Awan (Sumerian cuneiform: a-wa-anki, "Country of Awan") was an ancient city-state or region of Elam in the western area of modern-day Iran. It often appears together with the cities of Susa and Anshan in the early history of Mesopotamia, having many conflictual interactions with Sumer.

Location

The city of Awan still has not been located archaeologically. Given the 15th year name of Ibbi-Sin, the fifth and last ruler of the Ur III empire "The year Ibbi-Sîn, king of Ur, roared like a storm against Susa, Adamdun, (and) the land of Awan; made them submit in a single day; and took their lord(s) as bound captive(s)" Awan is thought to be close to Susa and Adamdun (thought to be Andimeshk).Frayne, Douglas, "Ibbi-Sin", Ur III Period (2112-2004 BC), Toronto: University of Toronto Press, pp. 361-392, 1997

An inscription of Rimush (c. 2279–2270 BC) second ruler of the Akkadian Empire states that he fought a battle "between Awan and Susa" near the "Qablitum River" (Qablitum=Middle).Laurito, Romina, and Mariapaola Pers, "Attestations of Canals in the Royal Sources from the Sumerian to the PaleoBabylonian Period", Egitto e Vicino Oriente, vol. 25, pp. 275–325, 2002

History

A dynasty of Elamite rulers was named after the city, the Awan Dynasty. It was founded by a ruler named Peli, and is therefore sometimes called "the dynasty of Peli". According to the Sumerian King List, Awan put an end to the First Dynasty of Ur circa 2450 BC, and three kings of Awan then ruled over the southern regions of Sumer. Unfortunately, the names of the three rulers are broken off in the text. The primary source of this information is a much later king list, recorded on an Old Babylonian period tablet. The tablet has two lists, twelve rulers of Awan and twelve of Šimaški.Scheil, V., "Dynasties Élamites d’Awan et de Simaš’, Revue d’Assyriologie et d’archéologie orientale,28(1), pp. 1–8, 46, 1931Gelb, I. J. and B. Kienast, "Die altakkadischen Königsinschriften des Dritten Jahrtausends v. Chr", (Freiburger altorientalische Studien, Bd. 7), Stuttgart: F. Steiner, 1990Sallaberger, W. and I. Schrakamp, "Part I: Philological Data for a Historical Chronology of Mesopotamia in the 3rd Millennium", in W. Sallaberger and I. Schrakamp (eds), ARCANE (Associated Regional Chronologies for the Ancient Near East and the Eastern Mediterranean)III: History and Philology, Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 1–136, 2015 Doubts have been raised about the list, especially the Awan section.Glassner, J.-J., "Les dynasties d’Awan et de Shimashki", Nouvelles assyriologiques brèves et utilitaires, 34, 1996Steinkeller, "New Light on Šimaški and Its Rulers", Zeitschrift fürAssyriologie, 97, pp. 215–32, 2007 Only two of the rulers on the Awan list are known with certainty from contemporary records Luh-ishan and Puzur-Inshushinak, and a third Khita has been suggested but is not at all certain.

On a monument recording one of his military campaigns, Sargon of Akkad (c. 2334–2279 BC), first ruler of the Akkadian Empire, lists captives and loot acquired including "booty of Awan". An unknown king of Awan (sometimes speculated to be Khita) is recorded as having signed a peace treaty, in Old Elamite language written in an Old Akkadian ductus, with Naram-Sin (not deified in the text), stating: "The enemy of Naram-Sin is my enemy, the friend of Naram-Sin is my friend".Hinz, Walther, "Elams Vertrag mit Narām-Sîn von Akkade", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 58, no. Jahresband, pp. 66-96, 1967Scheil, V, "Textes Élamites-Anzanites", MDP XI, 1911 Old Elamite is poorly understood (all other texts being very short) as yet making interpretation of the text challenging. The text mentions about twenty gods, mostly Elamite but with a few Sumerian and Akkadian, including Inshushinak, Humban, Nahiti, Simut, and Pinikir. It has been suggested that the formal treaty allowed Naram-Sin to have peace on his eastern borders, so that he could deal more effectively with the threat from Gutium.Cameron, G.G., "History of Early Iran", Chicago/London: University of Chicago, 1936Westenholz, Aage, Pascal Attinger, and Markus Wäfler, "The Old Akkadian Period: History and Culture", Mesopotamien. Annäherungen 3: Akkade-Zeit und Ur III-Zeit, pp. 17-117, 1999

