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{{Short description|Ruler of the Akkadian Empire (c. 2254–2218 BC)}}{{Other people|Naram-Sin}}

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}}| title = {hide}unbulleted list 2254}} – 2218 BC| predecessor = ManishtushuShar-Kali-Sharri>Shar-kali-sharri| father = ManishtushuAkkadian Empire>Dynasty of AkkadAkkadian Empire>issue=Shar-Kali-Sharri}}Naram-Sin, also transcribed Narām-Sîn or Naram-Suen (}}: DNa-ra-am DSîn, meaning "Beloved of the Moon God Sîn", the "(:Wikt:𒀭|𒀭)" a determinative marking the name of a god), was a ruler of the Akkadian Empire, who reigned {{Circa|2254}}–2218 BC (middle chronology), and was the third successor and grandson of King Sargon of Akkad. Under Naram-Sin the empire reached its maximum extent. He was the first Mesopotamian king known to have claimed divinity for himself, taking the title "God of Akkad", and the first to claim the title "King of the Four Quarters". He became the patron city god of Akkade as Enlil was in Nippur.Steinkeller, Piotr, "The Divine Rulers of Akkade and Ur: Toward a Definition of the Deification of Kings in Babylonia", History, Texts and Art in Early Babylonia: Three Essays, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, pp. 107-157, 2017 His enduring fame resulted in later rulers, Naram-Sin of Eshnunna and Naram-Sin of Assyria as well as Naram-Sin of Uruk, assuming the name.Lambert, W. G., "Narām-Sîn of Ešnunna or Akkad?", Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 106, no. 4, pp. 793–95, 1986von Dassow, Eva., "Narām-Sîn of Uruk: A New King in an Old Shoebox", Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 61, pp. 63–91, 2009

Biography

(File:Victory stele of Naram Sin 9068.jpg|thumb|Victory stele of Naram Sin 9068)Naram-Sin was a son of Manishtushu. He was thus a nephew of King Rimush and grandson of Sargon and Tashlultum. Naram-Sin's aunt was the High Priestess En-hedu-ana. Most recensions of the Sumerian King List show him following Manishitshu but The Ur III version of the king list inverts the order of Rimush and Manishtushu.Steinkeller, P., "An Ur III manuscript of the Sumerian King List", in: W. Sallaberger [e.a.] (ed.), Literatur, Politik und Recht in Mesopotamien. Festschrift für Claus Wilcke, OBC 14, Wiesbaden, 267–29, 2003Thomas, Ariane, "The Akkadian Royal Image: On a Seated Statue of Manishtushu", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 105, no. 1-2, pp. 86-117, 2015 To be fully correct, rather than Naram-Sin or Naram-Suen "in Old Akkadian, the name in question should rather be reconstructed as Naram-Suyin (more precisely, /narām-tsuyin/) or Naram-Suʾin (/narām-tsuʾin/)".(File:Terracotta stamp for mudbricks. The cuneiform text mentions the name of the Akkadian king Naram-Sin (Naram-Suen). From Southern Iraq. Akkadian period, 23rd century BCE. Ancient Orient Museum, Istanbul.jpg|thumb|Terracotta brick stamp of Naram-Sin (Naram-Suen). Ancient Orient Museum, Istanbul)Naram-Sin defeated Manium of Magan, and various northern hill tribes in the Zagros, Taurus, and Amanus Mountains, expanding his empire up to the Mediterranean Sea. His "Victory Stele" depicts his triumph over Satuni, chief of Lullubi in the Zagros Mountains. The Sumerian King List gives the length of his reign as 56 years, and at least 20 of his year-names are known, referring to military actions against various places such as Uruk and Subartu. One unknown year was recorded as "the Year when Naram-Sin was victorious against Simurrum in Kirasheniwe and took prisoner Baba the governor of Simurrum, and Dubul the ensi of Arame".Cohen, Mark E. “A New Naram-Sin Date Formula.” Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 28, no. 4, 1976, pp. 227–32Year-Names of Naram-Sin of Agade Other year names refer to his construction work on temples in Akkad, Nippur, and Zabala. He also built administrative centers at Nagar and Nineveh. In general it is not possible to assign an order to Naram-Sin's year name with the exception of his first "The year Naram-Sin received a weapon of heaven/An fr[om] the temple of the god Enlil". It is, however, possible to divide them into those before his deification and after that event (assumed to be shortly after the "Great Revolt") based on the presence of a godhood determinant in his name.During his reign Namar-Sin increased direct royal control of its city-states. He maintained control over the various city-states by the simple expedient of appointing some of his many sons as key provincial governors, and his daughters as high priestesses. He also reformed the scribal system.Foster, B.R., "The Age of Agade. Inventing empire in ancient Mesopotamia". London New York, 2016weblinkM. Molina, "The palace of Adab during the Sargonic period", D. Wicke (ed.), Der Palast im antiken und islamischen Orient, Colloquien der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft 9, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz 2019, pp. 151-20A few loyal local governors remained in place. This included Meskigal, as governor of the city-state of Adab and Karsum governor of the unlocated Niqqum. Another was Lugal-ushumgal of Lagash. Several inscriptions of Lugal-ushumgal, who went on to serve the successor of Naram-Sin, Shar-Kali-Sharri, are known, particularly seal impressions, which refer to him as governor of Lagash and at the time a vassal ({{cuneiform|𒀵}}, arad, "servant" or "slave") of Naram-Sin.WEB, CDLI-Archival View RT 165,weblink cdli.ucla.edu, {{blockquote|Naram-Sin, the mighty God of Agade, king of the four corners of the world, Lugalushumgal, the scribe, ensi of Lagash, is thy servant.|Seal of Lugal-ushumgal as vassal of Naram-sin.}}

