Larsa (,ETCSL. The Lament for Nibru. Accessed 19 Dec 2010. read LarsamkiETCSL. The Temple Hymns. Accessed 19 Dec 2010.), also referred to as Larancha/Laranchon (Gk. Λαραγχων) by Berossos and connected with the biblical Ellasar, was an important city-state of ancient Sumer, the center of the cult of the sun god Utu with his temple E-babbar. It lies some southeast of Uruk in Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate, near the east bank of the Shatt-en-Nil canal at the site of the modern settlement Tell as-Senkereh or Sankarah.
Larsa is thought to be the source of a number of tablets involving Babylonian mathematics, including the Plimpton 322 tablet that contains patterns of Pythagorean triples. Robson, Eleanor, "Words and Pictures: New Light on Plimpton 322", The American Mathematical Monthly, vol. 109, no. 2, pp. 105–20, 2002
History Larsa is found (as UD.UNUG) on Proto-cuneiform lexical lists from the Uruk 4 period (late 4th millennium BC). A few Proto-cuneiform tablets were also found there.Charvát, Petr, "From King to God: The NAMEŠDA Title in Archaic Ur", in Organization, Representation, and Symbols of Power in the Ancient Near East: Proceedings of the 54th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale at Würzburg 20–25 Jul, edited by Gernot Wilhelm, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 265-274, 2012 Three Neolithic clay tokens, from a slightly early period, were also found at Larsa.Schmandt-Besserat, Denise. Before writing: From counting to cuneiform, Vol. II, University of Texas Press, 1992Overmann, Karenleigh A., The Material Origin of Numbers: Insights from the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Piscataway, NJ, USA: Gorgias Press, Table 9.2, pp. 169-170, 2019 For most of its history Larsa was primarily a cult site for the god Utu. In the early part of the 2nd millennium BC the First Dynasty of Lagash made it a major power for perhaps two centuries. The last known occupation was in the Hellenistic period.
Early Bronze Age Early Dynastic IIIB The historical "Larsa" was already in existence as early as the reign of Early Dynastic ruler Eannatum of Lagash (circa 2500–2400 BC), who annexed it to his empire. In a large victory stele found at Girsu he wrote:
A later ruler, Entemena, nephew of Eannatum, is recorded on a foundation cone found at nearby Bad-Tibira as cancelling the debts of the citizens of Larsa "He cancelled [oblig]ations for the citizens of Uruk, Larsa, and Pa-tibira ... He restored (the second) to the god Utu’s control in Larsa ...".
Akkadian period Larsa is attested in the Akkadian Empire in the Temple Hymns of Enheduanna, daughter of Sargon of Akkad.
Ur III period In the Ur III empire period that ended the millennium, its first ruler Ur-Nammu recorded, in a brick inscription found at Larsa, rebuilding the E-babbar temple of Utu there.Frayne, Douglas, "Ur-Nammu E3/2.1.1". Ur III Period (2112-2004 BC), Toronto: University of Toronto Press, pp. 5-90, 1997
Middle Bronze Age
The city became a political force during the Isin-Larsa period. After the Third Dynasty of Ur collapsed c. 2004 BC, Ishbi-Erra, an official of the last king of the Third Dynasty of Ur, Ibbi-Sin, relocated to Isin and set up a government which purported to be the successor to the Third Dynasty of Ur. From there, Ishbi-Erra recaptured Ur as well as the cities of Uruk and Lagash, which Larsa was subject to. Subsequent rulers of Isin appointed governors to rule over Larsa; one such governor was an Amorite named Gungunum. He eventually broke with Isin and established an independent dynasty in Larsa. To legitimize his rule and deliver a blow to Isin, Gungunum captured the city of Ur. In his year names he recorded the defeat of the distant Anshan in Elam as well as city-states closer to Larsa such as Malgium. As the region of Larsa was the main center of trade via the Persian Gulf, Isin lost an enormously profitable trade route, as well as a city with much cultic significance.
Gungunum's two successors, Abisare (c. 1905–1894 BC) and Sumuel (c. 1894–1865 BC), both took steps to cut Isin completely off from access to canals. Isin quickly lost political and economic influence.
