Iranian Studies

Current Issue

By Issue

By Author

By Subject

Author Index

Keyword Index

About Journal

Aims and Scope

Editorial Board

Publication Ethics

Indexing and Abstracting

Related Links

FAQ

Peer Review Process

News

Journal Metrics

Cooperation with the institution or association

Guide to get Orchid ID

Writers Guide

Conflict of interest form

Citation and Referencing Style Guide

Persian example

English work sample

The originality of the article

Guidelines for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Research

Author's Information

Guide to registering on Pablons

Guide for Reviewers.

Reviewers

Namri; An ancient land in a part of Ilam province?

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D Graduated. Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Architecture and Art, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran.

2 Ph.D. Candidate, Archaeological Department, Faculty of Arts and Architecture, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran

3 Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran.

Abstract

The study of Mesopotamian inscriptions, especially from the Middle and Neo-Assyrian periods, has provided researchers with much geographical data. Based on the topographical coordinates provided by this information, the cultural and historical background of the western and central regions of the Iranian plateau has been better investigated. This process has formed the basis for many historical, cultural, and archaeological studies. Assyrians gradually began to pay attention to the east of their land from the era of Tiglath-Pileser I, and this view gained strength during the Neo-Assyrian periods. Therefore, in this upcoming research, we will use the geographical basis of the royal inscriptions of the Neo-Assyrian kings to investigate which territories described in those written documents corresponded to the boundaries of the current Ilam province or at least its northern part. This article demonstrates that contrary to opinions raised about the land of Namri, an important part of the coordinates of this ancient area coincided with the boundaries of Ilam province. Furthermore, this research argues that based on this conclusion and a study of the cultural components of Namri, we can gain a better understanding of the cultural state of the coordinates of Ilam province in the first millennium BCE .



