Chogha Zanbil

Chogha Zanbil (also Tchoga Zanbil and Čoġā Zanbīl) (Elamite: Al Untas Napirisa then later Dur Untash) is an ancient Elamite complex in the Khuzestan province of Iran. It is one of the few existing ziggurats outside Mesopotamia. It lies approximately southeast of Susa and north of Ahvaz. The construction date of the city is unclear due to uncertain in the chronology of the reign of Untash-Napirisha but is clearly sometime in the 14th or 13th century BC. The conventionally assumed date is 1250 BC. The city is currently believed to have been destroyed by the Neo-Assyrian ruler Assurbanipal in about 645 BC, along with the Elamite capital of Susa though some researchers place the end of occupation in the late 12th century BC.
History and etymology
The Elamite language is a language isolate Chogha Zanbil is typically translated as 'basket mound.' It was built about 1250 BC by the king Untash-Napirisha, mainly to honor the great god Inshushinak. Its original name was Dur Untash, which means 'town of Untash', but it is unlikely that many people, besides priests and servants, ever lived there. The complex is protected by three concentric walls which define the main areas of the town. In is known from inscriptions that the outer wall had seven gates, of which only 2 have been found. The middle wall had four gates and between the outer and middle walls was a shared temple dedicated to the chief Elamite god Napirisha and to Inshushinak. Most of the innermost 2.5 hectare area is wholly taken up with a great ziggurat dedicated to the main god, which was built over an earlier square temple with storage rooms also built by Untash-Napirisha.
The middle area holds eleven temples for other gods. These included Nabu, Adad, Shala, Inanna, Ninegal, Humban, Shiamut, Pinikir, Manzat, and Nuska. There are also sanctuaries northeast of the ziggurat for the Elamite deities Isniqarab (Ishmekarab) and Kiririsha. A brick inscription mentioned a golden statue dedicated to the god Nahhunte. Brick inscriptions referring to twenty-two temples have been found but only about half of those have been located. In the outer area are royal palaces, a funerary palace containing five subterranean royal tombs.
Construction at the site, which included commercial and residential areas, continued after Untash-Napirisha's death with numerous building phases and continued to be occupied until it was destroyed by the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal in about 645 BC. Some scholars speculate, based on the large number of temples and sanctuaries at Chogha Zanbil, that Untash-Napirisha attempted to create a new religious center (possibly intended to replace Susa) which would unite the gods of both highland and lowland Elam at one site.
The ziggurat originally measured on each side and about in height, in five levels, and was crowned with a temple. Mud brick was the basic material of the whole ensemble. The ziggurat was given a facing of baked bricks, a number of which have cuneiform characters giving the names of deities in the Elamite and Akkadian languages. Though the ziggurat now stands only high, less than half its estimated original height, its state of preservation is unsurpassed.
The ziggurat is considered to be the best preserved example of the stepped pyramidal monument by UNESCO. In 1979, Chogha Zanbil became the first Iranian site to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Archaeology
The site, measuring 96 hectares in area, was originally discovered by a geologist doing oil exploration in the area. He found an inscribed brick and, being an amateur archaeologist, took it to excavators then working at the site of Susa. The inscription described the building of a sacred city by one "Untash-Gal". It was surveyed and excavated by Roland de Mecquenem in
1935-39 and 1946.
Chogha Zanbil was excavated in six seasons (a total of 21 months) between 1951 and 1962 by Roman Ghirshman with the French Archeological Mission. Almost 100,000 cubic yards of debris were removed in the process, using a crew of 100 to 125 workers at a time. Excavations exposed a quadrangle 1300 square foot wall enclosed sacred area with temples and courtyards. The five stage ziggurat stood at its center, with the corners oriented to the cardinal points. Every 11th level of bricks in the ziggurat was inscribed. Large gates were built into the four sides with three having stairs to the 2nd level and one, the southwest, to the 5th and highest level. At each gate there were half life sized statues, one, of blue-glazed terracotta with an inscription dedicated to the god Inshushinak. Excavation showed that the ziggurat was built in two phases, to the 2nd level first, with two temples, then subsequently to the 5th level. In one of the temples white and black glass tiles were found. Five tombs were found under rooms in the courtyard. Tomb 1 was apparently never used, Tomb V was robbed out in antiquity, Tomb II contained partially burned remains of five individuals (cremated elsewhere), and Tomb IV, completely undisturbed, contained an adult female between 40–60 years old accompanied by grave goods.
A number of inscribed bricks were found (5257 in total with most in Elamite but with 67 in Akkadian). One read:
Most recently the site was excavated by Behzad Mofidi Nasrabadi in 1999, 2002, 2004, and 2005. This included a 35 hectare magnetometer survey by the University of Kiel
Threats
Petroleum exploration due to increased global demand threatens the foundations of the site, as various seismic tests have been undertaken to explore for reserves of petroleum. Digging for oil has been undertaken as close as away from the ziggurat.
