Old Babylonian
The term is used to describe the culture of southern Mesopotamia between approximately 2000 BC-1600 BC.
Description:
The Old Babylonian Period describes southern Mesopotamia where a number of important sates dominated the region, including Isin, Larsa, Eshnuna, and Babylon. The sixth ruler of Babylon, Hamurabi, unified the southern states and expanded his control into north Mesopotamia. After his death, the empire gradually shrank, but remained an important power until it was sacked by the Hittite king Mursili I. During the Old Babylonian period, literary activity flourished with scribes composing and recording religious, poetic, and ‘scientific’ works in Sumerian and Akkadian cuneiform. The state retained the Akkadian language for official use, and the Sumerian language for religious use, but Amorite was the spoken language. The earlier Akkadian and Sumerian traditions played a major role in Babylonian culture.
Ultra-Low Chronology: 1798-1499 BCE
Short/Low Chronology: 1830-1531 BCE
Middle Chronology: 1894-1595 BCE
Long/High Chronology: 1950-1651 BCE
Objects: Old Babylonian Export: JSON - XML - CSV
Object | U Number | Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number) | Museum Number (BM Registration Number) | Museum Number (UPM B-number) | Description (Catalog Card) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 6391A | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
6391B | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) | |
![]() | 6392A | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
![]() | 6392B | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
![]() | 6393A | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
6393B | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) | |
![]() | 6397A | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
![]() | 6705A | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
![]() | 6705B | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
![]() | 6708A | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
![]() | 6709A | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
![]() | 6709B | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
![]() | 6713A | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
![]() | 6713B | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
![]() | 6954A | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
![]() | 6954B | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
![]() | 7138B | (none) | (none) | (none) | No catalog card exists for this object: U.7070-U.7145 were duplicated with the duplicates assigned to tablets from Season 4 found in areas KP, EH, and possibly HT (Jacobsen AJA 57:128). The duplicates have been given the subletter A in this database while the original object from the catalog card retains the number without subletter (unless the original catalog card held multiple objects, in which case those are given appropriate subletters and the tablet takes the next in the sequence). |
7792 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet Fragments making the greater part of a large vocabulary (Sumerian only) in 10 columns: words and phrases (religion) names of birds, fishes, etc. | |
7832R | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) | |
7833V | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) | |
7833Y | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) | |
7833Z | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) | |
8803B | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) | |
![]() | 8808A | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. (b) and part of envelope of the same with seal impressions of a subject of Rim-Sin. H.C.56 (b) |
8808B | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
Location | Context Title | Context Description | Description (Modern) |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | House IV | Excavation designation in area AH mostly covering No. 1 Old Street but likely containing parts of No. 7 Church Lane as well. | (none) |
![]() | House III | Excavation designation for a portion of area AH that was eventually published as No. 1 Church Lane and No. 1 Straight Street. It was also called the Pa-Sag or Hendur-Sag chapel. This space was identified as a neighborhood or wayside chapel at the NW edge of Carfax. | (none) |
![]() | House II | Excavation house designation on the northwest side of Straight Street (originally called Division Street because it divided the initial excavation units of House I, II, and III). This unit may have initially contained some rooms in No. 3 Straight Street. | (none) |
![]() | House I | Excavation house designation on the southeast side of Straight Street (originally called Division Street as it divided the first excavation house designations I, II, and III). This unit covered published houses No.2 and No. 4 Straight Street. | (none) |
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Related Terms
Ubaid - Uruk - Jemdat Nasr - Early Dynastic / Sumerian - Akkadian Dynasty - Guti/Post Akkadian - Ur III - Middle Assyrian - Kassite - Neo-Assyrian - Neo-Babylonian - Achaemenid Empire (Persian) - Seleucid - Parthian