Elamites Civilization – The most civilized people of their time

With the foundation of the Elamites civilization, the prehistory age was gone and we were entering the historical era. Elamites civilization is divided into three parts:

Ancient Elamite include Proto and Old Elamite

Middle Elamite empire

Neo Elamite of Elamites civilization

The Middle Elamite empire is the most important period of Elamites civilization, which this article begins with this period of the Elamites civilization. One of the most important advances of the Elamite empire during this period was the invention of the Elamite cuneiform, which, contrary to the Proto Elamite one, was completely decoded by experts. This cuneiform and the Babylonian epigraphs have big roles in recognition of this enigmatic era of Iranian history. The proceedings of the Elamite kings in this Iran contain the construction of a ziggurat by Tepti Ahar in the city of Haft Tapeh of Khuzestan. He built this ziggurat as his family tomb.

Shilik-In-Shushkin is another Elamite king, but undeniably the most important and dominant king of this civilization is Untash-gal or Nepirias who established the most important monument which today is also the most important monument left from this civilization, called Ziggurat of In-Shushink or Choghazanbil.

Shutruk-Nahunte and after him, Hutelludus-in-Shushinak were the ultimates kings of Elamite empire, after 200-year-old quietness throughout the territory of the Elamites, this civilization entered a new period, Neo Elamite period.

The history of the Neo Elamite empire started from about 814 BC and continues until the beginning of the Achaemenid dynasty, but this is the political and geographical termination of this dynasty, the cultural effects of this civilization is obvious in the Achaemenid era and even afterward dynasties. The history of Neo Elamites was coincided with the establishment of the Assyrian dynasty in Mesopotamia, after that the Elamite and Babylonian civilization was always invaded by the Assyrians. One of the reasons for the termination of this dynasty by Achaemenids can be these invasions by Assyrians that made Elamite empire weak and weaker until this great civilization did not have the ability to cope with Achaemenids, and soon the eastern part of the dominated land and also most important part – The famous capital of them – Anshan, invaded by Achaemenids. After that, the Elamites civilization was destroyed by Cyrus the Great, but the fact that the Achaemenids accepted the language of Elamites as their bureaucratic language, shows the cultural grandeur of this civilization in Iranian history.