The Great Revolt

(File:Bassetki Statue, Akkadian period, 23rd century BCE, from Bassetki, Iraq. Iraq Museum.jpg|thumb|Bassetki Statue, 23rd century BC, from Bassetki, Iraq. Iraq Museum)The pivotal event of Naram-Sin's reign was a widespread revolt against the Akkadian Empire. The empire created by his grandfather, Sargon, first ruler of the Akkadian Empire stretched in the west to Syria in places like Tell Brak and Tell Leilan, to the east in Elam and associated polities in that region, to southern Anatolia in the north, and to the "lower sea" in the south encompassing all the traditional Sumerian powers like Uruk, Ur, and Lagash. All of these political entities had long histories as independent powers and would periodically re-assert their interests throughout the lifetime of the Akkadian Empire.Weiss, Harvey, " Excavations at Tell Leilan and the Origins of North Mesopotamian cities in the Third Millennium B.C.", Paléorient, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 39–52, 1983(File:Cuneiform inscription on the the Bassetki statue, Akkadian period, 23rd century BCE, from Bassetki, Iraq. Iraq Museum (corrected for perspective).jpg|thumb|The Bassetki statue inscription in old Akkadian cuneiform)At some point in his reign a widespread uprising occurred, a large coalition of city-states led by Iphur-Kis of Kish (Sumer) and Amar-Girid of Uruk, joined by Enlil-nizu of Nippur, and including the city-states of "Kutha, TiWA, Sippar, Kazallu, Kiritab, [Api]ak and GN" as well as "Amorite [hi]ghlanders". The rebellion was joined by the city of Borsippa, among others.Steve Tinney, A New Look at Naram-Sin and the "Great Rebellion", Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 47, pp. 1-14, 1995Wilcke, Claus, "Amar-girids Revolte gegen Narām-Suʾen", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 87, no. 1, pp. 11-32, 1997 We know of these events from a number of Old Babylonian copies of earlier inscriptions as well as one contemporary record from the Old Akkadian period. The Bassetki Statue, discovered in 1974, was the base of a life-sized copper statue of Naram-Sin. It reads:{{Blockquote|"Naram-Sin, the mighty, king of Agade, when the four quarters together revolted against him, through the love which the goddess Astar showed him, he was victorious in nine battles in one in 1 year, and the kings whom they (the rebels[?]) had raised (against him), he captured. In view of the fact that he protected the foundations of his city from danger, (the citizens of his city requested from Astar in Eanna, Enlil in Nippur, Dagan in Tuttul, Ninhursag in Kes, Ea in Eridu, Sin in Ur, Samas in Sippar, (and) Nergal in Kutha, that (Naram-Sin) be (made) the god of their city, and they built within Agade a temple (dedicated) to him. As for the one who removes this inscription, may the gods Samas, Astar, Nergal, the bailiff of the king, namely all those gods (mentioned above) tear out his foundations and destroy his progeny."weblinkDouglas R. Frayne, "Akkad", The Sargonic and Gutian Periods (2334–2113), University of Toronto Press, pp. 5-218, 1993 {{ISBN|0-8020-0593-4}}}}In the aftermath, Naram-Sin deified himself as well as posthumously deifying Sargon and Manishtushi but not his Rimush.William W. Hallo, "Royal Titles from the Mesopotamian Periphery", Anatolian Studies 30, pp. 89–19, 1980Stepien, Marek, "Why Some Kings Become Gods: The Deification of Naram-Sin, Ruler of the World", Here & There Across the Ancient Near East: Studies in Honour of Krystyna Lyczkowska, Warszawa: Agape, pp. 233-255, 2009 The echoes of the revolt were reflected in later Sumerian literary compositions such as the Great Revolt against Naram-Sin, "Naram-Sin and the Enemy Hordes" and "Gula-AN and the Seventeen Kings against Naram-Sin".weblinkWestenholz, Joan Goodnick, "Heroes of Akkad", Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 103, no. 1, pp. 327–36, 1983 Westenholz, Joan Goodnick. "The Great Revolt against Naram-Sin". Legends of the Kings of Akkade: The Texts, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 221-262, 1997Westenholz, Joan Goodnick, "Naram-Sin and the Enemy Hordes”: The “Cuthean Legend” of Naram-Sin", Legends of the Kings of Akkade: The Texts, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 263-368, 1997