Awan wrestled independence from the Akkadians during the reign of Shar-Kali-Sharri. But some time later, the Awan Dynasty ended with the defeat of its last king, Puzur-Inshushinak by Ur-Nammu (c. 2112–2094 BC), followed by the control of the Third Dynasty of Ur over the region. Pittman, Holly, "The “Jeweler’s” Seal from Susa and Art of Awan", Leaving No Stones Unturned: Essays on the Ancient Near East and Egypt in Honor of Donald P. Hansen, edited by Erica Ehrenberg, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 211-236, 2002

The last mention of Awan was during the reign of Ibbi-Sin (c. 2028–2004 BC), final ruler of the Ur III Empire, and then only as a geographical area.Steinkeller, "The Birth of Elam in History", in J. Álvarez-Mon, G. P. Basello and Y. Wicks (eds), The Elamite World (Routledge Worlds), London: Routledge, pp. 177–202, 2018

List of rulers Portrait or inscriptionRuler date and length of reign (Middle Chronology)Comments, notes, and references for mentionsEarly Dynastic IIIa period ()Awanite dynasty of Sumer ()UnknownHistoricity uncertain Same person as Peli (?) Said on the Sumerian King List (SKL) to have held the title of, "King" of not just Awan; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer...LuHistoricity uncertain Same person as Tata (?) Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Awan; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of SumerKur-Ishshak𒆪𒌌(36 years)Historicity uncertain Same person as Ukku-Tanhish (?) Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Awan; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of SumerPortrait or inscriptionRuler date and length of reign (MC)Comments, notes, and references for mentionsEarly Dynastic IIIb period ()Dynasty of Peli ()Peli or FeyliHistoricity uncertain Held the title of, "King of Awan" Founder of the, "Dynasty of Peli"Tata𒋫𒀀𒅈Historicity uncertain Held the title of, "King of Awan" Same person as ...Lu (?)Ukku-TanhishHistoricity uncertain Held the title of, "King of Awan" Same person as Kur-Ishshak (?)HishutashHistoricity uncertain Held the title of, "King of Awan"Shushun-Tarana𒋗𒋗𒌦𒋫𒊏𒈾Historicity uncertain Held the title of, "King of Awan"Napi-Ilhush𒈾𒉿𒅍𒄷𒄷Historicity uncertain Held the title of, "King of Awan"Kikku-Siwe-TemtiHistoricity uncertain Held the title of, "King of Awan"Portrait or inscriptionRuler date and length of reign (MC)Comments, notes, and references for mentionsProto-Imperial period ()Luh-ishan𒇻𒄴𒄭𒅖𒊮𒀭Son of Ḫišibrasini Held the title of, "King of Awan" temp. of SargonPortrait or inscriptionRuler date and length of reign (MC)Comments, notes, and references for mentionsAkkadian period ()Sanam-Shimuttemp. of SargonHishep-Ratep IHistoricity uncertain Same person as Ḫišibrasini (?) Held the title of, "King of Awan"Zinubatemp. of SargonHeluHistoricity uncertain Held the title of, "King of Awan"Emahsinitemp. of Rimush Historicity certain Held the title of, "King of Elam"Epirmupi𒂊𒉆𒈬𒉈temp. of Rimush (?) Held the titles of "Military Governor of Elam" and "Governor of Susa"EnammunaUncertaintemp. of Rimush (?)Autalummashtemp. of Manishtushu (?) Historicity certain Held the title of, "King of Kings of Elam"Eshpum𒀹𒅗temp. of Manishtushu Held the title of, "Governor of Elam"LamgiumUncertaintemp. of ManishtushuUbaUncertaintemp. of ManishtushuUr-Ili-AdadUncertaintemp. of ManishtushuKhita𒄭𒋫𒀀temp. of Naram-Suen Held the title of, "King of Awan"Ili-ishmani𒉌𒉌𒅖𒈠𒉌temp. of Shar-Kali-Sharri Held the titles of "Military Governor of Elam" and "Governor of Susa"Hita'a𒄭𒋫𒀀UncertainSame person as Khita (?) temp. of Shar-Kali-Sharri Held the title of, "King of Awan"Shinpi-hish-hukUncertainBrother of Khita (?) temp. of Shar-Kali-SharriPortrait or inscriptionRuler date and length of reign (MC)Comments, notes, and references for mentionsGutian period ()Puzur-Inshushinak𒅤𒊭𒀭𒈹𒂞Son of Shinpi-hish-huk temp. of Gudea Held the titles of "Military Governor of Elam", "Governor of Susa", and, "King of Awan"

See also Cities of the ancient Near East List of Mesopotamian dynasties

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