Home Region:  Iran (Southwest Asia)

Elam II

743 BCE 647 BCE
EQ 2020  ir_neo_elam_2 / IrNElm2
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[continuity; Elam - Neo-Elamite I] [continuity]   Update here

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  General Description  
Our Neo-Elamite II period runs from 743 BCE, when the Elamite king Humban-nikash I came to the throne (according to the Babylonian Chronicle), [1] to 647 BCE, the date of the invasion of Elam and sack of Susa by the Neo-Assyrian king Ashurbanipal. [2] By that time, the Elamite civilization had occupied the highlands of the south-western Iranian plateau and the fertile lowlands of the Susiana plain for almost two millennia.
Population and political organization
The accession of King Humban-nikash I in the 8th century marks the re-emergence of Elam from the ’obscure’ phase of its history: there is an almost complete lack of written evidence for Elamite society, politics and history between c. 1100 and 743 BCE. [3] [4] During the Neo-Elamite II period, in contrast, a combination of archaeological evidence and both local and Mesopotamian written sources has provided historians with a better (if not comprehensive) understanding of Elamite political organization and key events affecting the polity.
The Elamite king exercised power from his seat at Susa through a series of high officials, most of whom were related to him. [5] A governmental body called the ’elders of Elam’, also attested from the Middle Elamite period, exercised independent executive power, perhaps indicating that there were institutional checks on the king’s authority. [6] However, the Neo-Elamite monarchy was unstable and fell prey to frequent coups d’état. [7] This instability was exacerbated by Neo-Assyrian interference, especially after Ashurbanipal began his Elamite campaigns in 653 BCE. [8] It is likely that Elam in this period sometimes functioned as a centralized state but at other times was split into smaller, autonomous kingdoms. [9]
Secure population estimates for the area under Elamite control in this period are lacking.

[1]: (Potts 2004, 263) Potts, D. T. 2004. The Archaeology of Elam: Formation and Transformation of an Ancient Iranian State. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/WDUEEBGQ.

[2]: (Álvarez-Mon, Garrison and Stronach 2011, 10) Álvarez-Mon, Javier, Mark B. Garrison, and David Stronach. 2011. "Introduction." In Elam and Persia, edited by Javier Álvarez-Mon and Mark B. Garrison, 1-32. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/WF4UWMWH.

[3]: (Liverani 2014, 526) Liverani, Marco. 2014. The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy. Translated by Soraia Tabatabai. Abingdon: Routledge. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/7DRZQS5Q.

[4]: (Amiet, Chevalier and Carter 1992, 13) Amiet, Pierre, Nicole Chevalier, and Elizabeth Carter. 1992. "Susa in the Ancient Near East." In The Royal City of Susa: Ancient Near Eastern Treasures in the Louvre, edited by Prudence O. Harper, Joan Aruz, and Françoise Tallon, 1-24. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/9KQATXPQ.

[5]: (Liverani 2014, 529) Liverani, Marco. 2014. The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy. Translated by Soraia Tabatabai. Abingdon: Routledge. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/7DRZQS5Q.

[6]: (Henkelman 2008, 17) Henkelman, Wouter. 2008. The Other Gods Who Are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts. Leiden: Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/T6UFW9CW.

[7]: (Carter and Stolper 1984, 47) Carter, Elizabeth, and Matthew W. Stolper. 1984. Elam: Surveys of Political History and Archaeology. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/2SDF8S3B.

[8]: (Potts 2012, 46) Potts, Daniel T. 2012. "The Elamites." In The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History, edited by Touraj Daryaee, 37-56. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/BEAERFCW.

[9]: (Liverani 2014, 530) Liverani, Marco. 2014. The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy. Translated by Soraia Tabatabai. Abingdon: Routledge. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/7DRZQS5Q.

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.
Religion Variables Coding in Progress.
Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.
Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2) was in:
 (743 BCE 647 BCE) Susiana
Home NGA: Susiana

General Variables
Identity and Location Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Utm Zone 39 S 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Original Name Elam 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Capital 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Capital 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Capital 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Alternative Name 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
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Peak Years
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Duration
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Political and Cultural Relations Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Suprapolity Relations 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Suprapolity Relations 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Succeeding Entity Neo-Assyrian Empire 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Preceding Entity
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Degree of Centralization 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Degree of Centralization 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Language Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Linguistic Family language isolate 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Linguistic Family Indo-European 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Language 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Language 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Religion Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Polity Territory 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Polity Population 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Settlement Hierarchy 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Religious Level 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Military Level 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Administrative Level 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Professions Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Soldier 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Professional Priesthood 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Professional Military Officer 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Specialized Government Building 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Merit Promotion 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Full Time Bureaucrat 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Examination System 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Law Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Lawyer Unknown Suspected 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Judge Unknown Suspected 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Court Unknown Suspected 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Market 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Irrigation System 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Road 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Bridge 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Special-purpose Sites Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Mines or Quarry Unknown Suspected 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Information / Writing System Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Written Record 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Script 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing Present 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Nonwritten Record 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Non Phonetic Writing Absent 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Mnemonic Device 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Lists Tables and Classification 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Information / Money Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Precious Metal Unknown Suspected 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Paper Currency Absent 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Indigenous Coin 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Foreign Coin 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Article 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Information / Postal System Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Postal Station Unknown Suspected 743 BCE  647 BCE
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General Postal Service Unknown Suspected 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Courier 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Courier 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Information / Measurement System Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Wooden Palisade 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Modern Fortification Absent 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Moat 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Fortified Camp 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Earth Rampart 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Ditch 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Complex Fortification 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Long Wall absent 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Military use of Metals Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Steel 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Iron 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Copper 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Bronze 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Projectiles Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Tension Siege Engine 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Sling Siege Engine 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Sling 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Self Bow 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Javelin 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Handheld Firearm 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Crossbow 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Composite Bow 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Atlatl 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Handheld weapons Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
War Club 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Sword 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Spear 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Polearm 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Dagger 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Battle Axe 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Horse 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Elephant Unknown Suspected 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Donkey 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Dog Unknown Suspected 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Camel 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Armor Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Wood Bark Etc 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Shield 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Scaled Armor 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Plate Armor 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Limb Protection 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Leather Cloth 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Laminar Armor 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Helmet 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Chainmail 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Breastplate 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Naval technology Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Specialized Military Vessel 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)
Religion Variables
Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain 743 BCE  647 BCE
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Human Sacrifice Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)
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Instability Data
Power Transitions