Hurrians
The Hurrians were an ancient people whose origins are not well-documented, first appearing in Sumero-Akkadian records as inhabitants of Subartu, a region in upper Mesopotamia, including parts of modern Syria and northern Iraq. Their presence is corroborated from around 2400 BCE, gaining prominence by the time of the Sargonic king Naram-Sin (c. 2200 BCE), when records began to mention Hurrian locations and leaders. It is believed that the Hurrians may have migrated from the Transcaucasian area to north Mesopotamia, where they established significant cultural and political influence, leading to the rise of the kingdom of Mitanni around 1600 BCE.
Archaeological investigations in the Khābūr region have uncovered several important Hurrian sites, including Tell Mozan, known as Urkesh, which features substantial architecture and evidence of advanced urban development. The city of Urkesh is notable for its historical significance and connections to Hurrian language and mythology, with artifacts such as inscriptions and seal imprints of its kings and notable figures. Overall, the Hurrians played a crucial role in the history and culture of ancient Mesopotamia, contributing to the complex tapestry of civilizations in the region.
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Hurrians
Date: c. 2300-1600 b.c.e.
Locale: Northern Mesopotamia, present-day Syria and northern Iraq
Hurrians
The origins of the Hurrians (HOOR-ee-uhnz) are shrouded in obscurity. They are first described in Sumero-Akkadian sources as inhabiting the land of Subartu, a term used primarily to describe upper Mesopotamia (the Khābūr and Balīkh River Basins in Syria as well as the Tigris River Basin in northern Iraq). Although the earliest attestation of the term Subartu dates to about 2400 b.c.e., evidence of Hurrian occupation of the area does not appear until the reign of the Sargonic king Naram-Sin (c. 2200 b.c.e.), when sources begin to cite names of Hurrian places, chieftains, and individual prisoners of war. Because the Hurrian language is similar to the later Urartian tongue, it is presumed that the Hurrians immigrated to the area some time before this from the north, possibly from the Transcaucasian region in Armenia. At any rate, by 2200 b.c.e., north Mesopotamia was thoroughly Hurrianized, with well-established Hurrian states that continued until the rise of the powerful Hurrian-based kingdom of Mitanni (c. 1600 b.c.e.).
The earliest historical text relating to a Hurrian monarch (a bronze tablet now in the Louvre) mentions Atal-shen, king of Urkesh and Nawar (c. 2200 b.c.e.). The city of Urkesh is also mentioned in the earliest known document in the Hurrian language, a building inscription of Tish-atal, king of Urkesh (c. 2100 b.c.e.).
Archaeological work in the Khābūr region has revealed a number of Hurrian sites, including Tell Chuera (which shows evidence of the large stone architecture typical of many of the northern Syrian centers and a clearly defined upper and lower citadel), Tell Beydar (which has a major defense system, an upper and lower citadel, and evidence of nearly 150 tablets contemporary with Early Dynastic texts in southern Mesopotamia and coastal Syria), Tell ՙAtij (apparently a trading post), and Tell Brak (which exhibited a large number of Akkadian public structures).
The best known of the sites in this region is Tell Mozan, later identified as Urkesh, known from Mesopotamian historical texts and from later Hurrian mythological texts. The city had a large city wall and one of the largest bent-axis temple structures in this period. The first stratified epigraphic remains in the Khābūr plains of Syria have been found here and have helped identify the ancient name of the site. Seal imprints with the name “Tupkish, King of Urkesh” have been found, along with the name of Queen Uqnitum and her many retainers. It has even been suggested that a Hurrian scribal equivalent to Semitic Ebla may have existed in this region.
Bibliography
Buccellati, G., and M. Kelly-Buccellati. Urkesh and the Hurrians. Malibu, Calif.: Undena, 1998.
Gelb, I. J. Hurrians and Subarians. Chicago: Oriental Institute Publications, 1944.
Speiser, E. “The Hurrian Participation in the Civilization of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine.” Cahiers du Histoire Mondiale 1 (1953-1954): 311-327.
Weiss, H., ed. The Origins of Cities in Dry-Farming Syria and Mesopotamia in the Third Millennium b.c. Guilford, Conn.: Four Quarters, 1986.
Wilhelm, G. The Hurrians. Warminster, England: Aris & Phillips, 1989.