An Elamite Inscribed Brick

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NEW ACQUISITIONS An Elamite Inscribed Brick he Babylonian Section’s newest acquisition, a large baked brick with a stamped inscription, Tilluminates an era of social and religious upheaval throughout the ancient Near East. Te inscription is a standard one that celebrates The brick Untash-Napirisha, king of Elam, in measures what is now Southwest Iran, from ca. 14.5 X 14.0 X 3.5 1275–1240 BCE. As translated, it inches and weighs 34 pounds. UPM reads (following Dan Potts [1999]): Object #2013-23-1. “I, Untash-Napirisha, son of Humban-Numena, king of Anshan and Susa, desirous that my life be continually one of prosperity, that the extinction of my lineage not be granted when it shall be judged (?), with this intention I built a temple of baked bricks, a high temple of glazed bricks; I gave it to the god Inshushi- nak of the Sacred Precinct. I raised Both ziggurats were originally more ambitious one that became the a ziggurat. May the work which I dedicated to Inshushinak, patron largest such structure built in the created, as an offering, be agreeable to god of Susa. However, at his new ancient Near East. He then dedicated Inshushinak!” capital, the king soon changed his it to both Inshushinak and Napirisha, Te provenance of the brick is plans. Like many other monarchs in chief god of the highlands of Anshan. unknown, but Untash-Napirisha the Late Bronze Age Near East, he Untash-Napirisha’s success in creat- built ziggurats at both Susa, the ruled an increasingly complex state ing a new focal point for his kingdom traditional capital of Elam, and at a with age-old traditions that often is debatable. Elamite unity and power new foundation he named “City of impeded administrative innovation. would be a feature of Near Eastern poli- Untash-Napirisha” (modern Choga Specifically, he struggled to integrate tics over the next century and a half, but Zanbil). Both were built of mud the highland region of Anshan into the gravitational pull of the old capital brick with an outer layer of baked a kingdom centered on the Susiana proved too strong. After the death of its bricks. Every 11th row of outer bricks Plain. Although his new city was in founder, the City of Untash-Napirisha was stamped with an inscription. the lowlands, he provided it with was virtually abandoned. Tese were in the Elamite language, shrines to the major gods from all Te brick was a gift of Tenley M. but written using Mesopotamian cu- parts of his kingdom. Most dramati- and Rouyan V. Jones. neiform. Only the few scribes would cally, he tore down his first ziggurat —Philip Jones, Associate Curator and have been able to read them. there and replaced it with a much Keeper of Collections, Babylonian Section EXPEDITION Winter 2014 59.

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