The study of Mesopotamian inscriptions, especially from the Middle and Neo-Assyrian periods, has provided researchers with much geographical data. Based on the topographical coordinates provided by this information, the cultural and historical background of the western and central regions of the Iranian plateau has been better investigated. This process has formed the basis for many historical, cultural, and archaeological studies. Assyrians gradually began to pay attention to the east of their land from the era of Tiglath-Pileser I, and this view gained strength during the Neo-Assyrian periods. Therefore, in this upcoming research, we will use the geographical basis of the royal inscriptions of the Neo-Assyrian kings to investigate which territories described in those written documents corresponded to the boundaries of the current Ilam province or at least its northern part.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References
Adali, S. F., (2009). Ummān-manda and ita Significance in the First Millenium B.C, Doctor of Philosophy, Facaulty of Arts, Department of Classics and Ancient History, University of Sydney.
Albright, W. F. A., (1925). "Babylonian geographical treatise on Sargon of Akkad's empire", Journal of the American Oriental Society (45): 220-230.
Altaweel, M.; Marsh A.; Mühl, S.; Nieuwenhuyse, O.; Radner, K.; Rasheed K. and S. A. Saber. (2012). "New investigations in the environment, history and archaeology of the Iraqi hilly flanks: Shahrizor. Survey Project 2009-2011", Iraq (74): 1-35.
Aratyunyan (Harutyunyan), N. V., (1985). Toponimika Urartu, Erevan.
Bagg A. M., (2020). Beihefte zum Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients, herausgegeben im Auftrag des Sonderforschungsbereichs 19 von Heinz Gaube und Wolfgang Röllig I/261. Die Orts- und Gewässernamen der neuassyrischen Zeit Teil3: Babylonien, Urartu und die östlichen Gebiete. 7/3-1 & 7/3-2. Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag.
Bigland, J. (1811). A Geographical and Historical View of the World: Exhibiting a Complete Delineation of the Natural and Artificial Features of Each Country, Vol. 4, Boston: Thomas B. Wait and Co.
Billerbeck, A., (1898). Das Sandschak Suleimania und dessen persitsche Nachbarlandschaften zur Babylonischen  und assyrischen Zeit, Leipzig.
Boehmer, R. M. (1965). "Zur Lage von Parsua im 9. J arhundert vor Christus", Berliner Journal Verband (5): 187-198.
Brown, S. C. (1979). Kinship to Kingship. Archaeological and Geographical Studies in the Neo-Assyrian Zagros, PhD dissertation, University of Toronto,.
Brown, S. C. (1986). “Media and Secondary State Formation in the Neo-Assyrian Zagros”, Journal of Cuneiform Studies  (38): 107-119.
Brown, S. C. (1997). “Ecbatana”, in Iranica, available at (2022): https://iranicaonline.org/articles/ecbatana
Diakonoff, I. M., (1985). “Media”, in: The Median and Achaemenian periods, I. Gershevitch (ed.), pp. 36-148. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Diakonoff, I. M., (1991). “ʿry Mdy: The cities of Medes”, in: Ah, Assyria : studies in Assyrian history and ancient near Eastern historiography presented to Hayim Tadmor, (eds.). M. Cogan and I. Ephaʿal, pp. 13-20. Jerusalem: The Magnes Press, the Hebrew University.
Diakonoff, I. M & S. M. Kashkai, (1979). Geographical Names According to Urartian Texts, Wiesbaden: Ludwig Reichert Verlag.
Forrer, E., (1920). Die Provinzeinteilung des Assyrischen Reiches, Leipzig.
Frame, G. (2021). Royal Incriptions of Sargon II, King of Assyria (721-705), Pennsylvania: Penn State University Press.
Frayne, D., (1997). Ur III Period (2112-2004 BC), The Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia, Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Fuchs, A. (1994). Die Inschriften Sargons II. Aus Khorsabad, Göttingen: Cuvillier verlag.
Fuchs, A. (1998). Die Annalen des Jahres 711 v. Chr. nach Prismenfragmenten aus Ninive und Assur, Helsinki: Casco Bay Assyriological Institute.
Fuch, A., (2000). "Māt Ḫabḫi", in: J. Marzahn and I. H. Neumann (Eds.), pp. 73-94.  Assyriologica et Semitica, Festschrift für Joachim, Oelsner, Münster. (AOAT 252).
Fuch, A. (2007). Fuchs, "Mesopotamien und angrenzende Gebiete 745-711 v. Chr", in: A.-M. Wittke I. E. Olshausen  and R. Szyd1ak (Eds.). pp. 50-51. Historischer Atlas der antiken Welt, Stuttgart, (DNP Supplemente Band 3).
