Page 8 - Expotime10_11_2017

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Between Babylon and Assyria

Between 1900 and 1100 BC, Susa rose as a
centre of culture. Artifacts and objects of
handcraft came from India to the city as
well as from Egypt, from Oman as well as
from the Levantine. The influence of the
Susanian culture extendet to Bactria and
India.

Under King Untash Napirisha, a ziggurat
was built in the city, excellent artifacts
made out of bronze and a high stele which
showed the king worshipping his god. 500
cuneiform tablets inform us that King
Kutir-Nakhunte occupied more than 30
cities in the Babylonian Empire around
1711 BC. More than 100 years later, the
Babylonian dynasty of the Kassites
occupied Susa.
Around 1500 BC, a principality existed Chogha Zanbil, the ancient Al-Untaš-Napiriša (or Dur-Untaš), is located on the
around the town of Haft Tappeh near Susa river Dez in Khuzestan, Iran. The distance to Susa / Shush is about 40 km.
which was still independent. Haft Tappeh Halfway is Haft Tappeh. Map: Mainz University, © 2004 B. Mofidi-Nasrabadi,
included a small zigurrat, a temple area, http://www.staff.uni-mainz.de/mofidi/choghazanbil,english/index,english.
workshops, a palace and crypts for the html
rulers.

Haft Tappeh

Haft Tappeh is situated 20 km south of Shush, at a road
which turns in eastern direction from the main road to
Ahvaz. There is no public transport and visitors use taxis
to come here. Haft Tappeh means “Seven hills” but the
city comprises more than a dozen hills at a length of 1,5
km. It was excavated under the direction of Prof.
Negahban from the University of Tehran since 1965. The
ruins were discovered during road works. A temple for
the god Kirwashir was discovered as well as a subterranean
funerary complex for the rulerś family. Even skeletal
remains were found. The temple had once decorations
made by bronze plates and wall paintings. Since 2003
excavations have been carried out by a team of German-
Iranian archaeologists, including the University of Mainz,
University of Kiel and the Iranian Cultural Heritage
Organization led by Prof. B. Mofidi Nasrabadi.

The stone ruins date back to a period when the rulers of
Susa were so weak that Tepti-Ahar, an Elamite regional
leader, could found his own principality.

Haft Tappeh was in use only for 100 years. Its architecture
was symmetrically organized and consists mainly of
adobe bricks. In some way a small copy of Susa, crypts

Mask from Haft Tappeh, Elam, approx. 1500 BC-1250 BC
Susa/Shush, Archaeological Museum.
Source: Livius. org/Marco Prins

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EXPOTIME!, issue October / November 2017