Control of Elam

File:Empire_akkad.svg|thumb|Naram-Sin campaigned from Elam in the east, to Ebla and ArmanumArmanum Elam came under the domination of Akkad in the time of Sargon though it remained restive. The 2nd ruler of Akkad, Rimush, campaigned there afterward adding "conqueror of Elam and Parahsum" to his royal titulary. The 3rd ruler, Manishtushu, conquered the city of Anshan in Elam and also the city of Pashime, installing imperial governors in those places.Naram-Sin added "commander of all the land of Elam, as far as Parahsum," to his royal titulary. During his rule, "military governors of the country of Elam" (shakkanakkus) with typically Akkadian names are known, such as Ili-ishmani or Epirmupi.WEB, CDLI-Archival View,weblink cdli.ucla.edu, BOOK, Álvarez-Mon, Javier, The Art of Elam CA. 4200–525 BC, 2020, Routledge, 978-1-000-03485-1,weblink en, WEB, Site officiel du musée du Louvre,weblink cartelfr.louvre.fr, This suggests that these governors of Elam were officials of the Akkadian Empire.BOOK, Potts, D. T., The Archaeology of Elam: Formation and Transformation of an Ancient Iranian State, 2016, Cambridge University Press, 978-1-107-09469-7,weblink en, Naram-Sin exercised great influence over Susa during his reign, building temples and establishing inscriptions in his name, and having the Akkadian language replace Elamite in official documents.W. G. Lambert, "The Akkadianization of Susiana under the Sukkalmahs", MHEOP 1, pp. 53-7 Mesopotamie et Elam, Ghent: Mesopotamian History and Environment Occasional Publications 1, 1991 (File:Alliance Naram-Sin Awan Louvre Sb8833.jpg|thumb|Alliance Naram-Sin Awan Louvre Sb8833)An unknown Elamite king (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, 1967Pittman, 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, 2002WEB, Site officiel du musée du Louvre,weblink cartelfr.louvre.fr, Scheil, 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

