ancient pre-Iranian civilization between 2700 and 539 BC From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elam was an long-lasting ancient civilization just to the east of Mesopotamia, in what is now southwest Iran. Elam was centered in the far west and southwest of what is now modern-day Iran, stretching from the lowlands of what is now Khuzestan and Ilam Province as well as a small part of southern Iraq..[1]
Knowledge of Elamite history is not complete. It is mainly known from Mesopotamian sources. The history of Elam is divided into three periods, over more than two millennia. The three periods come after the proto-Elamite period:
The Proto-Elamite city of Susa was founded around 5000 BC in the watershed of the river Karun. It is considered to be the site of Proto-Elamite cultural formation.
Written records start from around 3000 BC in the Old Elamite period (Middle Bronze Age). In the Achaemenid Empire the Elamite language was among those in official use. The Elamite language has no obvious connections with any other, and seems to be a language isolate like Sumerian. Some researchers have suggested the existence of a larger group known as Elamo-Dravidian. This theory is not established.
The Elamites called their country Haltamti, but the Sumerians and Akkadians called it Elam, and so it was also in the Hebrew Bible. The civilisation started around 2700 BC, and they were finally conquered by the Achmaenids in 640 BC. A tablet found in 1848 has the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal boasting of his conquest:
As it happens, the Elamites managed to stay independent for some time after this disaster. The devastation was less complete than Assurbanipal boasted, and Elamite rule, though rather broken up, continued until 540 BC, when Achaemenid rule begins in Susa. Under the Parthian period, a kingdom of Elymais existed which survived until its extinction by Sassanid invasion in the early third century AD. It was in the heartland of ancient Elam.
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