The new episodes of the podcast are on their way. In the meantime, I invite the readers to check out the blog of my friend and colleague Arash Zeini, now a collective effort of him and several other friends, which is dedicated to introducing the new publications in Iranian Studies. The blog is a great resource and I will use it from here on as a resource for the podcast and for the History Page. Check it out here!
History
Elamite names “galore”
One of the dear readers of this weblog, and listeners to the podcast, suggested that I make a list of the names I so much enjoy pronouncing. I think it is a good idea, except someone has already done it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rulers_of_Elam (for the chaps mentioned this week, scroll down to the Neo-Elamite period).
You should notice that pronunciation occasionally vary. Some of the Elamite pronunciations are being perfected. Temti-Human-Inshushinak now seems to be more like Tepti-Humban-Inshushinak (which is the way I say it). Some are better known (if you can say that about anything Elamite) by their Akkadian names. Shutruk-Nahunte is sometimes written Shutruk-nakhunte or Shutruk-Nahhunte. These are attempts at rendering Elamite in English. The sound /h/ in his name is a laryngeal sound which does not exist in English, similar to Arabic ح.
Apart from these Elamites, I mentioned a few Assyrians and some Babylonians. Sargon II, Esarhaddon, Sennacherib, and Ashurbanipal are the Assyrian ones. Merodach-Baladan the Chaldean was really the only “Babylonian” I mentioned.
I will post a similar list from the next episode on.
Episode 8: the Neo-Elamite Kingdom
Well, here it is FINALLY! I got things to work, and meanwhile everything has changed (the feed is still the same)
This episode goes back to the Elamites and their adventures with the Neo-Assyrians, and their murky last century.
Here are a couple of more readings, one on the chronology of the Neo-Elamite period based on newer finds, and the second on Neo-Elamite “acculturation.”
A book on the Arjan Tomb, an important late Elamite discovery (you can read a condensed version with detailed interpretations here)
A map of Mesopotamia in the first century BCE
Seal of Humban-Kitin, son of Shutruk-Nahhunte II
Eshkaft-e Salman in Izeh/Malamir
Hani, the “eastern” Elamite ruler, along with his wife and child, Eshkaft-e Salman, Izeh
Neo-Elamite beaker, probably from Susa
Assyrian victory relief of Ashirbanipal, showing Elamites being deported
the bowl from the Arjan Tomb
Episode 7: Indo-Europeans and Indo-Iranians
Here is the link to the episode, and the feed…
This, sort of, is just the beginning. The Indo-European, the Aryan, and the Indo-Iranian languages and terms are such thorny issues, and I cannot even pretend to have answered them all. Hopefully this will set the stage for future discussions, and some questions, comments, and discussions here.
Notice that I tend to spell the word Ariia in order to name the “Indo-Iranians” as they are, and to distinguish it from the Aryan, which is used in a modern, political sense.
Check out the Bibliography for some book and article suggestions…
Schematic map of major Indo-European language groups
Map showing the extent of the Andronovo and BMAC cultures
Episode 5: the Middle Elamite Kingdoms
The new episode is out. As usual, you can get it directly from here or subscribe to it from FeedBurner…
I owe everyone an apology. I have moved for the year from Europe to North America, and the move proved more overwhelming that I imagined. I had to arrange too many things, teach, and do much writing. I have everything under control now, and will be sticking to a real schedule henceforth.
As for the episode, it is full of weird names, so here is something to orient you (and here is a useful list of all Elamite rulers, real and fictional!):
Names:
Kidinu: founder of the first dynasty (Middle Elamite I: Kidinuids)
Tepti-Ahar: the Kidinuid king who founded the site of Haft Tepe (Kabnak) near Susa, where his tomb also is.
Igi-halki: the founder of the second dynasty (Middle Elamite II: the Igihalkids)
Untash-Napirisha: the most important king of the Igihalkids, a maternal grandson of Kurigalzu I of Babylonia (of the Kassite dynasty).
Kidin-Hutran III: the Igilhakid who removed Assyrian puppets from the Babylonian throne.
Tukulti-Nimurta: the Assyrian king who removed the legitimate line of Kassite kings; they were later restored
Shutruk-Nahhunte: the founder and greatest ruler of the Middle Elamite III dynasty, the Shutrukids. He conquered Babylonia and put and end to the rule of the Kassites.
Kutir-Nahhunte: son and successor of Shutruk-Nahhunte
Shilhak-Inshushinak: brother and successor of Kutir-Nahhunte and the last great king of the Shutrukids
Sites:
Susa: Shusha; the low-land capital of Elam
Anshan/Anzan: the highland capital of Elam
Haft Tepe/Kabnak: site east of Susa; tomb of Tepti-Ahar
Al-Untash-Napirisaha: the archaeological site of Chogha Zanbil, with its impressive Ziggurat; the religious and political centre of the Igilhakids, near Deh-e Now, their home town.
Nebuchadnezzar I: the fourth king of the Babylonian dynasty of the Sealand and the bane of the Shutrukids
Hutelutush-Inshushinak: the last of the Shutrukids; he escaped Nebuchadnezzar and took refuge in Anshan/Anzan; also reliefs at Kul-e Farah in Izeh.
Middle Elamite relief from Kul-e Farah (Izeh)
The Ziggurat of Chogha Zanbil
The aerial view of Chogha Zanbil/Al-Untash-Napirisha
Episode 3: From Pre-History to History
— This is episode three, out after some mishaps… Download/Stream it from here
— As usual, subscribe via Feedburner here, and you can always look for it on the iTunes and other podcast directories (Podbay?).
— I promised a list of terms and names I was using, so here they are.
Chalcolithic = the so-called “copper” age, or the coper-stone period
Elam = The civilisation I talked about the most, and will continue talking about for the next episode
Tepe Sialk = Archaeological site in central-northern part of the plateau
Tepe Hissar= Archaeological site on the northeast of the Iranian Plateau
Shahr-e Sukhte = the Burnt City, site on the east side of the plateau, by the Helmand River
Sargon of Agade = the first king of the Empire of Agade/Akkad (2332 BCE).
Gutians and Lulubians = mountain tribes/confederations to the north of Elam
Jiroft = archaeological side on the central eastern part of the plateau
Naram-Sin= Grandson of Sargon
Ur-Namma (2112-2095) = the founder of the Third Dynasty of Ur
Puzur Inshushinak = contemporary of Ur-Namma, king of Awan, the first Elamite ever mentioned
Shimashki= the dominant city of Elam after 2004 BC
Sukkalmah=the title of the “governor” of Elam under Larsa’s dominance; later the most powerful rulers in the region
Gungunum of Larsa (1932-1906) = the founder of the dynasty of Larsa
And here is a map (note that Malyan is Anshan!)