Conquest of Armanum and Ebla

(File:Naram-Sin mace head, c. 2254-2218 BC - Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago - DSC07157.JPG|thumb|Naram-Sin mace head, c. 2254-2218 BC - Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago)The conquest of Armanum (location unknown but proposed as Tall Bazi) with its ruler Rid-Adad and Ebla (55 kilometers southwest of modern Aleppo) by Naram-Sin (Ebla was also defeated by his grandfather Sargon) is known from one of his year names "The year the king went on a campaign in Amarnum" and from an Old Babylonian copy of a statue inscription (IM 85461) found at Ur. There are also three objects, a marble lamp, a stone plaque, and a copper bowl, inscribed "Naram-Sin, the mighty, king of the four quarters, conqueror of Armanum and Ebla.".weblinkI. J. Gelb, Sargonic Texts in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, Materials for the Assyrian Dictionary 5, University of Chicago Press, 1970 {{ISBN|0-226-62309-2}}weblinkFoster, B. R., "The siege of Armanum.", Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society, vol. 14, no. 1, pp 27-36, 1982 In 2010 a new stele fragment (IM 221139) describing the campaign was found at Tulul al-Baqarat (thought to be the ancient city of Kesh.Nashat Alkhafaji and Gianni Marchesi, "Naram-Sin's War against Armanum and Ebla in a Newly-Discovered Inscription from Tulul al-Baqarat", Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 79, no. 1, pp. 1-20, 2020{{Blockquote|"Whereas, for all time since the creation of mankind, no king whosoever had destroyed Armanum and Ebla, the god Nergal, by means of (his) weapons opened the way for Naram-Sin, the mighty, and gave him Armanum and Ebla. Further, he gave to him the Amanus, the Cedar Mountain, and the Upper Sea. By means of the weapons of the god Dagan, who magnifies his kingship, Naram-Sin, the mighty, conquered Armanum and Ebla."|Inscription of Naram-Sin. E 2.1.4.26}}

Children

(File:Cylinder seal - Bin-kali-sharri BM.jpg|thumb|Cylinder seal - Bin-kali-sharri BM)Among the known sons of Naram-Sin were his successor Shar-Kali-Sharri, Nabi-Ulmaš, who was governor of Tutub, and a Ukin-Ulmash. Excavations at Tell Mozan (ancient Urkesh) brought to light a sealing of Tar'am-Agade, a previously unknown daughter of Naram-Sin, who was possibly married to an unidentified endan (ruler) of Urkesh.BOOK, Buccellati, Giorgio, Kelly-Buccellati, Marilyn, Lamia, Al-Gailani Werr, Of Pots and Plans. Papers on the Archaeology and History of Mesopotamia and Syria presented to David Oates in Honour of his 75th Birthday, 2002, Nabu, London, 1897750625,weblink 11–31, Tar’am-Agade, Daughter of Naram-Sin, at Urkesh, A recently found cylinder seal, looted from Urasagrig, shows that the governor there, Sharatigubishin, was also a son.Steinkeller, Piotr, "Two Sargonic Seals from Urusagrig and the Question of Urusagrig’s Location", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 112, no. 1, pp. 1-10, 2022weblink Other known children include Enmenana the "zirru priestess of the god Nanna, spouse of the god N[anna], entu priestess of the god Sin at Ur", Šumšani ēntum-priestess of Shamash at Sippar, a son who was governor at Marad, an unnamed daughter who was ēntum-priestesses at Nippur, Bin-kali-šarrē, Lipit-ilē (governor at Marad), Rigmuš-ālsu, Me-Ulmaš, and Ukēn-Ulmaš and a granddaughter Lipus-ia-um.Archi, Alfonso, and Maria Giovanna Biga, "A Victory over Mari and the Fall of Ebla", Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 55, pp. 1–44, 2003Sharlach, Tonia, "Princely Employments in the Reign of Shulgi", Journal of Ancient Near Eastern History, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 1-68, 2022 One daughter, Tuṭṭanabšum (Tudanapšum), held the position of high priestess of Enlil at Nippur, the most important religious position in the empire. She was also deified, the only female and only non-king to be made a god.weblinkKraus, Nicholas Larry, "Tuṭṭanabšum: Princess, Priestess, Goddess", Journal of Ancient Near Eastern History, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 85-99, 2020Michalowski, Piotr, "Tudanapšum, Naram-Sin and Nippur", Revue d’Assyriologie et d’archéologie Orientale, vol. 75, no. 2, pp. 173–76, 1981

