Old Babylonian

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

U Number	Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number)	Museum Number (BM Registration Number)	Museum Number (UPM B-number)	Description (Catalog Card)
3263	(none)	(none)	(none)	Fragment of 2 Columns (?) Inscription. Bluish stone (soapstone?) About BC 2100. H.C.
1198	(none)	(none)	(none)	Fragment from upper part of a tablet with portions of 8 lines of accounts. About period of First Dynasty of Babylon.
1355	(none)	(none)	B15614, B15614	Fragment from top of stem of large clay cone apparently of (Nur)-Adad, King of Ur and Larsa. Ends of 8 lines. P.
394	(none)	(none)	(none)	Frag of tablet. Dated. 1st year of Sin-idi(nnam), king of Larsa.
593B	(none)	(none)	(none)	Eleven fragments. Mixed in period. See also U.727 - 30. Placed in Packing Case D.
13085	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cylindrical fragment.
7000	(none)	(none)	B16309	Cylinder seal. Black steatite. Rampant lion attacked by two heroes - (like Gilgamesh) 2 posts (supports for emblems)
18628	(none)	1933,1013.10	(none)	Copper statuette of a woman standing with hands roun in the attitude of prayer: her hair is done in a heavy shignon and she wears a long flounced dress. In catalog. [drawing]
16770	(none)	1931,1010.294	(none)	Copper pan. Type _. [drawing]
6496	(none)	1927,0527.98	(none)	Copper dagger. [drawing 1:2]
7967	(none)	1928,1009.256	(none)	Copper dagger. Straight sided with rectangular end returning to tang wherein 3 rivets. The blade thickened to the centre, but no rib [Type] II
11608A	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cones. Fragmentary PG most of the insc. on stem. Sumuilum=RIU 114; Another PG Most of the insc. on stem; Another PG Part of the insc. on head & stem. 1. 10 mu-un-n(a
11608B	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cones. Fragmentary PG most of the insc. on stem. Sumuilum=RIU 114; Another PG Most of the insc. on stem; Another PG Part of the insc. on head & stem. 1. 10 mu-un-n(a
11608C	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cones. Fragmentary PG most of the insc. on stem. Sumuilum=RIU 114; Another PG Most of the insc. on stem; Another PG Part of the insc. on head & stem. 1. 10 mu-un-n(a
11609A	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cones (fragmentary) Sumuilum=RIU 115 PG part of inscription var. as U. 7777 on head. Another PG on head.
11609B	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cones (fragmentary) Sumuilum=RIU 115 PG part of inscription var. as U. 7777 on head. Another PG on head.
11692	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cone. Fragment. Inscribed on head. Has beginning of 3 lines of a King of Larsa.
12570	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cone. (Warad-Sin or Rim-Sin). Fragment. Part of 14 lines. Partly identical with R1U 130. (Perhaps identical inscription? But RIU 130, 10 is different in one sign; and present inscription is from first or incomplete column of stem (and corresponding part of R1U 130 is from a second column (of head?). HC 116
15684	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cone. Fragment. RIU.115: Sumuilum.
2634	(none)	1927,1003.23	(none)	Cone of Su-mu-ilum (of Larsa). Text: To Innana, his lady, Sumuilum the mighty hero, king of Ur, king of sumer and Akkad, has built, E-gi-na-ab-tum, azag--, her beloved house, in Ur. The 25th year of Gungunu king of Larsa is dated from the construction of E-gi-na-ab-tum azag of nannar (= Entreput sacre: sutummu, according to Th. D.) For the life of Gungunu, king of Ur, En-anna-tum high priest of Nannar at ur, son of Ishme Dagan, king of Sumer and Akkad, has built E-gi-na-ab-tum azagga H.C. R1 No. 114.
12972	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cone fragment. Larsa probably. Unidentified. HC 118.
934	(none)	(none)	(none)	Complete Tablet. Obverse, left side broken, 6 lines. Reverse 4 line date. "Year after Nunnar of IR? Za KI dwelt in his temple" 15th year Sumu-ilum, king of Larsa. See U 924
933	(none)	(none)	(none)	Complete tablet. Obverse 7 lines, badly preserved. Reverse dated. (Year after) the temple of Nannar NI(?IR).ZA.KI, year after that) 16th year Sumu-ilum, king of Larsa. See U 924
709	(none)	(none)	(none)	Complete tablet. Dated.See U.708.
984A	(none)	(none)	(none)	Complete tablet, top edge broken. 3 + 3 lines. Dated. Reign of Bur-Sin(?)

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25 of 1672 Objects

Locations: Old Babylonian Export: JSON - XML - CSV

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)