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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 8819B | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Four fragmentary mathematical tables: "450 times" "36 times" "1000 times" "6 times" (?) |
| 8819C | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Four fragmentary mathematical tables: "450 times" "36 times" "1000 times" "6 times" (?) |
| 8819D | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Four fragmentary mathematical tables: "450 times" "36 times" "1000 times" "6 times" (?) |
| 8815A | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Fragments in the same script as U.7838. (A) Fragment of King List? (useless owing to condition) (B) Fragment of list of names beginning Lu dingir... | |
| 7839C | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. (A) Round school? tablet. (B) label with seal impression. (C) fragments of envelope with seal impression: a-ab-: ^dNin-. (D) curious tablet with linear pattern. (E) dub ma ^dNanna(r)-Ka. (F) [remarked g?] ? lists of ... (2 fragments). (G) [remarked d?] fragments of large account tablets. cf. U.8822. () [f?] unmarked: numerous small business tablets mostly complete. Of the 5 which have cases and seal impressions. NB. the n. prop. Ur PA-LU-LU (Sib-udu? a new god?) and on another the rare god Lu ^dSukal-an. |
| 8816A | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Lists of words. NB(1) the largest is a list of fishes cf. U.7792. (c) the lists may duplicate U.7838A? |
| 8816B | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Lists of words. NB(1) the largest is a list of fishes cf. U.7792. (c) the lists may duplicate U.7838A? | |
| 8816C | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Lists of words. NB(1) the largest is a list of fishes cf. U.7792. (c) the lists may duplicate U.7838A? | |
| 8816D | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Lists of words. NB(1) the largest is a list of fishes cf. U.7792. (c) the lists may duplicate U.7838A? | |
| 8816E | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Lists of words. NB(1) the largest is a list of fishes cf. U.7792. (c) the lists may duplicate U.7838A? | |
| 8816F | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Lists of words. NB(1) the largest is a list of fishes cf. U.7792. (c) the lists may duplicate U.7838A? | |
| 8816G | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Lists of words. NB(1) the largest is a list of fishes cf. U.7792. (c) the lists may duplicate U.7838A? | |
| 8816I | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Lists of words. NB(1) the largest is a list of fishes cf. U.7792. (c) the lists may duplicate U.7838A? | |
| 8816J | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Lists of words. NB(1) the largest is a list of fishes cf. U.7792. (c) the lists may duplicate U.7838A? | |
| 7827M | 52-30-235 | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Contracts and accounts of Larsa - Bab I period. (cf. also U.7832). Dates: (A) Sumuilum 1; (B) Sumuilum 1; (C) Rim-Sin 49; (D) Samsuiluna, etc. (M) (N) lists of names. many fragments: p.p.p.) fragments of one large tablet cf. U.7836W (or 8806A); t.t.) seem to belong together; Q) seal impression; S) contract with many fragments of its envelope (with seal impression); W) cf. U.7832L; X) cf. U.7832B. |
| 7827R | 52-30-236 | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Contracts and accounts of Larsa - Bab I period. (cf. also U.7832). Dates: (A) Sumuilum 1; (B) Sumuilum 1; (C) Rim-Sin 49; (D) Samsuiluna, etc. (M) (N) lists of names. many fragments: p.p.p.) fragments of one large tablet cf. U.7836W (or 8806A); t.t.) seem to belong together; Q) seal impression; S) contract with many fragments of its envelope (with seal impression); W) cf. U.7832L; X) cf. U.7832B. |
| 7827T | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Contracts and accounts of Larsa - Bab I period. (cf. also U.7832). Dates: (A) Sumuilum 1; (B) Sumuilum 1; (C) Rim-Sin 49; (D) Samsuiluna, etc. (M) (N) lists of names. many fragments: p.p.p.) fragments of one large tablet cf. U.7836W (or 8806A); t.t.) seem to belong together; Q) seal impression; S) contract with many fragments of its envelope (with seal impression); W) cf. U.7832L; X) cf. U.7832B. | |
