“Simurrum and the Hurrian Frontier,”
Revue Hittite et asianique 36, pp. 71-83.
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The paper starts with the definition of the first Hurrian settlement ever attested, the so-called area of 'Urkesh and Nawar' [cf. also Hallo 1964], of the late Sargonic period (ca. 22nd century BC). Because of its strategic position (both towards North and South) and its rich rainfall agriculture, the same entity (although called 'Subir/Subartu') is described as one of “the prime target of Mesopotamian military activity by both Sargonic and Ur III kings”.
The author than briefly describes the geographical situation of the area in late Sargonic times and suggests the titularity 'king of Urkesh and Nawar' (arguing for a possible interpretation as 'king of East and West, i.e. of the entire world') as affected by kings as Atal/Ari-šen (see Parrot and Nougayrol 1948) and by Tish-atal of Urkesh (see Parrot and Nougayrol 1948 and Gelb 1956).
Afterwards, the author recalls some Old Babylonian (and later) myths (as the Legend of Naram-Sin) trying to better identifying the actual location of Simurrum; then, he moves to the analysis of the king lists for Simurrum and Mardaman, also considering the dating formulas attested on Ur III period-documents. The 'First, Second and Third Hurrian Wars' are historically reconstructed, mostly focusing on the person of king Šulgi.
After this long wartime, the author retrieves the path towards the pacification of Simurrum (documented in the Royal Correspondence of Ur) and the enthronement of Amar-Suen instead of Šulgi, the Babylonian strategy being almost the same. Later on, when Ibbi-Sin accessed the throne, his first documented (as far as we know) military campaign was against Simurrum again, thus strengthening the importance and the key-position of that area. Centuries later, despite the conquests of the area by Šamši-Adad I and by Hammurabi, “the Hurrians were ready for an even greater role around Nuzi in the middle of the second millennium” (p. 80).
Appendix I (pp. 80-81) quotes a passage from Old Babylonian chronicles, while Appendix II (p. 82) reports a specimen of dating formula of Ur III period.
Map on p. 83 refers to the Simurrum area, described as “lying exactly along the outer frontier of what Rowton calls the dimorphic zone” (p. 72).
[M. De Pietri – October 2019]