Home Region: Iran (Southwest Asia)

Elam - Early Sukkalmah

1900 BCE 1701 BCE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 ir_elam_3 / IrSukkE

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

2028 BCE 1940 BCE Elam - Shimashki Period (ir_elam_2) [continuity]

2112 BCE 2004 BCE Ur - Dynasty III (iq_ur_dyn_3) [secession]

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.

1700 BCE 1500 BCE Elam - Late Sukkalmah (ir_elam_4) [continuity]

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General Description

Women in Elam
"with the rise of the nuclear family by the end of the third millennium ... daughters attained equal inheritance rights with sons. Sometimes fathers even preferred to pass on their entire estates to their daughters rather than to their sons. A wide’s share of her husband’s estate also increased considerably in the later Elamite period." ^[1]
Succession "sometimes passed from a man to his sister’s son. Succession through the sister suggests that royal women had greater political power than did royal women in Mesopotamia." ^[2]
queen Nahhunte-utu of Elam "married two of her own brothers" and passed her claim to the throne to her eldest son. Also evidence for next-of-kin marriage within the royal family." ^[2]
"Hinz argues that even after the sister’s son was no longer the major heir to the throne, brother-sister marriage did not disappear but continued until the end of the Elamite period, when ’even provincial rulers followed the "family custom" of Elamite kings in marrying their sisters." ^[2]

c1800 BCE? "the Elamite sukkal-mah, who invaded Mesopotamia. At first Mari and Babylon supported Elam in its siege of their old rival Eshnunna. However, the situation completely changed when Elam threatened Babylon and the Sinjar region. This lead to the formation of a coalition between Mari and Babylon, along with their allies Larsa, Yamhad, Zalmaqum and all the kings in the Jezira. Within a few years, Elam was forced to retreat, although it still managed to plunder Eshnunna." ^[3]
"The documentation on Elam predominantly comes from Susa. The city had a central role as the residence of the sukkal-mah, but also a marginal one from an Elamite perspective due to its proximity to the Lower Mesopotamian border. Therefore, it is hypothetically possible that other Elamite regions and cities had a similar triad of offices, sharing the same sukkal-mah, but with different people in the other two roles." ^[4]
"the Sukkal-mah Dynasty replaced the one of Shimashki perhaps as a repercussion of the incursion of Gungunum of Larsa against Susa. Eparti and Shilhaka, founders of the new dynasty, took on the title of ’king of Anshan and Susa’ and made Susa their capital." ^[4]
"Elam remained politically independent from the Mesopotamian kingdoms and even relatively superior to them. During the Mari Age, the sukkal-mah (probably Shiruduh I) was engage in diplomatic and commercial relations with Mari and even more distant Qatna. ... Elam’s influence extended all over the Zagros, reaching Shemshara, which was very close to Assyria. At the death of Shamshi-Adad ... the anti-Babylonian front along the Tigris was under the supremacy of Elam. Hammurabi’s victory, however, helped in lowering the expansionistic ambitions ... The Babylonians never conquered Elam and the local dynasty continued to rule, leaving only Susiana vulnerable to the consequences of the military developments taking place in Mesopotamia." ^[4]
"Just like in the rest of the Near East, even in the case of Elam there is a lack of documentation for the sixteenth century BC." ^[4]
"At the time of the sukkal-mah, the choice of Susa as capital showed a clear intention of becoming a constitutive part of the Mesopotamian political system and of Babylonian culture." ^[5]
Babylonian official language at this time: "The official language (also for royal inscriptions) was once again Elamite, and not Babylonian, as it had been before the dark age." ^[5]
"Among the major administrative achievements of the Elamite Iran were the development and management of a gigantic system of underground irrigation, qanats, an earlier Iranian invention turning an unworked country into an agricultural land; the invention and development of the written language of Elamite and its extensive use in the administration of the federated state; and the construction and maintenance of numerous public enterprises like roads, bridges, cities and towns, communication centers, and economic trade centers with the neighboring states. Elamite Iran was relatively prosperous because of its rich minerals and precious metals, as well as other industries and arts." ^[6]
"The earliest experiences of state tradition and administrative functions on a massive scale began around 6000 B.C. in Susa. As one of the oldest sites of ancient civilization, Susa began political and administrative life first as a city-state contemporary and rival to Sumer in the Mesopotamia, then as the capital of one of the oldest empires of antiquity, Elam. Established in the late fourth millennium B.C., the Elamite Empire was the first Iranian experience in empire building and state tradition. ... the federated state of Elam practiced public administration ... The federal system of Elam was composed of several major kingdoms (the Kassite, the Guti, the Lullubi, Susiana, and Elamite), all being of the same racial group of the pre-Aryan people. The Elamite over-lordship in Susa was the main power of the federated states, the heads of which frequently assembled for political and military purposes. Decision making wa based on equality, and cooperation was key to the coordinated system of government in a federal structure." ^[7]
"While internal independence of the member states was respected, intergovernmental relations on civil administration were regulated by various administrative rules and ordinances." ^[6]
16th-14th centuries BCE: The Elamites were concentrated in the Susiana plain but maintained their ancestral ties with the highlands, where Anshan was progressively deserted." ^[8]
The Elamite polity was ruled by three main officials: sukkalmah (grand regent, grand vizier), sukkal of Elam and Shimaski (usually brother of the sukkalmah) and sukkal of Susa (prince, heir to the throne). The power was transmitted inside the royal family. The marriages between brothers and sisters were common practices in Old Elamite Period. When the sukkalmah died, his younger brother became a king, the next was sukkalmah’s son or son of sukkal of Elam and Shimaski ^[9]

[1]: (Nashat 2003, 14-15) Nashat, Guity. Women in Pre-Islamic and Early Islamic Iran. in Nashat, Guity. Beck, Lois. eds. 2003. Women in Iran: From The Rise Of Islam To 1800. University of Illinois Press. Urbana.