Victory stele of Naram-Sin

{{multiple image| align = right| direction =vertical| total_width=230| image1 = Naram-Sin stele inscription in Akkadian.jpg| image2 = Inscription of the Stele of Naram-Sin.jpg| footer_align = center| footer=Naram-Sin stele, inscription of Naram-Sin in the Akkadian language. The name Naram-Sin (𒀭𒈾𒊏𒄠𒀭𒂗𒍪) appears vertically in the upper right.}}Naram-Sin's Victory Stele depicts him as a god-king (symbolized by his horned helmet) climbing a mountain above his soldiers, and his enemies, the defeated Lullubi led by their king Satuni. The stele was broken off at the top apparently when it was carried away from Sippar and carried off by the Elamite forces of Shutruk-Nakhunte in the 12th century BC along with a number of other monuments.Victory Stele of Naram-Sin at the Louvre The stele seems to break from tradition by using successive diagonal tiers to communicate the story to viewers, however the more traditional horizontal frames are visible on smaller broken pieces.Winter, Irene, et al., "Tree (s) on the mountain. Landscape and territory on the victory stele of Naram-Sîn of Agade." Landscapes. Territories, frontiers and horizons in the ancient Near East", Papers presented to the XLIV Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Venezia, 7-11 July 1997. Part I: Invited lectures, pp. 63-72, 1999 It has been suggested that it contains the first depictions of battle standards and plate armor.weblinkVan Dijk, Renate Marian, "The standards on the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin", Journal for Semitics 25.1, pp. 33-50, 2016 The stele is 200 centimeters tall and 105 centimeters wide and is made from pinkish limestone. For contrast see the Victory Stele of Rimush over Lagash or the Victory stele of Sargon.Winter, Irene J.. "How Tall Was Naram-Sîn’s Victory Stele? Speculation on the Broken Bottom". 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, 2021, pp. 301-312BOOK, Kleiner, Fred, Gardner's Art Through The Ages, Thomson-Wadsworth, 2005, 0-534-64095-8, 41, The stele was found by Jacques de Morgan at Susa, and is now in the Louvre Museum (Sb 4).J. de Morgan, "Description des objects d'art. Stele Triomphale de Naram-Sin", MDP 1, Paris, pp. 144-158, 1900The inscription over the head of the king is in the Akkadian language and very fragmentary, but reads:{{blockquote|"[Nar]am-Sin, the mighty, ..., Sidu[r-x] (and) the highlanders of Lullubum assembled together ... bat[tle]. For/to the high[landers ...] [heap]ed up [a burial mound over them], ... (and) dedicated (this object) [to the god ...] }}Shutruk-Nahhunte added his own inscription to the stele, in Middle Elamite:{{blockquote|"I am Shutruk-Nahhunte, son of Hallutush-Inshushinak, beloved servant of the god Inshushinak, king of Anshan and Susa, who has enlarged the kingdom, who takes care of the lands of Elam, the lord of the land of Elam. When the god Inshusinak gave me the order, I defeated Sippar. I took the stele of Naram-Sin and carried it off, bringing it to the land of Elam. For Inshushinak, my god, I set it as an offering."BOOK, Mieroop, Marc Van De, A History of the Ancient Near East, ca. 3000-323 BC, 2015, John Wiley & Sons, 9781118718230, 199, en, }}(File:Detail, stele of Naram-Sin from Pir Hüseyin, near Diyarbakır, Turkey. 2254-2215 BCE. Ancient Orient Museum, Istanbul.jpg|thumb|Detail, stele of Naram-Sin from Pir Hüseyin, near Diyarbakır, Turkey. 2254-2215 BCE. Ancient Orient Museum, Istanbul)A similar stele fragment (ES 1027), 57 centimeters high by 42 centimeters wide by 20 deep, depicting Naram-Sin was found a few miles north-east of Diarbekr, at Pir Hüseyin in a well, though this was not its original context. It is said to have been first found Miyafarkin, a village about 75 kilometers northeast of Diarbekr.weblink" title="https:/-/web.archive.org/web/20060904135524weblink">weblinkJ. P. Naab, E. Unger, "Die Entdeckung der Stele des Naram-Sin in Pir Hüseyin", Istanbul Asariatika Nesriyati XII, 1934Fragments of an alabaster stele representing captives being led by Akkadian soldiers is sometimes attributed to Narim-Sin (or Rimush or Manishtushu) on stylistic grounds.JOURNAL, McKeon, John F. X., An Akkadian Victory Stele, Boston Museum Bulletin, 1970, 68, 354, 226–243, 4171539, 0006-7997, In particular, it is considered as more sophisticated graphically than the steles of Sargon of Akkad or those of Rimush or Manishitshu. Two fragments (IM 55639 and IM 59205) are in the National Museum of Iraq, and one (MFA 66.89) is the Boston Museum. The stele is quite fragmentary, but attempts at reconstitution have been made.WEB, CDLI-Archival View,weblink cdli.ucla.edu, Depending on sources, the fragments were excavated in Wasit, al-Hay district, Wasit Governorate, or in Nasiriyah, both locations in Iraq.weblinkFuad Basmachi, "An Akkadian Stele", Sumer, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 116-119, 1954It is thought that the stele represents the result of the campaigns of Naram-Sin to Cilicia or Anatolia. This is suggested by the characteristics of the booty carried by the soldiers in the stele, especially the metal vessel carried by the main soldier, the design of which is unknown in Mesopotamia, but on the contrary well known in contemporary Anatolia.Nasiriyah Victory Stele of Naram-Sin. From Mesopotamia, Iraq, c. 2300 BCE. Iraq Museum.jpg|Soldier with sword, on the Nasiriyah stele of Naram-SinNasiriyah Victory Stele of Naram-Sin, from Mesopotamia, Iraq, c. 2300 BCE. Iraq Museum.jpg|Naked captives, on the Nasiriyah stele of Naram-Sin

