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MM 1977:023a :: brick, inscription

Object description: This fragmentary brick is inscribed with an inscription of Untash-Napirisha, who was king of Elam during the Middle Elamite Period. He founded a new capital called either Al-Untash-Napirisha (‘City of Untash-Napirisha’) or Dur-Untash (‘Fortress of Untash’), modern Choga Zanbil, on a low ridge 40 km south-east of Susa in what is now the Khuzistan province of western Iran. French archaeologists excavated the site 1936-1939 and 1951-1962. The large temple tower in the middle of the temple area in the centre of the city is the best preserved of all ziggurats excavated. Remains of glazed bricks from the facade of the ziggurat have been found. In the final publication of the inscribed bricks from Choga Zanbil, M-j. Steve referred to more than 5000 inscribed bricks excavated in this city. Most of them had Elamite inscriptions, but some were inscribed in Akkadian. The most common inscribed bricks, some 70 % of the total number, had the same Elamite text as on our brick. A total of 662 bricks with this inscription were still found in situ in the walls of ziggurrat. A limited number of bricks with this inscription were also reported to have been found in Susa. The inscription describes how the king Untash-Napirisha, with the Elamite royal title king of Anshan and Susa, constructed the ziggurat-temple called Siyankuk in his new capital. Our brick was evidently intended for this ziggurat, and it seems reasonable to assume that it was built into the walls of this building as were the numerous duplicates referred to above. The donator served at the time of the acquisition of the brick at the Swedish legation in Teheran. When he donated it 37 years later, it may be assumed that he had forgotten that one of the bricks was not from Babylon, but possibly purchased somewhere in Iran. Due to our present state of knowledge of Elamite, there is some uncertainty in the translation below; these parts of the translation are in Italics. “I, Untash-Napirisha, son of [Humban-numena, king of Anshan and ] Susa, [wanted to prolong] my life [ and my good reign, and to avoid] any discontinuity of my prosperous (royal) line, [therefore] I built this temple of baked bricks, [and the high temple of glazed bricks. I gave it] to the god Inshushinak of (the temple) Siyankuk (‘Temple-protection’). I consecrated [the temple tower (ziggurat)]. What I made and created, [has been given by me as a gift to the god Inshushinak].”

Data elements
References (4)

Inventory number

MM 1977:023a

Serie nummer

883

Object

brick; inscription

Country - Findspot

Iran : Asia

Place - Findspot

Elam

Material

Clay; Pottery

Material, Swedish

Keramik

Acquisition

Ambassador Carl Bergenstråhle (1909-1977) donated three bricks to the Medelhavsmuseet in 1976. He purchased them when he served as secretary of Swedish legation in Teheran in 1940. When he donated them to the Medelhavsmuseet, he claimed that they came from a wall in the northeastern part of the south palace in Babylon where R. Koldewey assumed that the “hanging gardens” were situated. This information is probably correct for two of the bricks (MM 1977:23b and MM 1977:23c). However, the third brick (MM 1977:23a) seems to be from Choga Zanbil in western Iran.

Description

This fragmentary brick is inscribed with an inscription of Untash-Napirisha, who was king of Elam during the Middle Elamite Period. He founded a new capital called either Al-Untash-Napirisha (‘City of Untash-Napirisha’) or Dur-Untash (‘Fortress of Untash’), modern Choga Zanbil, on a low ridge 40 km south-east of Susa in what is now the Khuzistan province of western Iran. French archaeologists excavated the site 1936-1939 and 1951-1962. The large temple tower in the middle of the temple area in the centre of the city is the best preserved of all ziggurats excavated. Remains of glazed bricks from the facade of the ziggurat have been found. In the final publication of the inscribed bricks from Choga Zanbil, M-j. Steve referred to more than 5000 inscribed bricks excavated in this city. Most of them had Elamite inscriptions, but some were inscribed in Akkadian. The most common inscribed bricks, some 70 % of the total number, had the same Elamite text as on our brick. A total of 662 bricks with this inscription were still found in situ in the walls of ziggurrat. A limited number of bricks with this inscription were also reported to have been found in Susa. The inscription describes how the king Untash-Napirisha, with the Elamite royal title king of Anshan and Susa, constructed the ziggurat-temple called Siyankuk in his new capital. Our brick was evidently intended for this ziggurat, and it seems reasonable to assume that it was built into the walls of this building as were the numerous duplicates referred to above. The donator served at the time of the acquisition of the brick at the Swedish legation in Teheran. When he donated it 37 years later, it may be assumed that he had forgotten that one of the bricks was not from Babylon, but possibly purchased somewhere in Iran. Due to our present state of knowledge of Elamite, there is some uncertainty in the translation below; these parts of the translation are in Italics. “I, Untash-Napirisha, son of [Humban-numena, king of Anshan and ] Susa, [wanted to prolong] my life [ and my good reign, and to avoid] any discontinuity of my prosperous (royal) line, [therefore] I built this temple of baked bricks, [and the high temple of glazed bricks. I gave it] to the god Inshushinak of (the temple) Siyankuk (‘Temple-protection’). I consecrated [the temple tower (ziggurat)]. What I made and created, [has been given by me as a gift to the god Inshushinak].”

Period

Ca 1260-1235 BC.

Exhibition - Previously

Främre Orienten

Description: Near Eastern Collections
Among the highlights in the Near Eastern collection, are the Bronze Age objects found by professor T Arne, during the Swedish excavations of 1932 in Shah Tepe in northeastern Iran.
The Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities also has one of the world's largest and finest collections of ancient Persian bronzes from Bronze- and Iron Age Luristan(2700 BC – 650 BC.
From Mesopotamia the museum has a representative collection of cuneiform tablets and seals from Sumerian and Babylonian times.
A relief from the Northwest palace in Nimrud, built by the Assyrian king Assurnasirpal II and dated to 860 BC, can be seen at the museum. Across the relief is a long inscription that tells the story of the king and his achievements.
The Englishman Austin Henry excavated the relief in the 1840’s in Iraq and presented it to Queen Josephine of Sweden. She in turn donated it to The National Museum of Fine Arts in Stockholm for its opening in 1866.A copy of the original relief is on display for the time being at the museum. (www.medelhavsmuseet.se, 2010-09-08)
The exhibition is located in room 9.
Time - Start: 20002000 [?]
Time - End: 20122012 [?]

Exhibition, Part of - Previously

Främre Orienten - Showcase 09:01.

Keyword

ceramics

NegNo

8539D

Cf Publications

Steve 1962 pp. 27-29; Steve 1967 pp. 7-12; König 1965 pp. 60 ff; Walker 1981 p. 1331; Grillot 1982 pp. 5-15; Grillot 1983 p. 271; Steve & Vallat 1989 pp. 223-238

Publications

Pedersén 1994 pp. 4-5 Fig. 1.

PhotoNegNo

8540D

Reference - Published in

Pedersén, Olof (1994) "Ancient Near Eastern Objects with Cuneiform Inscriptions: Part II. Elamite and Neo-Babylonian Royal Inscriptions" in Medelhavsmuseet Bulletin no 29 (1995), p. 3-10.

Source - http: libris.kb.se, books.google.se

Height / Höjd

9,5 cmpreservedcm

Width / Bredd

hencompletethewidthwas36 cm17 cm

Thickness / Tjocklek

17 cm

Dimensions

H. 9.5 cm, preserved W.17 cm, Thick. 17 cm. When complete the width was 36 cm.

Condition

Left half of a baked brick with Elamite inscription on the side surface.

Original register

WestAsia

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MM 1977:023a :: brick, inscription

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Important to know about the information in the online collection database