Kalkhu

Kalkhu , also named Kalhu , old form Kalwakhum , and Kalakh in the Old Testament, was one of the large Assyrian capitals néo- and corresponds to the current sites of Nimrud, which draw its name from the biblical hero Nimrod, and of Such Azar which conceals the ruins of " Strong Salmanazar". The city, built on a cliff overhanging the Tiger in the west, was located at 35 km of Ninive (Moussol currently), and contôlait the higher Zab and the Tiger. It is about the one of largest the known old cities extending on approximately 360 ha, of which 20 are occupied by the acropolis (Nimrud).

Archaeological excavations

The site of Nimrud was located by English Badger in 1844. The following year, its compatriot Austen Henry Layard starts the excavations. He then believed to have found Ninive. Helped from its assistant Hormuzd Rassam, it began its excavations, and made many discoveries. He exhumed in particular the large statues of Lammasu (the bulls androcéphales keeping the entry of the Assyrian palates), and the long carved planks of the principal palates of the acropolis. Layard excavated the site of 1845 to 1847 and 1849 to 1851, before setting out again while bringing some of its discoveries to the British Museum, become its provider of funds at the time of his second excavations.

After its departure, other diggers came on the site: Jones, Loftus, then Henry Rawlinson, which identified the site as being the Kalkhu antique, in 1853. Rassam turned over on the site in 1877, always for British Museum.

In 1949, English max Mallowan arrived on the site after having excavated others such in the area. With him, the first rigorous excavations of the site were carried out. It released the principal monuments of the city, that it is in the citadel, but also outside. The palates were excavated, and one found there many shelves and works of Article After its departure in 1958, the excavations continued under the direction of English archeologists. In 1969, a team Iraq ienne invests the site. They remained, assisted by foreign teams there from time to time. In 1989, the team of the archeologist Mr. Mahmud exhumed the tombs of Assyrian dignitaries and their treasure made up of many jewels. The excavations were stopped since by the political events.

History

The Kalkhu site is inhabited since the Préhistoire. The oldest objects found on the site date from the Period of Halaf (fine 6th-beginning 5th millenium). The city even was however later founded. It is mentioned in the documentation of the paléo-Babylonian Period under the name of Kalwakhum. It is then located in a primarily populated zone of Hourrites. It undoubtedly integrates the Assyrian kingdom during the conquests carried out in its area starting from the reign of Assur-uballit Ier (1366-1330), but it is not mentioned for the first time by an Assyrian king under the reign of Salmanazar Ier (1275-1245).

At the 8th century, this city is nothing any more but one administrative center of no importance, which became a " hill of gravats" , but its situation made of it the site favourable with the establishment of the capital that Assurnasirpal II (883-859) wished to build, thus leaving the old city of Assur. Its motivations remain obscure. The fact that Assur is at the thank you of an attack coming from the west (it was located on western bank of the Tigre), where resided the dangerous Araméens, whereas Kalkhu was protected (on bank is, with the Grand Zab in the vicinity), undoubtedly weighed in this decision.

In a text written on the order of Assurnasirpal, called Standard Inscription , the king describes the stages of the restoration of the city. It makes clear the site, to build a terrace for its palate, then starts the construction of the remainder of the building on its solids foundations. It renovated the remainder of the city, made build temples with several gods of which " Enlil and Ninurta " , and a Ziggurat dedicated to this last. The city was protected by powerful fortifications. Then one irrigated the neighborhoods by digging a channel derived from Zab Supérieur, and one could thus make push Verger S and fields in the periphery of Kalkhu.

But Kalkhu had beautiful being large and beautiful city, it did not have sufficient inhabitants, because the area was not populated enough. The city was thus populated, in the great Assyrian tradition, by off-set populations coming from all the empire, like says it the king himself: " I brought people of all the countries which I control, (and) those that I conquered, (i.e.) country of Suru, country of Zamua, Bīt-Zamani and (Kir) rure, town of Sirqu who am beyond the Euphrate,… ". Thus, it created a cosmopolitan city, with several different populations. The commemoration of the foundation of the city was the occasion of a large banquet auquek were invited not only Large kingdom, the dignitaries of the vassal countries, but also all the new inhabitants of the city, in all 69.574 people according to the Standard Inscription .