| 7827X | (none) | 1953,0411.122 | (none) | Tablets. Contracts and accounts of Larsa - Bab I period. (cf. also U.7832). Dates: (A) Sumuilum 1; (B) Sumuilum 1; (C) Rim-Sin 49; (D) Samsuiluna, etc. (M) (N) lists of names. many fragments: p.p.p.) fragments of one large tablet cf. U.7836W (or 8806A); t.t.) seem to belong together; Q) seal impression; S) contract with many fragments of its envelope (with seal impression); W) cf. U.7832L; X) cf. U.7832B. |
| 7838A | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Fragments of large tablets in a very large writing. (A) Lists. Note 4 fragments (which seem to make the edge of a tablet at least 20 cent. long) containing words beginning with gish: also 5 fragments of a tablet containing 2 or 3 columns of words beginning with Ur. (B) Smaller tablets with some large script. (C) 4 fragments of tablet with the large writing on one side and small on reverse. (D) Various fragments. | |
| 7814A | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Fragments of some larger account-tablets found with the collection of small accounts U.7809 (probably). Some of these go with those from Destruction Dump (cf. 7838B, 8832) 7814 A and A belong together? 7814 B and B belong together? | |
| 7832K | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Various fragments - (A) Semitic letter to Ur Nannar; (B) Another to same; (C) with b??; [D-F] Account lists of udu-tu(d), gu(d), and -; (G-H) Fragments of dates, h = Rim-Sin 7; (I) Fragments of proper names; [J] [Not assigned] (K-M) Three considerable fragments. cf. with k.k. U.7804C?(mm) fragment, c.f. with l U.7827W; (N) Fragment [DISH] Istar-um-mi (?); (O) Label, with string-hole; (F) Field plan; [Is this a reference to something other than a tablet] (P) (see whether this belongs with one of the half tablets in U.7802) (cf. also U.7827). | |
| 7832M | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Various fragments - (A) Semitic letter to Ur Nannar; (B) Another to same; (C) with b??; [D-F] Account lists of udu-tu(d), gu(d), and -; (G-H) Fragments of dates, h = Rim-Sin 7; (I) Fragments of proper names; [J] [Not assigned] (K-M) Three considerable fragments. cf. with k.k. U.7804C?(mm) fragment, c.f. with l U.7827W; (N) Fragment [DISH] Istar-um-mi (?); (O) Label, with string-hole; (F) Field plan; [Is this a reference to something other than a tablet] (P) (see whether this belongs with one of the half tablets in U.7802) (cf. also U.7827). | |
| 7832N | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Various fragments - (A) Semitic letter to Ur Nannar; (B) Another to same; (C) with b??; [D-F] Account lists of udu-tu(d), gu(d), and -; (G-H) Fragments of dates, h = Rim-Sin 7; (I) Fragments of proper names; [J] [Not assigned] (K-M) Three considerable fragments. cf. with k.k. U.7804C?(mm) fragment, c.f. with l U.7827W; (N) Fragment [DISH] Istar-um-mi (?); (O) Label, with string-hole; (F) Field plan; [Is this a reference to something other than a tablet] (P) (see whether this belongs with one of the half tablets in U.7802) (cf. also U.7827). | |
| 7832O | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablets. Various fragments - (A) Semitic letter to Ur Nannar; (B) Another to same; (C) with b??; [D-F] Account lists of udu-tu(d), gu(d), and -; (G-H) Fragments of dates, h = Rim-Sin 7; (I) Fragments of proper names; [J] [Not assigned] (K-M) Three considerable fragments. cf. with k.k. U.7804C?(mm) fragment, c.f. with l U.7827W; (N) Fragment [DISH] Istar-um-mi (?); (O) Label, with string-hole; (F) Field plan; [Is this a reference to something other than a tablet] (P) (see whether this belongs with one of the half tablets in U.7802) (cf. also U.7827). |
| 16429 | (none) | 1931,1010.431 | (none) | Terracotta figurine. Nude female with hands to breasts. Moulded. Poor impression but retaining traces of pink paint on forehead between breasts & in lines of body. |
| 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