Fuchs, A., (2017). "Die Kassiten, das mittelbabylonische Reich und der Zagros", in: A. Bartelmus & K. Sternitzke (Eds.), pp. 123-165. Karduniaš. Babylonia under the Kassites. Boston-Berlin.
Fuchs, A., and S. Parpola, (2001). The Correspondence  of Sargon II (Part III), Letters from Babylonia and Eastern provinces, State Assyrian Archives, Vol. XV, edited by J. Reade, Helsinki: Helsinki University Press.
Galter, H. D., (2014). "Sargon II. und die Eroberung der Welt", in: H. Neumann; R. Dittmann and S. Paulus (Eds.), pp. 329-344. Krieg und Frieden im Alten Vorderasien (CRRAI 52), Münster (AOAT401).
Grayson, A. K., (1987). RIMA 1, Assyrian Rulers of the Third and Second Millenia BC (To 1115 BC), Toronto: University of Toronto Press
Grayson, A. K., (1991). RIMA 2, Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia, Assyrian Periods, Assyrian Rulers of the Early First Millennium  BC I (1184-859 BC), Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Grayson, A. K., (1996).  RIMA 3, Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia, Assyrian Periods, Assyrian Rulers of the Early First Millennium BC, II (858-745 BC), Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Grayson A. K. and J. Novotny, (2012). The Royal Inscriptions of Sennacherib, King of Assyria (704–681 BC), Part 1, Royal Inscriptions of the Neo-Assyrian Period, Vol. 3. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns.
Grayson, K. A.; Novotny, J. & J. Jeffers, (2014). Royal Inscription of the Neo-Assyrian Period.The Royal Inscription of Sennacherib, King of Assyria (704-681 BC). Vol. 3/2. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns.
Hannoon, N., (1986). Studies in the Historie Geography of Northern Iraq Dming the Middle and Neo-Assyrian Periods, PhD dissertation, University of Toronto.
Hennerbichler, F., 2012, "The Origin of Kurds", Advances in Anthropology, 2 (2): 64-79.
Herzfeld, E. M., (1968). The Persian Empire: Studies in geography and ethnography of the ancient Near East. Wiesbaden: Steiner Verlag.
Hozhabri, A. (2014). “The location of Ecbatana; Where is Median Ecbatana?” in Colloquia Baltica Iranica, Rzucewo, 16 - 17 October 2014, Warsaw: Uniwersytetu Gdanskiego & Iran Heritage.
Horowitz, W., (1998). Mesopotamian Cosmic Geography, Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns.
Kinner-Wilson, J. V., (1962). "The Kurba’il Statue of Shalmaneser III", Iraq (24): 90-115.
Kwasman, T. and S. Parpola, (1991). Legal Transactions of the Royal court of Nineveh, Part I, From Tiglat-Pileser III through Esarhaddon, By J. Reade (Ed.), Helsinki: Helsinki University Press.
Lanfranchi, G. B., (1990). I Cimmeri. Emergenza dell'elites military iraniehe nel Vicino Oriente (VIII-VII sec. a. C.), Padova: Sargon Editrice e Libreria.
Lanfranchi, G. B. (1995). “Assyrian geography and Assyrian letters: the location of Ḫubuškia again”, in: M. Liverani (ed.). Neo-Assyrian geography, pp. 127-137. Rome: Università di Roma.
Lanfranchi, G. B., (2003). "The Assyrian expansion in the Zagros and the local ruling elites", in: G. B. Lanfranchi; I. M. Roaf  & I. R. Rollinger (eds.), pp.79-118. Continuity of Empire(?) Assyria, Media, Persia, Padova: Sargon Editrice e Libreria.
Levine, L. D. (1972). Two Neo-Assyrian Stelae from Iran, Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum.
Levine, L. D., (1973). "Geographical studies in the Neo-Assyrian Zagros I", Iran (11): 1-27.
Levine, L. D., (1974). “Geographical Studies in the Neo-Assyrian Zagros-II”. Iran (12): 99-124.
Levine, L. D. (1977). “East-west trade in the late iron age: A view from the Zagros”, in: Mountains and Lowlands: Essay in Archaeology of Greater Mesopotamia, pp. 135-151. Malibu: Undena Publications.
Liebig, M. (1991). “ Zur Lage einer im Bericht über den 8, Feldzug Sargon II, von Assyrian genannter Gebiete”, Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, Vol. 81: pp. 31-36.
Liverani, M., (1992). Studies on the Annals of Ashurnasirpal II. 2: Topographical Analysis, Rome.
Maniori, F., (2014). Le campagne babilonesi ed orientali di Sargon II d' Assyria, Rome.
Medvedskaya, I. N. (1999). “Media and its Neighbours I: The Localization of Ellipi”, Iranica antiqua (34): 53-70.
Medveskaya, I. N., (2000). "Zamua, Inner Zamua and Mazamua", in: R. Dittmann, B. Hrouda, U. Löw, P. Matthiae, R. Mayer-Opificius and S. Thürwächter (Eds.), pp. 429-445. Variatio delectat: Iran und der Westen. Gedenkschrift für Peter Calmeyer, Münster, (AOAT 272).
Medvedskaya, I. N. (2002). “Were the Assyrians at Ecbatana?”, The International Journal of Kurdish Studies 16 (1-2): 45-57.
