AKKAD

The Akkadian Empire was an ancient Semitic empire centered in the city of Akkad and its surrounding
region in ancient Mesopotamia which united all the indigenous Akkadian speaking Semites and
the Sumerian speakers under one rule within a multilingual empire. The Akkadian Empire controlled
Mesopotamia, the Levant, and parts of Iran. The Akkadian empire lasted from 2334 BC to 2193 BC
According to legend, it was built by the king Sargon the Great (who ruled 2334-2279 BCE) who unified
Mesopotamia under the rule of his Akkadian Empire and set the standard for future forms of government in
Mesopotamia. Sargon claimed that the Akkadian Empire stretched from the Persian Gulf through modernday Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Syria (possibly Lebanon) through the lower part of Asia Minor to the
Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus (there is also a claim it stretched as far as Crete ). While the size and scope of
the empire based in Akkad is disputed, there is no doubt that Sargon the Great created the first multi-national
empire in the world.

AKKAD Geographically

Citizens of the Akkadian Empire?

The Akkadians, a Semitic people, lived in the southern region of Mesopotamia. They had their own
Akkadian language which eventually came to replace Sumerian over the centuries before and after 2000
BCE. Most of the Akkadians were dependent upon the agricultural system of the region.

Akkadian Society
Free civilians in ancient Akkad lived in simple one-story houses. These houses were made of mud bricks and
straw. There was a room with a tiny hole this was what we call now toilet. Every house had a kitchen with a
fire place, kitchen tools such as: knife, forks, glasses, plates, etc. Also many houses had a guest room where
visitors slept overnight. Their descendants survive today as Jews and Arabs

Akkadian Society
The Akkadian Society was formed of four main classes:

First class are kings priest Palaces official

Second class are the free clients (Dependent To 1st class)

Third class Commoner (average citizens (free clients))

Fourth Class are the Slaves (prisoners of War, Debtors)

Slavery

In

the

Akkad

Empire.

Anything the empire needed from canals to bridges and roads. Slaves also farmed alongside peasants. If
free women or men married a slave the slave would be free. Any children they made were totally free.
Owners did not care if they worked the slaves to hard or sometimes even led to death. When and empire
got captured all their people became slaves. If there were to many prisoners they would be slaughtered.

Famous Cities

AKKAD
The Akkadian empire acquired all the prominent cities in Mesopotamia including: Kish , Nippur , Uruk
etc

Akkadian Art

Sargon profoundly affected his people through art, politics and language which
is why the most famous sculpture left behind was one believed to be Sargon
himself

Importance of Art

The Akkadians used art as a form of indication

The rulers used it to stay in power, while the people used it to show gratitude

The Akkadian kings wanted art to remind the conquered people how important, impressive

and powerful the kings were in hopes they wouldntt revolt

When the enemies attacked they carried away and destroyed whatever art they could.

Writing

By about 2500 BCE, the Akkadian started using cuneiform to write their own language.

However, it wasnt dominant until 2300 BCE when Akkadian positioned over the Sumerian as the
primary language of Mesopotamia.

Scribal School

Divided into 2 sections: Beginning and Advanced

Students began at young age (5-7)

Mostly male students, but there is evidence of some female students

Education generally only available to the wealthy and elite

Wrote in Cuneiform on clay tablets

Weaponry

The composite bow was one of the major inventions of the Akkadians. Its pull was 2-3 times

that of the simple bow and it was able to efficiently penetrate leather armor
and some of the early bronze armors at up to90 meters.

Used throughout the next fifteen hundred years.

The Mace was used for fighting in short range.

It was a piece of wood covered in metal studs which enabled extra power for bone breaking.

Copper helmets were used to protect soldiers from strong bows to the head.

They also had armored cloaks that covered the body with metal disks lined with leather

Deities
The Sumerian triad of An, Enlil and Enki survived into Akkadian religion, although with change of names.
An became Anu; Enlil became Bel; and Enki became Ea.
There was also great focus on the sun god, Shamash. Shamash would emerge as the most important god,
and his cults were acted out all over the lands that Akkad controlled. Shamash defended justice and punished
wrongdoers. Rays of light from Shamash shined over the king.

Economy and resources

Agriculture was vital in Akkad.

Due to very little rainfall, irrigation was key to successful farming.

Akkad had a surplus of cattle and crops

However, it lacked other commodities like metals and timber.

Known for what?

They used the Hammurabi code as the law of the empire.

The first poet? Enheduanna is the world's first author known by name and was the daughter

of Sargon of Akkad.

Created the worlds first postal service (Akkadian script written in cuneiform wrapped in clay

envelopes marked with the recipient address and name and the seal of the sender)

Limmu calendar system

Year =big event

Empire was bound together by roads

Famous people

Sargon of Akkad (2270-2215 BCE) helped establish the Akkadian Empire.

Collapse
The empire collapsed entire from the invasion of barbarians of the Zagros known as Gutians