Elam: Map & History
Elam was an ancient civilization centered in the far west and southwest of Iran, stretching from the lowlands of Ilam and Khuzestan as well as a small part of modern-day southern Iraq.
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Elam was an ancient civilization centered in the far west and southwest of Iran, stretching from the lowlands of Ilam and Khuzestan as well as a small part of modern-day southern Iraq. The modern name Elam stems from the Sumerian transliteration elam(a), along with the later Akkadian elamtu, and the Elamite haltamti. Elamite states were among the leading political forces of the Ancient Near East. In classical literature, Elam was also known as Susiana, a name derived from its capital Susa.
Modern Countries Once Part of Elam
At its mapped extent, Elam covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Elam's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Elam in Depth
History
Prehistorically the area was well settled during the Ubaid period and shared many aspects of Ubaid cultures.
Neo-Elamite period: c. 1100 – 540 BC (characterized by Assyrian and Median influence. 539 BC marks the beginning of the Achaemenid period.)
Proto-Elamite civilization grew up east of the Tigris and Euphrates alluvial plains; it was a combination of the lowlands and the immediate highland areas to the north and east. At least three proto-Elamite states merged to form Elam: Anshan, Awan, and Shimashki. References to Awan are generally older than those to Anshan, and some scholars suggest that both states encompassed the same territory, in different eras (see Hanson, Encyclopædia Iranica). To this core Shushiana was periodically annexed and broken off.
Legacy
The Assyrians had utterly destroyed the Elamite nation, but new polities emerged in the area after Assyrian power faded. Some time after that region fell to Madius the Scythian (653 BC), Teispes, son of Achaemenes, conquered Elamite Anshan in the mid 7th century BC, forming a nucleus that would expand into the Persian Empire. They were largely regarded as vassals of the Assyrians, and the Medes, Mannaeans, and Persians paid tribute to Assyria from the 10th century BC until the death of Ashurbanipal in 631 BC. After his death, the Medes played a major role in the destruction of the weakened Assyrian Empire in 612 BC.
Geography
In geographical terms, Susiana basically represents the Iranian province of Khuzestan around the river Karun. In ancient times, several names were used to describe this area. The ancient geographer Ptolemy was the earliest to call the area Susiana, referring to the country around Susa.
Another ancient geographer, Strabo, viewed Elam and Susiana as two different geographic regions. He referred to Elam ("land of the Elymaei") as primarily the highland area of Khuzestan.
Disagreements over the location also exist in the Jewish historical sources says Daniel T. Potts. Some ancient sources draw a distinction between Elam as the highland area of Khuzestan, and Susiana as the lowland area. Yet in other ancient sources 'Elam' and 'Susiana' seem equivalent.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Elam (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Elam: Key Facts
| Capitals | Anshan Persia, Susa |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2700 BCE |
| Dissolved | 539 BCE |
Preceded by
- Proto-Elamite period
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q128904 (CC0).
Elam Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Elam appears, with the other states of the time.
Elam Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 215,100 km² in 1126 BCE.
Elam: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Elam exist?
Elam is dated to 3200 BCE – 601 BCE, in the Bronze Age Civilizations era.
What was the capital of Elam?
The capital of Elam was Anshan Persia.
How large was Elam at its peak?
At its peak in 1126 BC Elam covered about 215,100 km².
How did the map of Elam change over time?
Elam appears on 6 dated world maps in the atlas, from 3000 BCE to 750 BCE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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