The Curse of Akkad

(File:Malediction d'Agade AO6890.jpg|thumb|The Curse of Agade AO6890)One Mesopotamian myth, a historiographic poem entitled "The curse of Akkad: the Ekur avenged", explains how the empire created by Sargon of Akkad fell and the city of Akkad was destroyed. The myth was written hundreds of years after Naram-Sin's life and is the poet's attempt to explain how the Gutians succeeded in conquering Sumer. After an opening passage describing the glory of Akkad before its destruction, the poem tells of how Naram-Sin angered the chief god Enlil by plundering the Ekur (Enlil's temple in Nippur.) In his rage, Enlil summoned the Gutians down from the hills east of the Tigris, bringing plague, famine and death throughout Mesopotamia. Food prices became vastly inflated, with the poem stating that 1 lamb would buy only half a sila (about {{cvt|425|ml|USoz|disp=or}}) of grain, half a sila of oil, or half a mina (about {{cvt|250|g|oz|disp=or}}) of wool.BOOK, The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character, Samuel Noah Kramer,weblink University of Chicago Press, 978-0-226-45238-8, 2010-09-17, To prevent this destruction, eight of the gods (namely Inanna, Enki, Sin, Ninurta, Utu, Ishkur, Nusku, and Nidaba) decreed that the city of Akkad should be destroyed in order to spare the rest of Sumer and cursed it. The story ends with the poet writing of Akkad's fate, mirroring the words of the gods' curse earlier on:Its chariot roads grew nothing but the 'wailing plant,Moreover, on its canalboat towpaths and landings,No human being walks because of the wild goats, vermin, snakes, and mountain scorpions,The plains where grew the heart-soothing plants, grew nothing but the 'reed of tears,Akkad, instead of its sweet-flowing water, there flowed bitter water,Who said "I would dwell in that" found not a good dwelling place,Who said "I would lie down in Akkad" found not a good sleeping place.