Gallery
See also
Step pyramid
Iranian architecture
Cities of the ancient Near East
Haft Tepe
References
Further reading
EXCAVATION REPORTS
Roman Ghirshman, "Tchoga Zanbil (Dur-Untash). Vol. I: La Ziggurat", Mémoires de la Délégation Archéologique en Iran, vol. 39, Geuthner, 1966
R. Ghirshman, "Tchoga Zanbil (Dur-Untash) Volume II: Temenos, Temples, Palais, Tombes", Memoires de la Delegation Archeologique en Iran, vol. 40 Geuthner, 1968
PlatesM.J. Steve, "Tchoga Zanbil (Dur-Untash) 3: Textes Élamites et Accadiens", Mémoires de la Délégation Archéologique en Iran, vol. 41, Geuthner, 1967
Edith Porada, "Tchoga Zanbil (Dur-Untash). Vol. IV (only): La Glyptique", Memoires de la Delegation Archeologique en Iran, vol. 42, Geuthner, 1970
P. Amiet, "Martik et Tchoga Zanbil", Revue d'Assyriologie et d'Archéologie Orientale, vol. 84, no. 1, pp. 44–47, 1990
Ghirshman, R., "La Ziggourat de Tchoga-Zanbil près de Suse", Revue Archéologique, vol. 44, pp. 1–6, 1954
Ghirshman, R., "Nouveaux Travaux à La Ziggourat de Tchoga-Zanbil, Près Suse", Revue Archéologique, vol. 46, pp. 63–67, 1955
Roman Ghirshman, "La ziggourat de Tchoga-Zanbil (Susiane)", Comptes rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, vol. 98 lien Issue 2, pp. 233–238, 1954
Ghirshman, R., "La ziggourat de Tchoga-Zanbil près Suse", Revue Archéologique, vol. 49, pp. 1–9, 1957
Ghirshman, R., "The ziggurat of Choga Zanbil", Archaeology, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 260–63, 1955
Roman Ghirshman, Campagne de fouilles à Tchoga-Zanbil, près de Suse, Comptes rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, vol. 99, iss. 1, pp. 112–113, 1955
Roman Ghirshman, "Cinquième campagne de fouilles à Tchoga-Zanbil, près Suse, rapport préliminaire (1955–1956)", Comptes rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, vol. 100, iss. 3, pp. 335–345, 1956
Ghirshman, Roman, "Cinquième campagne de fouilles à Tchoga-Zanbil, près Suse, 1955 - 1956. Rapport préliminaire", Arts Asiatiques, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 163–82, 1956
Roman Ghirshman, "Les fouilles de Tchoga-Zanbil, près de Suse (1956)", Comptes rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, vol. 100, iss. 2, pp. 137–138, 1956
Roman Ghirshman, "VIe campagne de fouilles à Tchoga-Zanbil près de Suse (1956–1957) rapport préliminaire", Comptes rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, vol. 101, iss. 3, pp. 231–241, 1957
Ghirshman, R., "Les fouilles de Tchoga-Zanbil, près Suse (7e campagne, hivers 1958-1959)", Revue Archéologique, vol. 1, pp. 133–39, 1960
Roman Ghirshman, "FouiIles de Tchoga-Zanbil près de Suse, complexe de quatre temples", Comptes rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, vol. 103, iss. 1, pp. 74–76, 1959
Roman Ghirshman, "VIIe campagne de fouilles à Tchoga-Zanbil, près de Suse (1958–1959)", rapport préliminaire, Comptes rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, vol. 103, iss. 2, pp. 287–297, 1959
Ghirshman, Roman. "Tchoga-Zanbil, Rapport Preliminaire de la VIIIe Campagne. (1960-1961)", Arts Asiatiques, vol. 8, no. 2, 1961, pp. 121–38
D. T. Potts, "The Archaeology of Elam: Formation and Transformation of an Ancient Iranian State", Cambridge University Press, 1999,
François Vallat, "Légendes élamites de fragments de statues d’Un-taš-Napiriša et Tchoga Zanbil", Iranica antiqua 23, pp. 169–177, 1988
External links
Chogha Zanbil
World Heritage profile
Archaeological sites in Iran
World Heritage Sites in Iran
Castles in Iran
Ancient Near East temples
Former populated places in Khuzestan Province
Shush County
Buildings and structures in Khuzestan Province
Tourist attractions in Khuzestan Province
National works of Iran
Elamite cities
Ziggurats
Pyramids in Iran