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Near East Kingdoms

Ancient Eastern Near East

 

Kabnak (City) (Western Iran)

FeatureThe city states of Sumer formed one of the first great civilisations in human history (see feature link). This Near Eastern civilisation emerged a little way ahead of that of Africa's ancient Egypt, and up to a millennium before that of the Indus Valley culture.

FeatureSouthern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and the western edge of Iran) was subjected to permanent settlement during the Pottery Neolithic and, by the late fourth millennium BC, Sumer was divided into approximately a dozen city states, by which time other regions were emerging as population centres in their own right. Elam was located to the east of Sumer, with its own selection of city states at its core (and see feature link).

This region was located on an alluvial plan below the Zagros mountains, and its remoteness meant that it took some time for it to assimilate Sumer's groundbreaking social, agricultural, and administrative inventions. Access to Sumer was in the Zagros foothills, circling the marshes, but this meant difficulties in communication, and a feeling in Sumer of there being comparative barbarians on their eastern flank.

Culturally, Elamite kingdoms achieved less than their more advanced neighbours, and imported much of what they needed, including writing from Sumer and architecture from the later city and empire of Babylon. Elamite records are also extremely sparse in recording local events, and large areas of its history are almost totally unknown except through Sumerian records.

Kabnak as a city name is generally little known. It has been connected to the modern archaeological site of Haft Tappeh (or Haft Tepe) through the discovery there of several seal impressions which include inscriptions which mention Athibu as great governor of Kabnak.

This city was thriving during the 'Middle Elamite I' period which is generally dated to 1500-1400 BC. Sitting approximately twenty kilometres on the Khuzestan plain from Susa, textual records suggest that it played a significant role in the manufacture of bronze articles in the region. Archaeologically, at least four Elamite building levels can be distinguished, along with later Parthian and Sassanid remains.

It was first excavated E Negahban between 1965-1978, and then from 2005 onwards by Behzad Mofidi-Nasrabadi (author of a chapter of The Elamite World - see sources). It is difficult to determine Kabnak's extent, but an area is suggested of about two hundred hectares, and perhaps fifty more on top of that total. The Negahban excavations revealed a building which incorporated two tombs and parts of two complexes with mud brick terraces, which he named 'Terrace Complex I' and 'Terrace Complex II'.

There were at least five monumental complexes in this same area (labelled 'A-E'), each of which is separated from the others by massive walls. The two terraces were situated in the southern corners of complexes A and D respectively. A large number of bronze weapons were found on the floor of a room in the western corner of 'Complex D' to indicate probable use of the room by guards. It seems that this complex was added later to 'Complex C' and the two were connected through a narrow corridor.

Another corridor connected 'Complex D' with 'Complex A'. Negahban's excavations in 'Complex B', close to the terrace of 'Complex A', uncovered a workshop which contained various finished and semi-finished products, as well as raw materials, indicating a varied production range within the workshop. A life-size clay head and a clay mask were retrieved, along with bone and ivory items and even the reported remains of an elephant skeleton, presumably having served as raw materials.

At least four Elamite building levels can be distinguished. The first ('Level I') belongs to the sukkal-mah era of the first half of the second millennium BC, while the other three (II-IV) stem from the first phase of the 'Middle Elamite' period (about 1500-1400 BC). Urban development here reached its climax during 'Level II' from about 1500 BC. Based on textual sources this appears to belong to the fifteenth century BC reigns of Inshushinak and Tepti-ahar, and it is during this period in which the monumental complexes were founded.

Sometimes Elamite cities had rival kingships, mostly poorly-recorded, and sometimes they seemed to combine into one kingdom or perhaps acted as a loosely-joined coalition. Sometimes they even attacked and/or invaded one another's territories, and sometimes the lands of Elam were united under the control of a single king. Potentially also included at various times in various events were smaller cities or groups which included Aratta, Harshi, Itnigi, Sapum, Shig(i)rish, Zabshali, and Zitanu.

Following Elam's eventual unification as a single state, the city of Susa also largely served as the capital prior to conquest by the Persians. By the time Alexander the Great was established there, in the late fourth century BC, it was better known as Susiana.

Elamites of Din Sharri being deported by Ashurbanipal

(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from Encyclopaedia Britannica (Eleventh Edition, Cambridge (England), 1910), from The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character, Samuel Noah Kramer ('List 1' of Sumerian rulers, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1963), from Historical Atlas of the Ancient World, 4,000,000 to 500 BC, John Heywood (Barnes & Noble, 2000), from The Ancient Near East, c.3000-330 BC, Amélie Kuhrt (Routledge, 2000, Vol I & II), from Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East, Michael Road (Facts on File, 2000), from Mesopotamia: Assyrians, Sumerians, Babylonians, Enrico Ascalone (Dictionaries of Civilizations 1, University of California Press, 2007), from The Archaeology of Elam, D T Potts (Cambridge University Press, 1999), from The Elamite World, Javier Álvarez-Mon, Gian Pietro Basello, & Yasmina Wick (Eds, Routledge, 2018), and from External Links: Some Thoughts in Neo-Elamite Chronology, Jan Tavernier (PDF), and the Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, and Early Kings of Kish, Albrecht Goetze (Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Vol 15, No 3, 1961, pp 105-111 and available to read via University of Chicago Press Journals), and Archaeology.org.)

c.1900 BC

The Eparti kings of Elam are also referred to as being 'of the sukkalmahs' due to the title which is borne by them: sukkal-mah, or 'grand regent'. It is during this period that the city of Kabnak is founded, connected to the modern archaeological site of Haft Tappeh which has been investigated in some detail. The earliest level of archaeology ('Level I') belongs to the sukkal-mah era of the first half of the second millennium BC,

c.1500 - 1350 BC

This period in the city's existence appears to mark the high watermark of its development and expansion. the final three levels of Elamite period archaeology all belong to this period, 1500-1400 BC, and the earliest of them ('Level II') include all of the monumental building construction.

A thick layer of debris and ashes covers the remains of archaeological 'Level II', separating those from the later 'Level III'. It would appear that 'Level III' represents an attempt to rebuild the main complex within the city.

fl c.1400 BC

Athibu

'Great governor of Kabnak' on several seal inscriptions,

c.1400 BC

Athibu is claimed by inscriptions on seal impressions as the 'great governor of Kabnak' during the reign of Elam's Tepti-ahar in the early 'Middle Elamite' period. These inscriptions provide enough evidence to link the ancient city of Kabnak to the modern archaeological mound of Haft Tappeh.

However, Elam is tipping into a period of general decline, and Kabnak also declines. Some of its temples and palaces are abandoned, and their materials are reused to build simple dwellings.

c.1200 - 1100? BC

The termination of the 'Level IV' chronology is marked by destruction. Close to the houses of 'Complex C', behind a wall, are several hundred skeletons. In other excavation areas some skeletons are also observed on street-level areas rather than in graves.

It is very likely that a massacre takes place around this time, putting an end to the city's life in the 'Middle Elamite' period. Around 1120 BC, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia puts an end to Elamite prosperity in the 'Middle Elamite' period by sacking the capital and kingdom, partially having been forced to do so in order to end continual Elamite raiding.

The kingdom falls, and this event could also theoretically be responsible for the slaughter at Kabnak. The city now loses its regional influence and is subsequently abandoned. Some much later Parthian and Sassanid remains are found, but there is no substantial attempt to restore the city.

 
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