Excavations by Nabonidus circa 550 BC

{{multiple image| perrow = 2| total_width = 400| caption_align = center| align = right| direction = horizontal| header = Excavations of Nabonidus (circa 550 BC)| image1 = Nabonidus cylinder sippar bm1.jpgCylinders of Nabonidus>Nabonidus cylinder, from Sippar| image2 = Nabonidus cylinder from Sippar (extract about Naram-Sin and Sargon).jpg| caption2 = Extract describing the excavation| footer_align = centerCuneiform account of the excavation of a foundation deposit belonging to Naram-Sin (ruled {{Circa>2200 BC}}), by king Nabonidus (ruled {{Circa|550 BC}}).}}A foundation deposit of Naram-Sin was discovered and analysed by king Nabonidus, circa 550 BC.P.-A. Beaulieu, "The Reign of Nabonidus, King of Babylon 556–539 BC", (Yale Near Eastern Researches 10). New Haven and London, 1989 who Robert Silverberg thus characterises as the first archaeologist. Not only did he lead the first excavations which were to find the foundation deposits of the temples of Šamaš the sun god, the warrior goddess Anunitu (both located in Sippar), and the sanctuary that Naram-Sin built to the moon god, located in Harran, but he also had them restored to their former glory.Weiershäuser, Frauke and Novotny, Jamie, "Nabonidus — Babylonia", The Royal Inscriptions of Amēl-Marduk (561–560 BC), Neriglissar (559–556 BC), and Nabonidus (555–539 BC), Kings of Babylon, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 52-185, 2020 He was also the first to date an archaeological artefact in his attempt to date Naram-Sin's temple during his search for it. His estimate was inaccurate by about 1,500 years.weblinkRawlinson, Henry Creswicke, "A selection from the miscellaneous inscriptions of Assyria and Babylonia", in The Cuneiform inscriptions of Western Asia, vol. 5, London, 1884

In popular culture

King Naram-Sin is a character in the 2021 video game (The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes|House of Ashes), with the main plot occurring in his personal temple.WEB, 27 May 2021, The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes Preview,weblink 5 November 2021, The Sixth Axis (TSA), en-US, In the game, he is the self-proclaimed "God King" of Akkad, and is engaged in a war with the Gutians after being cursed by the god Enlil; whom he angered after the sacking his temple. Naram-Sin was voiced and motion captured by Sami Karim.In the 2021 mobile gacha game Blue Archive, Volume F, the innermost chamber of the large floating quantum supercomputer known as the "Ark of Atra-Hasis" (itself a reference to the Akkadian myth) is named "Throne of Naram-Sin". {{clear}}

Artifacts of Naram-Sin

File:Seals in the name of Naram-Sin.jpg|Seals in the name of Naram-SinFile:Stele of the Akkadian king Naram-Sin at Istanbul's archaeological museum.jpg|Stele of the Akkadian king Naram-Sin. The "-ra-am" and "-sin" parts of the name "Naram-Sin" appear in the broken top right corner of the inscription. Istanbul Archaeological Museum.File:Naram-Sin portrait.jpg|Portrait of Naram-Sin (detail)File:Naram-Sin cuneiform.jpg|The name "Naram-Sin" in cuneiform on an inscription. The star symbol "(:Wikt:𒀭|𒀭)" is a silent honorific for "Divine", Sîn (Moon God) is specially written with the characters "EN-ZU" (𒂗𒍪).File:Vase in the name of Naran-Sin King of the four region, limestone, circa 2250 BCE.jpg|Alabaster vase in the name of "Naran-Sin, King of the four regions" '({{cuneiform|𒀭𒈾𒊏𒄠𒀭𒂗𒍪 𒈗 𒆠𒅁𒊏𒁴 𒅈𒁀𒅎}}DNa-ra-am DSîn lugal ki-ibratim arbaim), limestone, {{Circa|2250 BC}}. Louvre Museum AO 74.WEB, Site officiel du musée du Louvre,weblink cartelfr.louvre.fr, File:Naram-Sin, King of the Four quarters of the World.jpg|"Naran-Sin, King of the four regions" '({{cuneiform|𒀭𒈾𒊏𒄠𒀭𒂗𒍪 𒈗 𒆠𒅁𒊏𒁴 𒅈𒁀𒅎}}DNa-ra-am DSîn lugal ki-ibratim arbaim), limestone, {{Circa|2250 BC}}. Louvre Museum AO 74.File:Bronze head of an Akkadian ruler, discovered in Nineveh in 1931, presumably depicting either Sargon or Sargon's grandson Naram-Sin (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden).jpg|This bronze head traditionally attributed to Sargon is now thought to actually belong to his grandson Naram-Sin.