in later Elamite, Atamti), which the neighboring
Akkadians borrowed as "Elam". The high country of Elam was later more and more identified
by its low-lying later capital, Susa, and geographers after Ptolemy called it Susiana. The name for Elam in Old Persian was Hujiyā, which survives in the
modern provincial name Khuzestān: it and Fārs contain the remains of ancient Elam.
The Elamite language is unrelated to the neighboring Semitic, Sumerian, and Indo-European languages.
Some scholars believe the language is related to the living Dravidian languages of southern India (see Elamo-Dravidian languages). Several stages of the language are attested; the earliest date back
to the third milennium BCE, the latest to the Achaemenid Empire.
The Elamites themselves were an Alpine people who migrated to the Iranian plateau in
prehistoric times.
History
Elamite history is conventionally divided into three periods. However, it must be noted that Elamite artifacts and remains
from earlier times continue to be discovered in central and southeastern Iran (example) (http://www.payvand.com/news/05/feb/1024.html). Some experts refer to this period as
Proto-Elamite.
The Old Elamite period begins with the oldest attested Elamite kings, approximately 2700 BCE. Elam, which Sumerian scribes simply designated NIM
"Highlands", had not previously been unified ethnically or culturally. Elam fell under the political control of Akkad in the 22nd century BCE. The
Avan dynasty reasserted Elam's independence. Shulgi of Ur (c. 2094-c. 2047 BCE) conquered Elam
for a time. About the middle of the 19th century BCE, power in Elam
passed to the Eparti dynasty. Hammurabi of Babylon attacked Elam in 18th century BCE. King
Kutir-Nahhunte I of Elam counterattacked, and dealt a serious defeat to Hammurabi's son Samsu-Iluna.
The Middle Elamite Period begins about 1350s BCE, after a 200-year hiatus
about which little is known. Around 1160 BCE, under King Shutruk-Nahhunte, Elam
defeats the Kassites to establish the first Elamite empire, which proved to be
short lived; King Nebuchadnezzar I of Babylon conquered Elam around 1120 BCE,
bringing the empire to an end.
Around 750 BCE, Elam reasserted its independence, bringing about the cultural
revival of the Late or Neo-Elamite Period. Elam was conquered by the Assyrians
in 645 BCE, which marks the end of Elam as an independent state. The Medes conquered Elam from the Assyrians, and the Achaemenid dynasty, another Iranian dynasty who ruled the former Elamite land of Anshan, took Susa and
conquered the Median Empire, to establish the first Persian Empire.
Traditional histories have ended Elamite history with its submergence in the Achaemenids, but Greek and Latin references to
"Elymeans" attest to cultural survival, according to Daniel Potts (see Refs.). Additionally, the 10th century Arab traveller
Istakhrī commented that the people of Khuzestān spoke three languages, namely Arabic, Fārsi and something he
called "Khuzī". It is unclear if this was a descendant of the Elamite language or simply a local Persian dialect, but
it is nonetheless an intriguing comment.
Elamite served as one of the official languages of the Persian Empire in ancient times, and Susa served as one of the four
capitals of the empire. Susa also served as a capital of the Sassanid
dynasty from 224 to 651 CE. The last use of Elamite
script is the fourth century CE, and Elam is today known as the modern province of Khuzestan, where Iran's immense oil industry is based.
The Elamites are also mentioned by biblical historian Josephus. "For Elam left
behind him the Elamites, the ancestors of the Persians" (Antiquites of the
Jews 1:6). According to Jewish legend, Elam is the son of Shem and the grandson of Noah.
Chronology of rulers
Avan Dynasty (precise dates unknown)
- Peli (fl. c. 2500 BC)
- Tata (precise dates unknown)
- Ukku-Takhesh (precise dates unknown)
- Khishur (precise dates unknown)
- Shushun-Tarana (precise dates unknown)
- Napil-Khush (precise dates unknown)
- Kikku-Sive-Temti (precise dates unknown)
- Lukh-Ishshan (fl. c. 24th century BC)
- Khelu (fl. c. 2300 BC)
- Khita (fl. c. 2275 BC)
- Kutik-Inshushinnak (fl. c. 2240 BC)
Simash Dynasty (precise dates unknown)
- Gir-Namme (fl. c. 2030 BC)
- Enpi-Luhhan (fl. c. 2010 BC)
- Khutran-Temtt (precise dates unknown)
- Kindattu (precise dates unknown)
- Indattu-Inshushinnak I (precise dates unknown)
- Tan-Rukhurater (precise dates unknown)
- Indattu-Inshushinnak II (precise dates unknown)
- Indattu-Napir (precise dates unknown)
- Indattu-Tempt (precise dates unknown)
Eparti Dynasty (precise dates unknown)
- Eparti I (precise dates unknown)
- Eparti II (precise dates unknown)
- Eparti III (fl. c. 1850 BC)
- Shilkhakha (precise dates unknown)
- Attakhushu (fl. c. 1830 BC)
- Sirukdukh (fl. c. 1792 BC)
- Shimut-Wartash (c. 1772 - c. 1770 BC)
Babylonian Dynasty (c. 1770 - c. 1500 BC)
Igehalkid Dynasty (c. 1350 - c. 1200 BC)
Shutrukid Dynasty (c. 1205 - c. 1100 BC)
Late Elam Dynasty (743 - 644 BCE)
External links
Reference
Khačikjan, Margaret: The Elamite Language, Documenta Asiana IV, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Istituto per
gli Studi Micenei ed Egeo-Anatolici, 1998 ISBN 8887345015
Potts, Daniel T.: The archaeology of Elam: formation and transformation of an ancient Iranian state, Cambridge U., 1999
ISBN 0521564964 and ISBN 0521563585
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