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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 15088 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. Semitic letter (Larsa?) |
| 15089 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. Semitic letter (Larsa?) |
| 15091 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. Semitic letter (Larsa) |
| 15050 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. Private letter. Of Bab. I period. |
| 15675 | 52-30-224, 52-30-224 | (none) | (none) | Tablet. Fragmentary document of about Larsa period. |
| 15677 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. Fragmentary document of about Larsa period. |
| 15098 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. Fragment. Semitic letter. |
| 13812 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. Fragment. Perhaps similar date with 13811 | |
| 13811 | (none) | 1953,0411.202 | (none) | Tablet. Accounts. (Larsa or later) HC.703. UET V: 609). |
| 7748 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. |
| 7785 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. |
| 8820 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. 2 fragments of large tablet in fine writing. | |
| 8817A | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet fragments of god-list |
| 8817B | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet fragments of god-list | |
| 13073 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet fragment. | |
| 13074 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet contract? Broken. |
| 7762 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet (fragment). Piece of a large table of square roots. |
| 7755 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet (fragment). "Dedication"? [crossed out] Date list. ?? with U7754 [crossed out] |
| 10609 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet very roughly written hardly a sign legible? | |
| 7794 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet Sumerian-Semitic paradigms of verbs Duplicate text included in U7791 HC.55 | |
| 7780 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet Round Like 7716 Inscribed Lugal ////////////// Lugal ////////////// L[ugal ///////////// |
| 7803 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet Plan for field measurements HC 32 |
| 7813 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet Mathematical Multiplication table of 750 |
| 7791 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet Large table of Sumerian-Semitic verbal forms 1st part duplicates U7794 HC.55 |
| 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. |
| Location | Context Title | Context Description | Description (Modern) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| 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 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 IV | Excavation designation in area AH mostly covering No. 1 Old Street but likely containing parts of No. 7 Church Lane as well. | (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