Millard, A.R. (1994). The Eponyms of the Assyrian Empire 910-612 B.C, Helsinki: Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project.
Minorsky, V. (1957). “Mongol place-names in Mukri Kurdestan”. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. University of London, (19): 77-81.
Muscarella, 0. W., (1986). "The location of Ulḫu and Uiše in Sargon II's eighth campaign, 714 B.C.:,  Journal of Field Archaeology (13): 465-475.
Parpola, S. (1970). Neo-Assyrian Toponyms, Kevelaer: Butzon & Bercker GmbH.
Parpola, S. & Porter, M. (2001). The Helsinki atlas of the Near East in the Neo-Assyrian period. London: Casco Bay Assyriological Institute.
Postgate, J. N., (1984). "The Historical Geography of the Hamrin Basin", Sumer (40): 149-159.
Radner, K., (2003). "2003 A Median Sanctuary at Bit-Ištar", In: G.B. Lanfranchi, M. Roaf & R. Rollinger (ed.), pp. 119-130. Continuity of Empire: Assyria, Media, Persia. History of the Ancient Near East Monographs 5, Padova: Sargon Editrice e Libreria.
Radner,  K., (2013). "Assyria and the Medes", in: D. T. Potts (ed.), pp. 442-456. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran, Oxford.
Radner K., (2016). "The Peshdar Plain in the Neo-Assyrian period: The border march of the Palace Herald", in: K. Radner, J. Kreppner and A. Squiteri (eds.), pp. 17-22. Exploring the Neo Assyrian Frontier with Western Iran. The 2015 Season at Gird-i Bazar and Qalat-i Dinka, Gladbeck.
Radner, K., (2017). "A Neo-Assyrian legal document from Tell Sitak", in: Y. Heffron, A. Stone and M. Worthington (eds.), pp. 423-430. At the Dawn of History: Ancient Near Eastem Studies in Honour of J. N. Postgate, Winona Lake.
Reade, J. E., (1976). "Reade, Sargon's campaigns of 720, 716 and 715 B.C.: Evidence from the sculptures", Journal of Near Eastern Studies (35): 95-104.
Reade, J. E., (1978). “Kassite and Iranians in Iran” Iran (16): 137-143.
Reade, J. E., (1979). "Hasanlu, Gilzanu and related considerations", Archäologische Mitteilungen aus Iran Berlin (12): 175-181.
Reade,  J. E., (1995): "Iran in the Neo Assyrian period", in: M. Liverani (ed.), pp. 31-42. Neo-Assyrian Geography, Rom, (Quaderni di Geografia Stmica 5).
RIA (Reallexikon der Assyriologie und vorderasiatischen Archäologie 3; 4; 8; 9; 10; 11; 14 & 15). Leipzig & Berlin.
Russell, H. F., (1984). "Shalmaneser's Campaign to Urartu in 856 B.C. and the historical geography of eastern Anatolia according to the Assyrian sources", Anatolian Studies (34): 171-201.
Schachner, A., (2007). Bilder eines Weltreichs, Turnhout.
Streck, K. M., (1898). “Das Gebiet der heutigen Landschaften Armenien, Kurdestan und Westpersien nach den babylonisch-assyrischen Keilschriften”, Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie (13): 57-110.
Streck, K. M., (1899). “Das Gebiet der heutigen Landschaften Armenien, Kurdestan und Westpersien nach den babylonisch-assyrischen Keilschriften”, Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie (14): 103-172.
Streck, K. M., (1900). “Das Gebiet der heutigen Landschaften Armenien, Kurdestan und Westpersien nach den babylonisch-assyrischen Keilschriften”, Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie (15): 257-382.
Tadmor, H. & S. Yamada, (2011). The Royal Incriptions of Tiglat-Pileser III (744-727 BC) and Shalmaneser V (726- 722 BC), Vol. 1, Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns.
TAVO, Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients.
Tourovets, A., (2015). "The Assyrian itineraries in the Zagros during the reign of Sargon II (6th and 8th campaigns) and the question about the correlation between toponymy and geography", Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies (5): 21-32.
Vera Chamaza, G. W. (1994). “Der VIII, Feklzug Sargon II, Eine Untersuchung zu politik und historischer Geographie des späten 8. Jhs, v. Chr. 1”, Archäologische Mitteilungen aus Iran Berlin FT (27): 91-118.
Zadok, R. (2002). The Ethno-linguistic Character of Northwestern Iran and Kurdestan in the Neo-Assyrian Period. Tel Aviv: Archaeological Center Publications.
Zawadzki S., (2011‒2012). "Umman-manda Revisited", State Archives of Assyria Bulletin, (XIX): 267- 278.
Zimansky, P. (1990). “Urartian Geography and Sargon's Eighth Campaign”. Journal of Near Eastern Studies 49 (1): 1-21.
Iranian Studies
Volume 15, Issue 4
February 2026
Pages 85-103
Files
Share
How to cite
Statistics