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Katrien De Graef (Ghent University) “Perfect Strangers. Babylonians and Elamites at the Crossroads of Language and Writing in the Sukkalmah Period“ This paper delves into the complex interplay and cultural exchange between ancient Mesopotamian civilizations and eastern territories, with a keen focus on the Susiana plain near the Zagros mountains, uncovering a melting pot of cultures shaped by millennia-long interactions between lowland Mesopotamian and highland Iranian communities. Interregional contacts were intensified during the 3rd millennium BC, marked by the expansion of Mesopotamian empires like the Old-Akkadian and Ur III into the Iranian highlands, establishing cultural and administrative hegemony. The dynamics of this relationship experienced a shift following the fall of the Ur III empire, giving rise to the Elamite Sukkalmah dynasty which commanded both the highlands and lowlands, and even extended into Mesopotamian plains. The Susiana plain transitioned from a fluid military frontier in the late 3rd millennium to becoming a central component of the Elamite state at the onset of the 2nd millennium, positioning the Elamites as significant regional power brokers. This paper emphasizes the duality of cultures in Susiana, especially evident in the documentary texts from Sukkalmah Susa, showcasing a blend of Elamite and Mesopotamian influences. Onomastic analysis of the corpus challenges the previously held assumption of a predominantly Akkadian ethnicity, unveiling a more intricate multicultural and multilingual tapestry of Susian society. The administrative language of Susa, while primarily in Akkadian cuneiform, incorporates local Elamite traditions, reflecting the hybrid nature of administrative practices in this borderland, as well as the ingenuity of Susian scribes. By adopting a borderland perspective, this paper illuminates the intricate, evolving relationship between Elamite and Mesopotamian identities, transcending binary notions of core and periphery, and shedding light on the unique ‘in-betweenness’ and hybridity characteristic of borderland regions. It underscores the importance of understanding the Susiana region's cultural and administrative history from this vantage point, highlighting transformations at individual, familial, and institutional levels, and providing a richer understanding of the constructed and evolving Elamo-Akkadian identity in this context.