The following sovereigns will continue to embellish the city. Salmanazar III (859-824) will build the " palate south-est" in the citadel. Out of the citadel, it built the ekal mašarti (" Strong Salmanazar"), the arsenal of the Assyrian armies.

Adad-Nirari III (754-745) built another palate in the citadel, beside that of Assurnasirpal II. This one was then built-in the " palate central" , built under the reign of Teglath-Phalasar III (745-727). Sargon II (722-704) restored an old palate, the " palate brûlé" , before giving up Kalkhu to found a new capital with Hard-Sharrukin. When Sennacherib (704-681) installed then its capital with Ninive, Kalkhu therefore was not forsaken. Assarhaddon (681-669) built a last palate in the citadel, the " palate south-ouest".

Kalkhu sank with the Assyrie during the invasion of the country by the Babylonian and the Mèdes. It was besieged, taken and plundered by the latter into 614. It will be destroyed shortly after. The site will remain however still inhabited during a few centuries, before being abandoned at the time Séleucide.

The hill of Nimrud

The principal monuments of Kalkhu were concentrated on its acropolis, today the hill of Nimrud, a surface of approximately 20 hectares, located at the south-eastern angle of the city, overhanging the Tiger.

Palates

See also: Assyrian Palates

The city of Kalkhu included/understood many royal palaces. The most important first and is the " Palate north-ouest" archeologists, the " Palate without égal" Assyrians. It was built under the reign of Assurnasirpal II. Its dimensions were approximately 200 meters out of 130 meters. It is organized around a rectangular throne room, measuring 45 meters length on 15 of width, which separates the two parts of the palate. On a side, two doors give on the babānu , the public zone, in the western part of the palate, around which several stores are, and the administrative sector. Other side, towards the part is palate, one reaches the bitānu , the private zone, by the throne room. Around the principal court of this zone, measuring 32 meters out of 27, one finds a part where the private king and his guests diverted themselves, with the royal south, and apartments, in the east. In the North-East the harem was. This palate delivered many sculptures, as well as long planks of orthostates, so much of works of art which nowadays make the happiness of the visitors of the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of New York.

It is in this zone that Iraqi archeologists discovered into 1989 of three tombs with their intact kept treasure, saved by plundering. The first contained the body of a man, the second of two women, Taliya marries of Sargon II and Yaba marries of Salmanazar V, and the third of Mulissu, marries of Assurnasirpal II. One found there many jewels, of which the many ones out of gold, all finely engraved.

The other palates are for the majority in less good state. That, close, built by Adad-nerari III is attached to the " Palate central" , of Teglath-Phalasar III, where " was found; the obelisk noire" of Salmanazar III, block of black alabaster measuring 2 meters, on which scenes are engraved commemorating the important facts of this king. In south-east the " is; Palate brûlé" , restored by Adad-nerari III then especially Sargon II, which owes its name with the fact that it was devastated by a fire. The last palate is the " Palate south-ouest" of Assarhaddon, built by the king towards the end of his life, and which will be useful little. Its ruins are not very important.

These palates delivered all of many administrative shelves, as well as correspondence. One also found many ivories in the principal monuments of the city, the majority probably resulting from plunderings carried out in the big cities of Syria and the Raising.

Temples

The citadel of Kalkhu included/understood also rather important temples. Most important was the temple of Ninurta, located at the North-West of the citadel. It was accompanied by a Ziggurat, built by Assurnasirpal II and whose remainders rise still today to forty meters. This divinity was very important for many Assyrian sovereigns, which explains the enthusiasm of its worship in this country. The second temple was that of Nabû (named Ezida, the " temple pur" , like that of Borsippa), another important divinity in Assyrie. The " palate south-est" seem in makes have belonged to this unit.

Other temples demoindre size were devoted to Ishtar, Ea, Sîn and Gula.

Strong Salmanazar

With the south-eastern angle of the city the arsenal of the Assyrian armies was, the ekal mašarti also named " Strong Salmanazar" ( Kār-Šulmānu-ašared ), of the name of its founder, Salmanazar III. It is a whole of buildings occupying a space of 8 hectares and organized around four large courses, which were used of warehouses, barracks, stables, treasure, of administrative center, in short the principal place of the logistics of the army. This arsenal is useful until the end of the Empire, making of Kalkhu the general headquarter of the Assyrian armies. One found there many objects in Ivoire, of which some are of great quality.

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