Larsa grew powerful, but never accumulated a large territory. At its peak under king Rim-Sin I (c. 1822–1763 BC), Larsa controlled about 10–15 other city-states. In the latter half of this period the city of Mashkan-shapir acted as a second capital of the city-state.Steinkeller, P., "A History of Mashkan-shapir and Its Role in the Kingdom of Larsa", In E. C. Stone & P. Zimansky (eds.), The Anatomy of a Mesopotamian City. Survey and Soundings at Mashkan-shapir, Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, pp. 26-42, 2004Ali Ahmed Gadalla, Azza, "The City of Mashkan-Shabir and The Kingdom of Larsa", Annals of the Faculty of Arts, Ain Shams University 50.13, pp. 294-321, 2022 Nevertheless, huge building projects and agricultural undertakings can be detected archaeologically. After the defeat of Rim-Sin I by Hammurabi of Babylon, Larsa became a minor site, though it has been suggested that it was the home of the First Sealand Dynasty of Babylon.W. G. Lambert, "The Home of the First Sealand Dynasty", Journal of Cuneiform Studies, 26, pp. 208–210, 1974
Iron Age Larsa was known to be active during the Neo-Babylonian, Achaemenid, and Hellenistic periods based on building brick inscriptions as well as a number of cuneiform texts from the Larsa temple of Samash which were found in Uruk.Beaulieu, Paul-Alain, "Neo-Babylonian Larsa: A Preliminary Study", Orientalia, vol. 60, no. 2, pp. 58–81, 1991Boivin, O., "The ilku and Related Fiscal Obligations in Sixth Century Larsa", in: K. Kleber (ed.), Taxation in the Achaemenid Empire (Classica et Orientalia 26), Wiesbaden, pp. 153–176, 2021Beaulieu, P.-A., "A Finger in Every Pie: The Institutional Connections of a Family of Entrepreneurs in Neo-Babylonian Larsa", in: A.C.V.M. Bongenaar (ed.), Interdependency of Institutions and Private Entrepreneurs: Proceedings of the Second MOS Symposium, Leiden 1998 (PIHANS 87), Leiden, pp. 43–72, 2000Joannès, F., "Les débuts de l’époque hellénistique à Larsa", in: C. Breniquet/C. Kepinski (ed.), Études mésopotamiennes. Recueil de textes offerts à Jean-Louis Huot, Paris, pp. 249–264, 2001 The E-babbar of Utu/Shamash was destroyed by fire in the 2nd century BC and the area re-used for poorly built private homes.Lecomte, O., "Stratigraphical analysis and ceramic assemblages of the 4th–1st centuries B. C. E.Babbar of Larsa", in: U. Finkbeiner (ed.), Materialien zur Archäologie der Seleukiden- und Partherzeit im südlichen Babylonien und im Golfgebiet, Tübingen, pp. 17–39, 1993 The entire site was abandoned by the 1st century BC.Westenholz, Aage, "The Graeco-Babyloniaca Once Again", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 97, no. 2, pp. 262-313, 2007
List of rulers The following list should not be considered complete: #Portrait or inscriptionRuler date and length of reignComments, notes, and references for mentionsUr III period ()1stNaplanum(MC) (SC)temp. of Ibbi-Suen temp. of Ishbi-Erra May have been an Amorite of the Yamutbal tribeIsin-Larsa period ()2ndEmisum(MC) (SC)Son of Naplanum (?) temp. of Shu-Ilishu3rdSamium𒊓𒈪𒌝(MC) (SC)Son of Emisum (?) temp. of Iddin-Dagan4thZabaia(MC) (SC)Son of Samium temp. of Ishme-Dagan "Zabaya, Chief of the Amorites, son of Samium, rebuilt the Ebabbar"Weisberg, David B., "Zabaya, an Early King of the Larsa Dynasty", Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 194–98, 19895thGungunum𒀭𒄖𒌦𒄖𒉡𒌝(MC) (SC)(29 years)Son of Zabaia (?) temp. of Lipit-Eshtar Gained independence from Isin Held the title of, "King"6thAbisare𒀀𒉈𒊓𒊑𒂊(MC) (SC)(11 years)Son of Gungunum (?) temp. of Ur-Ninurta Held the title of, "King"7thSumuel𒋢𒈬𒀭(MC) (SC)(27 