Iku-Shamagan, The King

The national museum of Damascus – متحف دمشق الوطني

Description

Iku-Shamagan (𒄿𒆪𒀭𒊭𒈠𒃶, i-ku-Dsha-ma-gan) was a King of the second Mariote kingdom who reigned c. 2500 BCE. He is one of three Mari kings known from archaeology, Ikun-Shamash probably being the oldest one.[5] Another king was Ishqi-Mari, also known from an inscribed statue.

In their inscriptions, these Mari kings used the Akkadian language, whereas their contemporaries to the south used the Sumerian language.

A vase mentioning Iku-Shamagan “in an early semitic dialect” is also known:

For Iku-Shamagan, king of Mari, Shuweda the cup-bearer, son of … the merchant, dedicated this vessel to the river god and Ishtarat

— Vessel inscription. (**)

As a king, Iku-Shamagan is known from a statue with inscription, discovered by André Parrot in 1952. The statue, in the National Museum of Damascus, was restored by the Louvre Museum in 2011.

Iku-Shamagan’s votive statue was dedicated through an inscription on the back of the statue:

The national museum of Damascus – متحف دمشق الوطني

𒄿𒆪𒀭𒊭𒈠𒃶 / 𒈗𒈠𒌷𒆠 / 𒀋 / 𒊕𒂅 / 𒊨𒋤 / 𒀭𒈹𒍝𒍝 / 𒊕𒄸𒁺

i-ku-Dsha-ma-gan / lugal ma-ri2ki / abba2 / sa12du5 / dul3su3 / DMUSZ3xZA.ZA / sa12rig9

Of Iku-Shamagan, king of Mari, his surveyor has dedicated the statue to Ninni-zaza

The statue was heavily damaged during the conquest by the armies of the Empire of Akkad circa 2300 BCE.

Iku-Shamagan  was Succeeded by Ishqi-Mari, whos statue now is in display at the national museum of Aleppo.

  • Site: Mari (Tell Hariri): Temple Ninni-zaza.

  • Date: C 2500 B.C

  • Material: Alabaster

  • Item Size : 115 cm (H)

  • Archaeological Mission:

  • National Museum Of Damascus (2011) – Museum Number:

  • VMS Code: Dam 028

Excavation Site Location

References

  • Aruz, Joan, ed., with Ronald Wallenfels. Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art; New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2003, p. 148.
  • Lambert, Maurice. “Les inscriptions des temples d’Ishtarat et de Ninni-zaza.” Revue d’Assyriologie et d’archéologie orientale 64, no. 2 (1970): 168–171.
  • المديرية العامة للآثار والمتاحف. الحوليات الأثرية السورية. المجلد الثاني، الجزآن الأول والثاني. دمشق: المديرية العامة للآثار والمتاحف، 1952، ص 173.

Relevant Publications

  1.  Parrot, André (1953). “Les fouilles de Mari Huitième campagne (automne 1952)”. Syria. 30 (3/4): Plates XXI-XXII. doi:10.3406/syria.1953.4901. ISSN 0039-7946. JSTOR 4196708..
  2. Art Of the first cities | Google Books 

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Credits

  • Dam 028 / SLC

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