Cultural advice

The Australian National University acknowledges, celebrates and pays our respects to the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people of the Canberra region and to all First Nations Australians on whose traditional lands we meet and work, and whose cultures are among the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that ANU Library collections may include images, names, voices, and other representations of deceased persons.

Material in the collection may contain terms, language or views that reflect the period in which the item was created and may be considered inappropriate today.

Dur Untashi (modern Chogha Zanbil) (Middle Elamite period) : Ziggurat of Inshushinak, the chief god of Elam, second half of 2nd millennium BC

Date

Authors

Parrot, Andre

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Abstract

Description

Built by Elamite king Untashgal, destroyed under Ashurbanipal of Assyria (668-630) and has since been uninhabited. The subdivision of the inner part of the ziggurat into rooms was entirely foreign to Mesopotamia, where the temple towers were always quite massive. The stairways have also been built in a different way. They were not placed in front of the terraces as in Mesopotamia, but sunk into them on all four sides. Several thousand glazed terracotta pegs which were lying on the slope and at the foot of the ziggurat may once have decorated its facade. They couuld also have come from the temple presumably situated at the top. See also : Eva Strommenger, The Art of Mesopotamia, translated by Christina Haglund, London, Thames & Hudson, 1964, pp. 431-2.

Citation

Source

Type

Archives Series

Date created

1960

Access Statement

License Rights

This image is provided for research purposes only and must not be reproduced without the prior permission of the Archives Program, Australian National University.

DOI

Restricted until

Downloads