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Alakhtum
/ Alalakh
Founded
(or re-founded) as one of a wave of early city states in
Syria during the first
part of the second millennium BC, Alakhtum (or later, Alalakh) was a small
Amorite city state which was
situated to the west of the larger Syrian state of
Yamkhad, about fifty kilometres from the
River Orontes. For a time, the city was one of many which was under Yamkhad's
control. Probably created to control the trade routes between
Sumer and the
Hatti in Anatolia, it was
called Alakhtum at least until the eighteenth century BC, as shown by records
from Mari.
Alakhtum consists of eighteen layers of occupation, dating from around 3400
BC (Layer XVII) to around 1200 BC (Layer 0). The archives at Alalakh (modern
Tell Atchana, now in southern
Turkey) were discovered
to be comparable in size to those at
Ugarit and Mari when they were
unearthed by Sir Leonard Woolley in the 1930s and 1940s. Most of these date
from the Middle and Late Bronze Ages (2000-1200 BC, or Layers VIII to 0), with
the story of Idrimi being noted in especial prominence and detail. |
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c.3400 BC |
Alakhtum is first founded
as a permanent settlement, located to the west of the larger Syrian state of
Yamkhad, about fifty kilometres from
the River Orontes. Its fortunes remain largely unknown until the city is
re-founded at the beginning of the second millennium BC. |
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fl c.2700 BC |
? |
Unnamed king. |
c.2700 BC |
The city is already established by this date, and the king of Alakhtum now
adorns the facade of his palace with huge columns built of specially-moulded
mud bricks, a fashion set by his
Sumerian clients such as those who have
already built the colonnades of Warka and
Kish. |
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c.2000 BC |
The first palace is constructed at now-Amorite Alalakh, contemporary with the last days
of the third dynasty at
Ur. The city is probably a vassal of
Yamkhad by this point, and is
certainly so by the eighteenth century BC.
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A view of the Level VII city gate and entrance into one of the
guard chambers at Alalakh
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c.1780s BC |
Sumu'epuh of
Yamkhad sells Alakhtum to his son-in-law, Zimri-Lim, who
possibly rules here before his capture of
Mari in c.1776 BC. |
c.1780s - 1761 BC |
Zimri-Lim? |
King of
Mari &
Terqa (c.1776-1761 BC). |
c.1761 BC |
With the fall of
Mari to
Babylon,
Alakhtum seems to fall back under the control of
Yamkhad.
Hurrians begin migrating
west from Urkesh and Nawar in this period, settling in cities such as Alakhtum. |
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fl c.1750s BC |
Yarim-Lim /
Iarimlim |
Placed on throne by his brother, Abba'el of
Yamkhad. |
c.1750s BC |
Yarim-Lim, brother of Abba-el of
Yamkhad, is placed on the
throne as a vassal king and begins a dynasty of such rulers which survives
until the city is destroyed by the
Hittites. (This begins Level VII of the city in archaeological terms.) |
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Ammitaqum |
Son. Long reign ended during rule of Yarim-Lim III of
Yamkhad. |
? - c.1620 BC |
Hammurabi |
Relationship unknown. Not the same Hammurabi as in
Yamkhad. |
c.1650 - 1620 BC |
Under Hattusili, the
Hittites attack and destroy several of
Yamkhad's vassals over several
years, including Alalakh. Yarim-Lim's dynasty of rulers is ended, and written records cease until the first half of the
1400s BC.
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Alalakh (City State of Mukish)
In the 1480s or 1470s BC,
Idrimi, son
of the king of
Alep, was forced to flee his
homeland. He passed through
Ebla (where he
met King Zakkar) and ended up in Emar.
From there he organised the storming
of Alakhtum by sea with
his band of
habiru
followers. Unfortunately, although Idrimi's kingdom is documented, the
administration of the restored city before the storming is entirely
unrecorded. There may have been a local ruler in charge, but more probably
the city had been restored under a governor of the
Mitanni empire. Although Idrimi himself is rarely documented, his successors appear
regularly in tablets from the region. His rule begins Level IV of the city's
archaeological record.
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fl c.1470s BC |
Idrimi |
Son of the king of
Alep. Reigned for 30 years. |
c.1470 BC |
Idrimi contacts the king of
Mitanni, Parattarna
(Barattarna), who endorses Idrimi's rule of the city, making him a Mitanni
vassal. Under Idrimi's vigorous rule, the state expands, enriching itself by
frequent raids on
Hittite
territory.
Kizzuwatna is also forced
to sign a treaty with Idrimi. By the time Idrimi's son ascends the throne,
Alalakh also controls the minor city of Nuhassa (Nuhašše / Nuhašša), to the
south of
Alep, and that of Niye, much less
than the territory formerly controlled by Alep.
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Addu-nirari /
Adad-Nerari |
Son. Not on all lists. |
c.1450 - 1425 BC |
Niqmepuh /
Niqmepa |
Brother. Contemporary of Saushtatar of
Mitanni. |
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It seems that at some point, Niqmepuh extends his territorial control from
the family's new home in Alakhtum to reclaim his ancestral seat in
Alep.
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fl c.1420 BC |
Ilim-ilimma (II) |
Son. Also king of
Alep. |
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At some point around this time the
Hittites manage to make Alakhtum a vassal state. |
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Ituraddu |
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? - c.1370 BC |
Mukish |
Vassal of the
Hittites. |
c.1370 BC |
Suppiluliuma, the new
Hittite ruler, takes control of northern
Syria.
Ugarit informs the Hittites of a
planned revolt by Alalakh (which they call Mukish), so the kingdom and its
dependents, Nuhassa and Niye, are incorporated directly into the
empire, with their lands being assigned to Ugarit as a reward.
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'Atchana Ware' from Alalakh Levels III-II (1370-1270 BC)
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c.1200 BC |
Alalakh is destroyed, probably by the
Sea Peoples, during the collapse of the
Hittite empire and is never re-occupied, its place being taken by the
nearby Iron Age port of al Mina. |
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