Anshan (Persia) facts for kids

Location of Anshan within the Elamite empire. The approximate Bronze Age extension of the Persian Gulf is shown.

Anshan, known today as Tall-e Malyan, was an ancient city in the Elamite and ancient Persian empires. It was located in the Zagros Mountains in southwestern Iran. This important city was about 46 kilometers (29 miles) north of Shiraz.

Anshan was one of the very first cities to become a state. It was also one of the earliest capitals of Elam, starting from the late 4th millennium BC. Later, around the 7th century BC, it came under the rule of the Persians. It then became one of the first capitals of Persia. Most of what we know about Anshan comes from old objects found during archaeological digs at Tall-e Malyan. We also learn from early Elamite writings.

Discovering Anshan's Past

Anshan is thought to be where one of the world's oldest known civilizations began. People lived there continuously from before 4000 BC until 1000 BC. The city was connected politically to the Elamites in Susa and also to the Mesopotamians.

For a long time, experts didn't know exactly where Anshan was. They only knew it was somewhere in the central Zagros mountains. Then, in 1973, objects found during archaeological digs at Tall-i Malyan confirmed its exact location.

Anshan's Early Importance

During the Proto-Elamite period (late 4th millennium BC), Anshan grew into a major city. This was because it was located on important trade routes. In the 'Banesh period' (3400-2800 BC), Anshan was huge. It covered about 50 hectares (124 acres), which was five times bigger than Susa at the time.

The Marv Dasht area, where Anshan is located, has many connected valleys and plains. By the mid-to-late Banesh Period (3100-2800 BC), Anshan had a walled area of 200 hectares (494 acres). It also had many smaller villages and campsites nearby.

Anshan in Ancient Stories

The Elamite city of Anshan appears in an old Sumerian story called Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta. In this story, Anshan is on the way between Uruk and the legendary city of Aratta. This was supposedly around the time writing was invented.

Over time, Anshan was the home of several Elamite ruling families. These families sometimes competed with other important Elamite cities for power and land.

Anshan and Powerful Empires

The earliest mentions of Anshan are in the Sumerian King List. This list talks about rulers from a place called Awan. A king named Manishtushu claimed he took control of Anshan. But as his empire grew weaker, a local ruler from Susa, Kutik-Inshushinak, declared his freedom and captured Anshan.

Later, Gudea of Lagash claimed to have taken Anshan in 2200 BC. Also, the Neo-Sumerian kings Shulgi and Shu-Sin from Ur had their own governors in Anshan. However, their successor, Ibbi-Sin, struggled to keep control of Anshan. This led to the Elamites attacking Ur in 2004 BC. During this attack, a statue of the god Nanna and King Ibbi-Sin himself were taken to Anshan.

In the Old Babylonian period, King Gungunum of Larsa named his fifth year of rule after destroying Anshan.

Kings of Anshan and Susa

In the early Elamite period, rulers were called "kings of Awan." But later, they were known as "kings of Anzan, Susa, and Elam." It seems Awan might have been a political area that was part of a larger Anshan. This is because Anshan was very advanced politically and culturally.

From the 15th century BC, Elamite rulers in Susa started using the title "King of Anshan and Susa." It's likely that Anshan and Susa were united for much of the "Middle Elamite period." The last king to use this title was Shutruk-Nahhunte II (around 717-699 BC).

Anshan and the Persian Empire

Anshan came under Persis Achaemenid rule in the 7th century BC. It was captured by Teispes (675–640 BC). Teispes was an ancestor of Cyrus the Great. He called himself "the great king, king of Anshan."

For about a century, while the Elamite power declined, Anshan was a smaller kingdom. Then, in the 6th century BC, the Achaemenids began their conquests from Anshan. This city became the heart of the Persian Empire. The most famous conqueror who came from Anshan was Cyrus the Great.

The connection to the Achaemenid Empire is clear from writings on the Cyrus Cylinder. This ancient text traces the family line of Cyrus the Great. Cyrus is called the "king of the city of Anshan," and his ancestors are called "the great king, king of the city of Anshan."

Exploring Anshan's Ruins

The ancient site of Anshan covers about 200 hectares (494 acres). The main part is a low, flat-topped mound about 130 hectares (321 acres) in size. It stands about 4 to 6 meters (13 to 20 feet) high. On three sides, you can still see parts of a city wall. This wall was 5 kilometers (3 miles) long and 20 meters (66 feet) wide. It dates back to the Late Banesh and Kaftari periods.

A smaller site, about 300 meters (984 feet) northeast of the main mound, was called the TUV Mound by archaeologists. This smaller area was only used during the Banesh phase in the late 4th millennium BC. At that time, it covered 3 hectares (7.4 acres), while the main site was about 50 hectares (124 acres). Proto-Elamite clay tablets were found at TUV, at the same level as those in the main mound.

First Discoveries and Digs

The site was first explored by Hassan Nader and Fereidoon Tavallali in 1961. They were from the Archaeological Service of Iran. However, there are no records or publications about their work. Some objects they found did end up in the Persepolis Museum.

Scientific excavations began in 1971. A team led by William Sumner from the University of Pennsylvania and Ohio State University started digging. They had done a survey in 1968. The dig continued for several seasons until 1978, when the Iranian Revolution stopped the work. More recently, Tal-i Malyan was excavated by Kamyar Abdi in 1999. Another six-week dig took place in 2004. This was done by the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran and Dartmouth College.

The Key to Identifying Anshan

One of the most important finds was a building brick discovered in Iran in 1971. A photo of this brick was published in a French archaeological magazine. The brick had writings on it that were crucial for identifying the lost city. These writings were in Elamite. They were believed to be part of a temple built by Elamite kings for the gods in Anshan. The brick mentioned the Elamite ruler Hutelutush-Inshushinak and his family.

In 1973, Erica Reiner from the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute translated some tablets found at the Tall-i Malyan site. She was able to match these writings to those on the brick. They also matched writings on tablets found by the Pennsylvania team, which specifically named Anshan. This confirmed that Tall-i Malyan was indeed the lost city of Anshan.

Ancient Tablets and Their Secrets

The Pennsylvania team found three different groups of clay tablets at the site.

• The oldest group has 33 tablets and pieces made of unfired clay. They date back to the 3rd millennium BC. Some were found in a large building in the main mound, others in smaller buildings on the TUV mound. These tablets have not been translated because the writing is Proto-Elamite.
• The next set of tablets are written in Cuneiform, using an Old Babylonian version of the Akkadian language. They date to around 1800 BC. These tablets show that Mesopotamia had an influence on Anshan.
• The third set of tablets are written in Elamite cuneiform. These are the ones Erica Reiner used to confirm Anshan's location. They are from the later part of the Middle Elamite Period and were mostly part of an archive. The building where they were found was destroyed by fire, which baked the tablets but also damaged many of them. About 50 tablets are still complete.

An agreement was made between the researchers and the Iranian government. The Iranian government could choose ten objects, and the rest would be divided evenly. The Iranian government chose several of the tablets as part of their ten items.

See Also

• Prehistory of Iran
• Cities of the Ancient Near East
• Short chronology timeline
• History of Iran
• Cyrus the Great
• List of kings of Persia
• List of rulers of Elam