Susa

Major city of western Asia, in Khuzistan, Iran, with its first four phases paralleling those of Mesopotamia (Ubaid, Uruk, Jemdet Nasr, and Early Dynastic). It was the capital of Elam in Akkadian times (3rd, 2nd, 1st millennium BC) and again in the first as a capital of the Achaemenid empire. Susa controlled important east-west trade routes and was the end of the Achaemenid Royal Road from Lydian Sardis. Darius built the citadel c 500 BC. The tell is made up of four separate mounds: 1) the acropolis, which has produced most of the prehistoric material from the site; 2) the Royal City which has important Elamite remains of the 2nd millennium BC; 3) the Apadana, with a large, impressive Achaemenid palace; and 4) the Artisans' Town, of the Achaemenid period and later. It continued under the name of Seleucia after being captured by Alexander the Great in 331 BC; it later passed to the Parthians and Sassanians. Susa's characteristic fine ceramic ware had geometric motifs painted in dark colors onto a light background. Among the more important finds of Susa are the victory stela of Naram-Sin (Akkadian period), many Kassite kudurru, and the law code of Hammurabi (Old Babylonian period), which had been brought to Susa from Babylon after an Elamite raid. Susa was traditionally associated with Anshan (Tepe Malyan) in Fars.

[Susiana]. Major city (Biblical Shushan) in Khuzistan, southwest Iran. The area around Susa, known as Susiana, is contiguous with and very similar to southern Mesopotamia proper (it is sometimes included in the designation ‘Greater Mesopotamia’) and the development of civilization followed closely related courses in the two areas (see Table 2, page 320). Susa itself was the capital of the Elamite state in the 3rd, 2nd and 1st millennia bc, and in the mid-1st millennium it became the administrative centre of the Achaemenid empire. It was captured by Alexander the Great in 331 bc, but continued in occupation through the Parthian and Sassanian periods and well into the Islamic period. The site covers two square kilometres and has been excavated by the French with few interruptions since 1897. The tell is made up of four separate mounds: (1) the Acropolis, which has produced most of the prehistoric material from the site, as well as structures of later date; (2) the Royal City which has produced important Elamite remains of the 2nd millennium bc; (3) the Apadana, with its large and impressive Achaemenid palace; and (4) the Artisans’ Town, also of the Achaemenid period (and later). Among the most important individual finds from Susa are the stele of Naram-Sin (of the Akkadian period) and the law code of Hammurabi (Old Babylonian period), which had been brought to Susa from Babylon after an Elamite raid. Both are now in the Louvre in Paris.