years)Son of Abisare (?) temp. of Bur-Suen Held the title of, "King"8thNur-Adad(MC) (SC)(15 years)temp. of Sumu-la-El Held the title of, "King"9thSin-Iddinam𒀭𒂗𒍪𒄿𒁷𒈾𒄠(MC) (SC)(7 years)Son of Nur-Adad temp. of Enlil-bani Held the title of, "King"10thSin-Eribam𒋢𒈬𒀭(MC) (SC)(2 years)Son of Ga’eš-rabi temp. of Zambiya Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"11thSin-Iqisham𒀭𒂗𒍪𒄿𒆠𒊭𒄠(MC) (SC)(5 years)Son of Sin-Eribam temp. of Iter-pisha Held the title of, "King"12thSilli-Adad(MC) (SC)(less than 1 year)Son of Sin-Iqisham (?) temp. of Sabium
Held the title of, "King"13thKudur-Mabuk𒆪𒁺𒌨𒈠𒁍𒊌(MC) (SC)Son of Temti-Shilhak (?) May have come from an Elamite family temp. of Naram-Sin14thWarad-Sin𒀴𒀭𒂗𒍪(MC) (SC)(12 years)temp. of Ur-du-kuga May have come from an Elamite family Possible co-regency with his father (Kudur-Mabuk)Fiette, Baptiste, ""King" Kudur-Mabuk. A Study on the Identity of a Mesopotamian Ruler Without a Crown", Die Welt des Orients, vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 275-294, 2020 Held the title of, "King"15thRim-Sin I𒀭𒊑𒅎𒀭𒂗𒍪(MC) (SC)(60 years)Brother of Warad-Sin (?) Defeated by Hammurabi of Babylon Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"#Portrait or inscriptionRuler date and length of reignComments, notes, and references for mentionsOld Babylonian period ()First dynasty of Babylon ()Hammurabi𒄩𒄠𒈬𒊏𒁉(MC) (SC)Son of Sin-Muballit temp. of Zimri-Lim Held the title of, "King of the Four Corners"Samsu-iluna𒊓𒄠𒋢𒄿𒇻𒈾(MC) (SC)Son of Hammurabi temp. of Siwe-Palar-Khuppak16thRim-Sîn II𒀭𒊑𒅎𒀭𒂗𒍪(MC) (SC)temp. of Samsu-iluna Nephew of Rim-Sin I (?) Killed in revolt against Babylon Held the title of, "King"
Archaeology
The remains of Larsa cover an area of about 200 hectares. The highest point is around in height.
The site of Tell es-Senkereh was first excavated, under the rudimentary archaeological standards of his day, by William Loftus in 1850 for less than a month. William Loftus, "Travels and researches in Chaldæa and Susiana; with an account of excavations at Warka, the Erech of Nimrod, and Shúsh, Shushan the Palace of Esther, in 1849–52", J. Nisbet and Co., 1857 Loftus recovered building bricks of Nebuchadnezzar II of the Neo-Babylonian Empire which enabled the site's identification as the ancient city of Larsa. Much of the effort by Loftus was on the temple of Shamash, rebuilt by Nebuchadnezzar II. Inscriptions of Burna-Buriash II of the Kassite dynasty of Babylon and Hammurabi of the First Babylonian dynasty were also found. Larsa was also briefly worked by Walter Andrae in 1903. The site was inspected by Edgar James Banks in 1905. He found that widespread looting by the local population was occurring there. Edgar James Banks, "Senkereh, the Ruins of Ancient Larsa", The Biblical World, 25, no. 5, pp. 389–392, 1905
The first modern, scientific, excavation of Senkereh occurred in 1933, with the work of André Parrot.Andre Parrot, "Villes enfouies. Trois campagnes de fouilles en Mésopotamie", 1935A. Parrot, "Les fouilles de Tello et de. Senkereh-Larsa, campagne 1932–1933", Revue d'Assyriologie, 30, pp. 169–182, 1933 Parrot worked at the location again in 1967.André Parrot, "Les fouilles de Larsa", Syria, 45, pp. 205–239, 1968Parrot, André, "Les Fouilles de Larsa. Deuxième et Troisième Campagnes (1967)", Syria, vol. 45, no. 3/4, pp. 205–39, 1968 In 1969 and 1970, Larsa was excavated by Jean-Claude Margueron.Jean-Claude Margueron, "Larsa, rapport preliminaire sur la quatrieme campagne", Syria, 47, pp. 261-277, 1970Jean-Claude Margueron, "Larsa, rapport preliminaire sur la cinquieme campagne", Syria, 48, pp. 271–287, 1971