DIORITE VOTIVE TABLETS OF DUNGI, KING OF UR, RIM-SIN, KING OF LARSA, AND BUR-SIN, KING OF UR.—Brit. Mus., Nos. 90897, 90898, and 91014.
LIMESTONE VOTIVE TABLETS OF THE TIME OF RIM-SIN, KING OF LARSA, AND OF SIN-GAMIL, KING OF ERECH; ON THE LEFT IS A NEO-BABY. LONIAN COPY IN CLAY OF A VOTIVE INSCRIPTION OF SIN-GASHID, KING OF ERECH.—Brit. Mus., Nos. 91081, 90899, and 91082.
Dungi's administration of the Elamite provinces of his empire appears to have been of a far more permanent character than that established by any earlier conqueror from Babylonia. In the course of this history we have frequently noted occasions on which Elam has come into contact with the centres of civilization in the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates. In fact, from her geographical position, she was not only the nearest foreign neighbour of Sumer and Akkad, but she was bound to influence them and be influenced by them in turn. To the earlier Sumerian rulers Elam was a name of terror, associated with daring raids across the Tigris on the part of hardy mountain races. The Semitic kings of Kish had turned the tables by invading Elamite territory, and their conquests and those of the kings of Akkad had opened the way for the establishment of close commercial relations between the two countries. Although their expeditions may have been undertaken with the object of getting spoil rather than of acquiring territory, there is no doubt that they resulted in a considerable Semitic immigration into the country. Moreover, the Semitic conquerors brought with them the civilization they had themselves acquired. For their memorial and monumental records the native princes of Elam adopted from their conquerors the cuneiform system of writing and even their Semitic language, though the earlier native writing continued to be employed for the ordinary purposes of life.[14] Basha-Shushinak,[15] patesi of Susa and governor of Elam, who may probably be placed at a rather earlier period than the Dynasty of Ur, employs the Semitic Babylonian language for recording his votive offerings, and he not only calls down Shushinak's vengeance upon the impious, but adds invocations to such purely Babylonian deities as Shamash, Nergal, Enlil, Enki or Ea, Sin, Ninni or Ishtar, and Ninkharsag. We could not have more striking evidence of the growth of Semitic influence in Elam during the period which followed the Elamite victories of the kings of Kish and Akkad.
Close commercial relations were also maintained between Elam and Sumer, and Gudea's conquest of Anshan may be regarded as the first step towards the Sumerian domination of the country. In establishing his own authority in Elam, Dungi must have found many districts, and especially the city of Susa, influenced by Sumerian culture, though chiefly through the medium of Semitic immigrants from Northern Babylonia. His task of administering the conquered provinces was thus rendered proportionately easier. That his expeditions were not merely raids, but resulted in the permanent occupation of the country, is proved by a number of tablets found at Tello, which throw considerable light upon the methods by which he administered the empire from his capital at Ur. Many of these documents contain orders for supplies allotted to officials in the king's service, who were passing through Lagash in the course of journeys between Ur and their districts in Elam. The tablets enumerate quantities of grain, strong drink and oil, which had been assigned to them, either for their sustenance during their stay in Lagash, or as provision for their journey after their departure.