Wednesday, January 8, 2014 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (CST)
Join Hartmut Kühn, University Professor at the Institut für Vorderasiatische Archäologie for The Collapse of the Assyrian Empire and the Evidence of Dur-Katlimmu.
In historiography long thought to have vanished, the Assyrians prove to have lived on, as the archaeological evidence unmistakably demonstrates.
The collapse of the Assyrian Empire was the prelude to the end of the Mesopotamian domination of the Ancient Near East in 539 BC to be followed by the Persian hegemony. The metropolitan core region of Assyria laid waste, as is known from extensive excavations in the Assyrian capitals; neither the Babylonian nor the Median successors cared for a reconstruction program. But how did the Assyrian home provinces survive the collapse? This poorly known chapter of history is now elucidated by the long term excavations at Tell Sheikh Hamad (Syria), the Assyrian provincial centre of Dur-Katlimmu. In historiography long thought to have vanished, the Assyrians prove to have lived on, as the archaeological evidence unmistakably demonstrates.
Come early and take a docent-led tour of the museum galleries at 6:30 pm. No reservation necessary. Please meet in the museum lobby.
Questions? Contact the Oriental Institute Membership Office at 773-834-9777 or visit oi.uchicago.edu/getinvolved
Lecture Video and Photographs
Hartmut Kühne | The Collapse of the Assyrian Empire and the Evidence of Dur-Katlimmu
The collapse of the Assyrian Empire was the prelude to the end of the Mesopotamian domination of the Ancient Near East in 539 BC to be followed by the Persian hegemony. The metropolitan core region of Assyria laid waste, as is known from extensive excavations in the Assyrian capitals; neither the Babylonian nor the Median successors cared for a reconstruction program. But how did the Assyrian home provinces survive the collapse? This poorly known chapter of history is now elucidated by the long term excavations at Tell Sheikh Hamad (Syria), the Assyrian provincial centre of Dur-Katlimmu. In historiography long thought to have vanished, the Assyrians prove to have lived on, as the archaeological evidence unmistakably demonstrates.
USA, Chicago: Lecture: The Collapse of the Assyrian Empire and the Evidence of Dur-Katlimmu. Oriental Institute, Chicago, January 08, 2014. Photo: AIM
Professor Hartmut Kühn — University Professor at the Institut für Vorderasiatische Archäologie. Photo: AIM
Replica of clay tablet found at Dur-Katlimmu, graciously allowed to be examined by lecture attendees. Photo: AIM
Related Information
Ruins of the «Red House» of Tell Sheikh Hamad exposed by excavations 6th Century CE. Photo: Bertramz | Wikipedia
Dūr-Katlimmu
Tell Sheikh Hamad (Arabic: تل الشيخ حمد) is an archeological site in western Syria on the lower Khabur River. It is the site of the ancient Assyrian city of Dūr-Katlimmu, which bore the Aramaic name Magdalu after the fall of the Assyrian Empire (7C BCE). The town may have been founded during the reign of Shalmaneser I and the name Dur-Katlimmu may refer to the limmu (an appointed royal official) Ina-Aššur-šuma-asbat son of Aššur-nadin-šume.
Excavations have recovered 550 cuneiform Akkadian and 40 Aramaic texts belonging to a senior guard of Ashurbanipal.
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