[2]: (Nashat 2003, 15) Nashat, Guity. Women in Pre-Islamic and Early Islamic Iran. in Nashat, Guity. Beck, Lois. eds. 2003. Women in Iran: From The Rise Of Islam To 1800. University of Illinois Press. Urbana.

[3]: (Leverani 2014, 229) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.

[4]: (Leverani 2014, 254) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.

[5]: (Leverani 2014, 376) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.

[6]: (Farazmand 2001, 536) Farazmand, Ali in Farazmand, Ali ed. 2001. Handbook of Comparative and Development Public Administration. Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York.

[7]: (Farazmand 2001, 535) Farazmand, Ali in Farazmand, Ali ed. 2001. Handbook of Comparative and Development Public Administration. Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York.

[8]: (Amiet, Chevalier and Carter 1992, 9) Amiet, Pierre. Chevalier, Nicole. Carter, Elizabeth. in Harper, Prudence O. Aruz, Joan. Tallon, Francoise. eds. 1992. The Royal City of Susa: Ancient Near Eastern Treasures in the Louvre. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

[9]: Liverani 2014, 253

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

5 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

3 Polity Succession

2 Degree of Centralization

Language

2 Linguistic Family

5 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

1 Enclosure

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Mnemonic Device

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

Instability Events

2 Instability Event

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3) was in:
(1900 BCE 1701 BCE)	Susiana

Home NGA: Susiana

General Variables

Identity and Location Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	38 S	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Original Name	Elam - Early Sukkalmah	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Capital	Susa	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Alternative Name	Early Period	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Alternative Name	Old Elam	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Alternative Name	the Sukkalmah Period	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Alternative Name	Eparti dynasty	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Alternative Name	Elam	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	[1900 BCE ➜ 1800 BCE]
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Duration	[1900 BCE ➜ 1701 BCE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	vassalage to [---]	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Supracultural Entity	Amorite world	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Succeeding Entity	Elam - Late Sukkalmah	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Preceding Entity 2028 BCE 1940 BCE	Elam - Shimashki Period (ir_elam_2) [continuity]
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Preceding Entity 2112 BCE 2004 BCE	Ur - Dynasty III (iq_ur_dyn_3) [secession]
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Succeeding Entity 1700 BCE 1500 BCE	Elam - Late Sukkalmah (ir_elam_4) [continuity]
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Degree of Centralization	quasi-polity	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Degree of Centralization	confederated state	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Language Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	isolate	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Linguistic Family	Semitic	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Language	Elamite	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Language	Akkadian	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Language	Babylonian	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Language	Hurrian	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Language	Amorite	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Religion Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	[6,500 to 26,000] people	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Polity Territory	- Undecided	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Polity Population	- Undecided	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	[3 to 5]	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Religious Level	[2 to 3]	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Military Level	[3 to 6]	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Administrative Level	[4 to 5]	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Professions Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Professional Priesthood	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Merit Promotion	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Examination System	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Law Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Judge	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Formal Legal Code	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Court	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Irrigation System	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Food Storage Site	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Uncoded Undecided	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Port	Uncoded Undecided	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Canal	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Bridge	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Special-purpose Sites Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Enclosure	Uncoded Undecided	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Information / Writing System Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Script	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Nonwritten Record	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Mnemonic Device	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Religious Literature	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Practical Literature	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Calendar	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Information / Money Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Precious Metal	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Paper Currency	Absent	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Indigenous Coin	Absent Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Foreign Coin	Absent Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Article	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Information / Postal System Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Courier	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Information / Measurement System Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Moat	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Earth Rampart	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Ditch	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Complex Fortification	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Long Wall	absent	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Military use of Metals Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Absent	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Iron	Absent	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Copper	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Bronze	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Projectiles Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Sling	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Self Bow	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Javelin	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Crossbow	Absent	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Composite Bow	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Atlatl	Absent	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Handheld weapons Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Absent Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Sword	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Spear	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Polearm	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Dagger	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Battle Axe	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Elephant	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Donkey	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Dog	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Camel	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Armor Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Shield	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Scaled Armor	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Plate Armor	Absent Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Limb Protection	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Leather Cloth	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Laminar Armor	Absent Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Helmet	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Chainmail	Absent	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Breastplate	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Naval technology Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Absent Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Absent	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present Inferred	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Absent	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Present	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Absent	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent	1900 BCE 1701 BCE
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Human Sacrifice Elam - Early Sukkalmah (ir_elam_3)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More