The Enigma of Ancient Elam - Part I: The Proto-Elamite and Old Elamite Periods (3500-1500 BC)

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Published 2023-07-23
Located in what’s today southwestern and southern Iran, the ancient country that most of us today know as Elam emerged as a dynamic and influential civilization that has left an indelible mark on the tapestry of human history. From its earliest origins as a collection of city-states and principalities in the 4th millennium BC to its peak as a formidable empire, Elam's complex history is one of resilience, innovation, power politics and ultimately in many areas, tragedy.

In Part I, we’ll delve into the annals of Elam's early past and discover the origins of Elamite civilization, art, politics, and its growth as an important military power and commercial conduit that connected east and west.

Contents:

00:00 Introduction
01:50 Where was Elam and who are the Elamites?
07:38 Proto-Elamite Culture
10:15 The Mysterious Proto-Elamite Script
12:23 Trade and War with Ancient Sumer
15:40 Elam Under the Akkadian and Awan Dynasties
23:50 The Oldest Elamite Document and Treaty?
26:51 Puzur-Inshushinak
29:03 The Linear Elamite Script
32:35 Elam Under the Third Dynasty of Ur
35:55 The Shimashki Dynasty
42:54 From the Shimashkis to the Sukkalmahs
57:11 Thank You and Channel Patrons

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Sources and Suggested Reading:

The Archaeology of Elam, 2nd Edition - D.T. Potts
The Elamite World - Ed. by Javier Álvarez-Mon, Gian Pietro Basello and Yasmina Wicks
The Art of Elam - Javier Álvarez-Mon
The Archaeology of Iran from the Palaeolithic to the Achaemenid Empire - Roger Matthews and Hassan Fazeli Nashli
Elam and Persia - Ed. by Javier Álvarez-Mon and Mark B. Garrison
A History of Babylon, 2200 BC - AD 75 - Paul-Alain Beaulieu
King Hammurabi of Babylon - Marc Van De Mieroop
Hammurabi of Babylon - Dominique Charpin
Civilizations of the Ancient Near East Vol. III - Ed. by Jack Sasson

Machinimas created using Total War: Rome 2 Age of Bronze mod

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Music:

Epidemic Sound

#ancienthistory #bronzeage #history

All Comments (21)
  • @Manic-Main
    Hell yeh. 1 hour program on Elam. Let’s goooooo
  • @fanzy1338
    This video is by far the most researched and detailed presentation of the Elamite civilization. Great job 👏
  • @IranTalk
    Excellent work, Cy! Content like this is what makes your channel standout compared to others.
  • @Shaymuhs
    I already know this is gonna be a wonderful video, I hope you know how much this kind of free high quality education means to us! Thank you for all of your work.
  • @aimeemorgado8715
    I came home hot and tired. Sat down and here is just what I needed to improve my mood, knowledge, and perspective! Thank you!!! Love your work.
  • @scoringbox2176
    Been binge watching your work for the past several months now. Please keep making awesome content like this!
  • My husband and I absolutely love your work cy. You make two genuine Aussies history lovers happy mate. Keep up the good work.
  • @BoomaRanga72
    One of the only things I wanted more than the next episode of Egyptian Dynasties Keep up the great work mate, much love from Australia.
  • @cariboux2
    Thank you, Cy. You're performing a great service. The more we understand about societies that preceded ours, the better able we will be to make choices for our own. I'm doing some independent research on belief systems and social stability (I have no idea if anything will ever come from it 😅), and your channel is great at expanding my scope and pointing me in new directions. Thanks once again. Great production!
  • @oriffel
    omg thank you! everyone talks about Elam, but they always talkin shit, rather than ever talkin about them. I've been waitin for a video like this for a very long time.
  • @bistokidsfan
    History with Cy. My afternoon is complete! 👍🏻😉
  • @hairyjohnson2597
    I have a 2 hour drive to work this morning, I woke up and saw a 1 hour video on elam. Going to be a great day! Thanks Cy!
  • @anasevi9456
    I've long heard of Elam and Susa, but this documentary truly pieced how it came together in a way I can see the entity forming.. At least a loose groundwork of what the the Medes and Achaemenids would spring off of. Thank you!
  • @pikmin4743
    woo! I had a feeling yesterday that something Cy would be dropping soon. Thank you!
  • @jeremyglauert40
    My wife is an Elamite. She grew up in Shiraz and her family had served the Shah or King of Kings for 2,500 years. Her Grandmother who was an illegitimate child of the Crown Prince of the Qazars of Estifan. Their name was Janesarran which is a title and not really a name. It means. "I shall lay my life down for my King, know matter what the circumstances may be."
  • @WanaxTV
    I was waiting for this one! Congrats Cy, great video!
  • @iexist3919
    I can’t wait to watch when I find the time. I hope to visit Iran and see the sights of these ancient civilizations once again. Thank you again Cy!
  • @EdrickBluebeard
    I really appreciate these videos, Sir. Thank you for putting them together. I especially appreciate seeing examples of artwork and goods from the region/eras discussed.